You can make this tasty dip ahead of time, refrigerate it, and use it later. It’s perfect with fresh-cut vegetables or as a topping to meat and chicken. Growing up in Jerusalem, my favorite Middle Eastern dip was tahini, a thick and flavorful dip made with ground sesame seeds, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. It’s very easy to make at home, and it keeps for several days in the fridge. I make a weekly batch, and we use it throughout the week.
Ingredients
Recipe Card
Tahini: Sometimes sold as “sesame butter” or “sesame paste.” The only ingredient should be ground sesame seeds. This is a brand I often use. I also like the Whole Foods store brand. It contains salt, so when I use it, I add just ¼ teaspoon of salt instead of ½ teaspoon. If in doubt, start with less salt. You can taste the sauce when it’s ready and decide if you want to add more salt. Minced garlic: For the best flavor, mince it yourself instead of using garlic from a jar. Kosher salt: If using fine salt, reduce the amount you use by half. Olive oil: Extra-virgin has the best flavor; I highly recommend using it in this recipe. Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is best. Water: To thin out the sauce to your desired consistency. Chopped parsley: This is optional, but it adds a nice flavor in addition to color.
Additions that I tried and liked include a pinch of smoked paprika, ground cumin, or oregano. You can also add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you’d like the sauce to be spicy.
Place the tahini, garlic, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and water in a medium bowl. Whisk with a hand whisk until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
It should be smooth and creamy - this is the consistency you’re after:
Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Stir the sauce again before serving, and add more water if needed. It’s perfect with fresh-cut veggies!
A thick sauce is perfect as a dip for vegetables or crackers. A thin sauce can serve as a salad dressing, or you can drizzle it on top of meats or roasted vegetables.
I often serve it as a topping for beef kabobs, chicken kabobs, or lamb burgers. It’s excellent with fresh-cut vegetables or almond flour crackers.
I like to drizzle it on top of grilled eggplant or roasted zucchini. It’s perfect on top of hard-boiled eggs!
If you add extra water, you can turn it into a salad dressing. It’s lovely drizzled on top of steak salad or Israeli salad.
Stir the sauce again before serving it; if it has thickened too much while refrigerated, stir in a bit of water.
I don’t recommend freezing this sauce.
