You don't have to use tahini sauce just for Middle East dishes, use this sauce on everything from raw/grilled veggies to any protein of your choice and anything in between. Vegan (plant-based), gluten free, high in healthy fats and amino acids and absolutely delicious!
The sauce I'm sharing with you today is easy, very easy to make with no special equipment needed. Creamy, garlicky tahini sauce is a Lebanese specialty and we drizzle it over everything from meat, rice to roasted veggies.
Did I mention that this vegan tahini sauce is also great as a salad dressing, a dip for raw veggies or used as a spread in your favorite pita wrap and that it can be made in under five minutes?
WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE IT?
The ingredient list for this tahini sauce recipe is pretty short and all are easy to find in just about any supermarket.
Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice! Not juice from a bottle.
Garlic Cloves: I like to use fresh garlic cloves in this recipe, but you can also use fermented or roasted garlic! Microwaving is an excellent way to do this step!
Tahini: This is the key to this recipe, so use the best quality available! The tahini provides a delicious earthy nutty flavor.
Salt: The salt will enhance all of the flavors in the sauce.
Water: Use this to thin out the sauce to the texture of your liking. If you desire for salad dressing consistency, add more water. This will allow you to drizzle vs. dollop!
Sumac: This spice I like to use to finish off (garnish) the sauce before serving. Works well with lemon creating a beautiful harmony of flavors.
Herbs: Garnish with herbs for a pop of color and additional flavor. Any chopped herbs will do (mint, parsley, cilantro, chives, etc.)
HOW TO MAKE TAHINI SAUCE?
In a bowl using a hand whisk, add tahini, freshly squeezed lemon juice, freshly grated garlic and salt. Whisk all together until combined.
Add water to the sauce while whisking until you reach your preference of thick or thinness and until you achieve a luscious smooth appearance.
You are the boss of your sauce, so add or decrease the water amount in order to reach your preference.
NOTES:
When you first add the water and lemon juice to the tahini, it will firm up and look something like this:
That’s normal! Continue whisking for a minute or so, and the ingredients will combine to form a smooth, creamy sauce. If your tahini is dry, or if you prefer a thinner sauce, add more water, as needed, to reach your desired consistency.
I like to use any leftover sauce as a salad dressing and for this reason I add more water, pour it into a salad dressing bottle and then keep in my fridge.
WHAT IS TAHINI?
A staple of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, tahini is a type of sauce or paste created from ground sesame seeds.
Tahini has been popular in North Africa, Greece, Israel, Turkey and Iraq for thousand of years. The most popular dish that includes tahini is hummus; if you ever had hummus you ate tahini. HEALTH BENEFITS OF TAHINI Sesame seeds like other seeds and nuts help lower cholesterol, provide dietary fiber for digestion, improve blood pressure, balance hormones, providing the body with a decent amount of calcium (more than milk by the way) and more.
Tahini is a great way to obtain B1, along with minerals (iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron and zinc). Adding it to recipes is the way to go!
If you like tahini, like I do, try to make these 2 recipes:
Raspberry Tahini Cookies: Vegan and Gluten Free
HOW LONG CAN LAST THIS SAUCE?
It will store in an air-tight refrigerated container for up to 7 days. Freezing tahini sauce isn't recommended. If you would like to extend the shelf-life, then don't use fresh garlic, but instead use roasted or even better fermented garlic!
Do you know how to ferment garlic or really any vegetable and why? Visit this page to find out all health benefits of it.
RELATED RECIPES:
Let's do it...this good for you sauce! Prep time: 2 minutes Making time: 5 minutes Total time: 7 minutes Author: Inna of innichkachef.com Yield: 8-10 servings INGREDIENTS:
2 cups tahini paste
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves crushed or shredded on very fine mandolin setting.
1/4 teaspoon pink salt
1-2 cups of water depending on desired consistency
Parsley chopped for garnish (optional)
Pinch of sumac for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Place the tahini paste in a medium size bowl.
Add the lemon juice, crushed garlic and salt. Use a hand whisk or fork to combine the mixture. You can blend everything in a small food processor or blender, stopping periodically to scrape down the sides as necessary.
After a few minutes of mixing, the sauce will turn into a smooth thick paste. Don't panic, its normal. Slowly add water to the mixture and whisk until you reach the desired consistency.
Garnish with chopped herbs, and sprinkle with a pinch of sumac. This step is totally optional.
Enjoy! I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon or Pinterest.
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