Our lemon herb tahini is a flexible recipe that you can use in a variety of dishes. It is easy to adjust the consistency from a spreadable paste to a thin sauce, and you can flavor it with any number of herbs and spices.
This tahini sauce works well as a dip, a salad dressing, or a healthy substitute for mayonnaise in your sandwiches. It also pairs well with grilled vegetables, roasted potatoes, and our kofta sandwiches.
Why This Lemon Herb Tahini Recipe Works
- All it takes is a handful of raw ingredients plus a food processor or blender to create this sauce.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest add a bright flavor and fresh zestiness to the tahini that balances perfectly with the herbs.
- It is easy to adjust the consistency. Make it thick and spreadable for sandwiches and wraps, thin it out enough to use as a dip, or thin it out a bit more to use as a dressing.
The Ingredients
Here is a list of the ingredients you will need for this Cava inspired lemon herb tahini recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.
- Garlic cloves
- Parsley. You can also use cilantro for a stronger, more herby flavor.
- Fresh chives. Scallions will work if you can’t find chives.
- Lemon zest
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Tahini. Choose a high-quality tahini that isn’t bitter or grainy (read below for our recommendations).
- Lemon juice
- Maple syrup. Just a small amount of sweetness helps balance the flavors. Honey or granulated sugar will also work.
- Salt
- Cold water
What Makes Good Tahini?
Really good tahini that is not bitter, is made from hulled sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are covered in a coat-like layer called a hull. If the hull is left on the sesame seeds, it will make the tahini bitter and give it a gritty texture. Manufacturers that have smooth non-bitter tahini have taken some extra time to remove the hull before grinding the seeds.
Other things that will make tahini taste bitter is if the seeds are over-toasted or if the oils in the seeds are rancid.
There are many good brands available, and we certainly have not tried them all. But we have tried a few brands that we can recommend to you.
It’s a short list and definitely not complete. I know there are many more great brands that we have not tried. If you know of a brand, please let us know in the comments below. We really love to hear from you and appreciate your helpful tips.
Recipe Highlights for Lemon Tahini Sauce with Herbs
Here is a brief overview to give you an idea of what to expect with our Mediterranean inspired tahini dressing. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details.
Roughly chop the herbs in a food processor. Pour in the oil and pulse until well blended.
Add the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt.
When you process the mixture in this step, it will be very thick.
Drizzle the water in a tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency you like. Add salt and pepper to taste then drizzle over salad, chicken, or fresh vegetables.
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Substitutions and Variations
- Use roasted garlic instead of fresh garlic.
- Adding a handful of pine nuts will give the tahini sauce an extra layer of buttery richness and nutty flavor.
- Substitute chervil for the parsley.
- Basil and thyme are also great in this dressing.
- Skip the herbs and make a simple lemon tahini sauce.
Tips for Success
- Buy good quality tahini. As I mentioned above, some brands are bitter. Buy good tahini from a trusted brand. This dressing is all about the tahini, so do it justice by getting some good stuff.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor intermittently to ensure that all the ingredients get evenly incorporated.
- Only add a little bit of water at a time to gradually thin out the sauce.
- You may notice the tahini seize up after you add the first couple of tablespoons of water. If that happens, just keep drizzling in the water and it will thin down.
- Use fresh garlic. This tahini sauce will not taste the same if you use dried garlic powder. Nope. Please don’t do that!
- Stir the sauce before you use it. Good tahini only has one ingredient: sesame seeds. Sesame seeds carry almost half their weight in oil. If you see a layer of oil on top of the tahini, that is normal. Just give it a good stir to distribute the oil again.
Storage
Store lemon herb tahini in the fridge for seven days. You can also freeze this sauce for up to three months.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a delicious and creamy spread made from finely ground sesame seeds. Sometimes the seeds get toasted prior to grinding them into a paste. And sometimes, the seeds have their outer hull removed before grinding them.
The paste can be used in a variety of dishes, from hummus to dressings, sauces, and dips like baba ganoush. You an also use it in baked goods like our honey tahini cookies or chocolate chunk cookies.
Our tahini sauce is a blend of tahini paste, lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs.
Signs that your velvety sesame butter is bad include a sour smell and a sharp, bitter taste. This is an indication that the oil from the sesame seeds is rancid.
Helpful Tools and Ingredients
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Lemon Herb Tahini
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro tightly packed
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped chives or scallions
- zest of 1 lemon
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup tahini
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 to 12 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Add the garlic, cilantro, parsley, chives, olive oil, and lemon zest to a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped (you may need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times). Pour in the olive oil and pulse until the herbs are well blended.
- Add the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, and salt. Process until well combined.
- Blend in the water, 1 tablespoon at a time until you have the consistency you desire. If you want a thick dip, you will only need 4 to 5 tablespoons of water.
Notes
- Some brands of tahini paste are thick while others are runny. You may need to add some additional water if your tahini is thicker. Just add cold water until you get the consistency you like.
- Store in a covered container in the fridge for one week.
- This creamy tahini dressing will get thicker after it sits in the fridge for a while. If you want to thin it out, just whisk a little water in until you get the desired consistency.
