Recipe for Simple Tahini Dip and Sauce

Enjoy the rich and nutty flavor of homemade tahini while giving yourself heart-healthy fats from sesame sauce, or tahini. You can purchase tahini at major supermarkets or Mediterranean grocers. Dip raw vegetables or whole-wheat pita into it, or use it in cooking as a healthy creamy sauce. It’s high in calories, so serving sizes are small, but it’s a satisfying and healthy choice. It’s also naturally low in carbohydrates.

Variations

• Instead of lemon juice, you can use lime juice or even vinegar to brighten up your tahini
• Experiment with fresh herbs like chopped mint or parsley
• Give it a different flavor and color, and add fiber and antioxidants, by blending in cooked beetroot, broccoli, or carrots
• You can reduce the amount of garlic if desired
• Season it with your preferred amount of black pepper and sea salt
• Bell peppers, cauliflower florets, broccoli florets, snap peas, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and celery sticks are all treat for dipping into this tahini
• Thin your tahini by adding more lemon juice and ice water
• For a thicker tahini, add more tahini or less ice water

Recipe for Simple Tahini Dip and Sauce

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 4 medium cloves garlic (pressed or minced)
• ½ cup of tahini
• Pinch of cumin, paprika, and thyme
• 6 tbsp ice water

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic and lemon juice. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.
2. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer/sieve into another medium bowl. Press garlic solids with a spatula to extract the liquid.
3. Add tahini and spices. Whisk until blended.
4. Add 2 tbsp of water at a time, whisking after each addition. After about 6 tbsp, the mixture should be creamy, smooth, and light in color

Nutrition information per serving: calories: 120 kcal; total fat: 10 g; total carbohydrates: 6 g; sugar: 1 g; fiber: 2 g; protein: 4 g; sodium: 15 mg; cholesterol: 0 mg

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Reviewed by Natalie Stein, MS, MPH, CDCES