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Tahini Sauce

Our easy tahini sauce recipe is creamy, zingy, and gloriously garlicky. Oh, and it’s vegan, too!

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homemade tahini sauce in a bowl with a spoon next to tomatoes, cucumbers and lemons

The Best Creamy, Lemony (Vegan!), Pour-On-Everything Tahini Sauce

We finally perfected this tahini sauce recipe, and we’re so excited to share it with you. This creamy, vegan sauce is healthy and flavorful and takes about five minutes to make—in other words, it’s a perfect sauce. Lemony and creamy, tahini sauce makes everything taste a little better—from a platter of roasted vegetables to crisp falafel.

tahini sauce in a bowl with a spoon

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What Is Tahini?

The main ingredient in tahini sauce is, of course, tahini! You may also remember this rich, nutty ingredient from our classic hummus recipe. But what exactly is tahini? Tahini simply is a smooth paste made from ground, toasted sesame seeds. It’s pretty easy to find, but there’s quite a bit of variance in quality from brand to brand, so it can be a little tricky to shop for. High-quality tahini tastes deliciously nutty and buttery, and should have a smooth texture. If you wind up with a jar that tastes bitter or has other off flavors, take it back and try a different brand.

tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic and salt in bowls for tahini sauce

What Is Tahini Sauce Made Of?

You’ll find that most tahini sauce recipes have similar ingredients—any variation in the recipes usually centers around prep methods. We’ve opted for the simplest possible recipe, and we’ve kept our tahini sauce ingredients classic, too. Rich and savory with just the right amount of sharpness, it’s a sauce that you’ll be tempted to drizzle on just about everything. Here’s what’s in our vegan tahini sauce recipe:

  • Tahini
  • Garlic
  • Lemon juice
  • Water
  • Salt
ingredients for tahini sauce in a glass bowl
whisk stirring tahini sauce in a glass bowl
whisk in a glass bowl of homemade tahini sauce
easy tahini sauce in a ceramic bowl

What Do You Use Tahini Sauce For?

Tahini sauce uses are many and varied! One of our favorite, easy side dishes (or snacks) is simply roasted veggies (whatever is in season) served with a bowl of tahini sauce for dipping. You can use it as a salad dressing (massage it in to raw kale, and surprise! You made kale salad!) or try it with one of these Mediterranean-inspired recipes:

tahini sauce in a ceramic bowl with a spoon

Tools You’ll Need:

The Best Tahini Sauce Recipe Ever, Right?

We’re pretty obsessed with this stuff, and we think you will be, too! Tasty, easy, vegan—what’s not to love?! Snap a photo of your homemade tahini sauce and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can celebrate your kitchen victories. Happy eating!

Tahini Sauce

  • Serves: 12
  • Prep Time:  5 min
  • Cook Time:  5 min
  • Calories: 123

Ingredients

  • 1 cup tahini
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from 3 to 4 lemons)
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Method

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, ⅔ cup water, and salt. If the sauce is too thick, add more water or lemon juice. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Note: Ingredients will look like they are separating before getting smooth, just continue whisking.

Note: Makes 2 cups

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories123
  • Protein4 g
  • Carbohydrates5 g
  • Total Fat11 g
  • Dietary Fiber1 g
  • Cholesterol0 mg
  • sodium54 mg
  • Total Sugars0 g

Tahini Sauce

Questions & Reviews

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  • Jenn

    My husband and I are obsessed with this sauce! we love to use it as salad dressing on kale or dip pita straight into it.

    Thanks Jenn, we are so glad you loved it!