Creamy and zesty Lemon Herb Tahini is our favourite Middle Eastern inspired dip, sauce and salad dressing.
Our healthy vegan recipe features sesame paste, fresh lemon juice, cumin, minced garlic and fresh tender herbs like chives, basil and parsley.
This quick & easy Lemon Herb Tahini recipe tastes great tossed in a simple salad, slathered over roasted vegetables or as a dip for crudités.
Save this story to Pinterest!
What Is Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce?
Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted ground sesame seeds. It is served by itself or as a major ingredient in hummus, baba ghanoush, and halva. Tahini is used in the cuisines of the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean, the South Caucasus, as well as parts of North Africa.
Tahini is a popular ingredient in vegetarian and vegan kitchens as it offers a smooth texture and buttery flavour, a delicious substitute for creamy sauces or dressings.
This Lemon Herb Tahini recipe uses quality tahini that is thinned out with cold water until creamy and flavoured with cumin, garlic, lemon juice and fresh herbs like parsley, basil and chives.
The versatile homemade sauce tastes great tossed in a simple salad, slathered over roasted vegetables or as a dip for crudités.
Travel to the Middle East by Making Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce at Home
I love traveling to the Middle East and North Africa.
As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in the Middle East, from authentic markets to award winning restaurants.
For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce via adventures that had me zig-zagging through Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Dubai. You guessed it! Some of my fondest food memories while traveling in the Middle East include fragrant feasts featuring creamy Tahini Dressing.
I’ve enjoyed Lemon Herb Tahini tossed salads at a traditional Moroccan riad, on food tours of Istanbul and Bodrum, accompanied by Egyptian tea on a Nile Cruise and in bustling market in Cairo, late night snack in Amman, al fresco market lunch in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and accompanied by steaming bowls of soup at a massive Middle Eastern barbecue in the middle of the Dubai desert while belly dancers twirled under the night sky.
You May Also Enjoy These Middle Eastern Recipes…
- Jajik Middle Eastern Cucumber Yogurt Mint Sauce
- Grilled Joojeh Kabab Persian Saffron Chicken Kebab
- Riz a Djej Lebanese Rice with Chicken
- Lebanese Beef Hashweh Rice
- Mdardara Lebanese Caramelized Onion Lentil Rice
- Ejjeh Vegetarian Lebanese Herb Omelette
- Adas Polo Persian Lentil Rice
- Lebanese Cabbage Malfouf Salad
- Kookoo Sabzi Vegetarian Persian Omelet
- Mahalabia Middle Eastern Rose Pistachio Milk Pudding
- Moghrabieh Lebanese Chickpea Chicken Couscous
- Zeytoon Parvardeh Marinated Persian Olives
- Middle Eastern Spiced Pea Fritters
- Palestinian Chicken Musakhan
- Mihlama Kuymak Turkish Melted Cheese and Cornmeal
Where To Eat Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Middle Eastern restaurant that serves a creamy Lemon Herb Tahini Sauce.
Haven’t traveled to the Middle East before? It may be helpful to first sample creamy tahini dressing at a local restaurant to better understand how the dish is served. You’ll get an idea for the desired viscosity of the sauce (do you like thick or thin?), intensity of garlic flavour, and selection of fresh herbs.
In Toronto, popular Middle Eastern restaurants that may serve Lemon Herb Tahini on the menu include Parallel, Byblos, Tabule, Fat Pasha, Maha’s, Masrawy Kitchen, Masrawy Kitchen and Paramount Fine Foods.
My Family Loves Creamy Lemon Herb Tahini
When my family moved to Oakville the first restaurant we visited was a local Egyptian and Lebanese restaurant called Agabi. Ranked as one of the best restaurants in Oakville, Agabi, became our family’s go-to Middle Eastern take out joint.
We’d always order a few dishes to share at the table including stuffed grape leaves, hummus, chicken shawarma platters, lamb shashlik and simple lettuce salad tossed in creamy tahini and spritz of lemon.
The restaurant typically offered guests two sauces to choose from; Toum Kebab Shop Garlic Sauce or Lemon Herb Tahini. The sauces would be slathered on beef kebabs and roasted vegetables or used as a dip for falafel, kibbeh and arayes.
I crafted this Lemon Herb Tahini dressing recipe as an homage to Agabi. My family likes to make it in the summer months when we have a wild variety of fresh herbs growing in our backyard garden.
We love how simple, affordable and versatile it is. You can simply toss the dressing with kale or lettuce for a simple salad. Drizzle the sauce over roasted vegetables or Middle Eastern grilled meats. Or serve it as a dip with carrots and celery and warm toasted pita.
Health Benefits
Our homemade Lemon Tahini Herb Dressing recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
A useful source of copper, calcium, manganese, and phosphorus, sesame seeds help support circulatory, digestive and skeletal health.
A rich source of phytochemicals and vitamin C, lemons help boost your immune system and neutralize free radicals that cause disease and skin aging. Lemons also protect against heart disease and help improve blood flow to the brain.
A rich source of blood-building iron, cumin may also help balance your blood sugar levels and reduce bad cholesterol. It is also traditionally used as a digestive aid.
An excellent source of vitamin K, as well as vitamin C, folate, and iron, parsley helps keep your bones and blood healthy, and protects your skin from damage by free radicals.
Basil is an excellent source of vitamin K and manganese; a very good source of copper, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids such as beta-carotene), and vitamin C; and a good source of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids making it quite nutrient rich!
Chives are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
Homemade Dressing Recipe Tips
If it’s your first time preparing Lemon Herb Tahini be sure to review our detailed step-by-step recipe below. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to get you started:
- If you’re hosting guests for dinner we suggest making the recipe in advance. You can store the sauce for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- You can whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or prepare in a small blender or food processor.
- I like to double this recipe so I have lots of leftovers to enjoy over the next few days.
- If you’re making a salad with the dressing we suggest using kale or romaine lettuce. Topping the salad with Middle Eastern ingredients like chickpeas or pomegranate seeds is a great idea.
- We’ve flavoured the dressing with freshly squeezed lemon juice but you can also add the zest of a lemon to make the sauce extra citrusy.
- We’ve used parsley, basil and chives in this recipe but we can use other tender herbs like dill, oregano, cilantro or mint.
- You can adjust the viscosity of the sauce to suit your needs. Add a little less cold water to the tahini for a thicker sauce (that tastes great slathered on salmon steaks) or add extra water to thin out the dressing to make it easier to toss in a salad.
- Be sure to add salt and pepper to taste so the dressing is not bland.
How To Serve Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing
We love serving this healthy lemon herb tahini dressing in a tossed salad on warm days in the spring and summer when our garden is in full bloom. You can serve the salad simply with the creamy dressing or top it with Middle Eastern ingredients like spiced chickpeas, pomegranate, and toasted almonds.
The creaminess of the tahini pairs nicely with the acidity of the lemon, making it a very versatile recipe. The citrus-forward tahini sauce is also delicious slathered or drizzled over roasted vegetables, grilled meats, or as a dip for Middle Eastern snacks like kibbeh and falafel.
If your family and friends are fans of healthy dips Lemon Herb Tahini is a great addition to a traditional mezze platter, served alongside Mutabbal, Melitzanosalata or Balila Chickpea Salad.
If you’re serving a pretty crudités platter, this creamy tahini is a healthy dip option for crunchy carrot and celery sticks.
You can also toss the sauce in al dente pasta or slather on a sandwich. Honestly the options are endless!
You May Also Enjoy These Healthy Salad Recipes…
- Balila Healthy Vegan Lebanese Chickpea Salad
- Pancar Salatasi Turkish Beet Yogurt Salad
- Jajik Middle Eastern Cucumber Yogurt Mint Sauce Salad Dip
- Ensalada de Gambas Spanish Grapefruit Fennel Shrimp Salad
- Indian Fruit Chaat Masala Salad
- Erdapfelsalat Viennese Warm Austrian Potato Salad
- Chicken Yuk Sung Chinese Lettuce Wraps
- Arugula Fig Burrata and Prosciutto Salad
- Indian Paneer Tikka Salad
- Mexican Vegan Cucumber Radish Salad with Chipotle Peanuts
- Sangchu Geotjeori Sweet and Sour Korean Lettuce Salad
- Yum Woon Sen Thai Glass Noodle Salad
- Lebanese Cabbage Malfouf Salad
- Toasted Pecan Parmesan Pear and Rocket Salad
- Cambozola Currant Pear and Fennel Salad
- Healthy Romaine Salad With Tahini Caesar Dressing
How To Make Vegan Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing Sauce
Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisk
- Large Mixing Bowl
- French knife
Ingredients
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- Pinch Kosher Salt
- 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Tahini Paste
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 3/4 cup Ice Cold Water
- 1/4 cup Parsley finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Basil finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Chives finely chopped
Instructions
- Combine the garlic, salt and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Whisk the tahini and cumin into the garlic mixture until just combined. Whisk in the water 1/4 cup at a time, until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Add finely chopped herbs and stir to combine.
- Store in a closed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Some of the links in this story use affiliate links. This means that if you make a purchase through our site, Dobbernationloves will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Your support helps us to produce comprehensive content.
Save this story to Pinterest!
