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–+ servings
Lemon tahini sauce with a spoon dipped into it.

Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing Recipe

Once you learn how to make a really good Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing, your grain bowls will never (ever!) be the same. This version is bright, creamy, garlicky, and incredibly easy to pull together. The lemon balances the nuttiness of the tahini, the herbs add freshness, and the whole thing comes together fast with just a blender and a few simple ingredients!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings (makes about 3/4 cup)
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean
Calories: 164
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 to 6 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup tahini paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice and zest of one lemon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½-1 tsp salt
  • handful of fresh parsley
  • Ice water as needed to adjust consistency

Method
 

  1. Blend the ingredients: In a blender or food processor, combine the garlic, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and cumin. Blend until smooth. The mixture will be very thick at first.
  2. Adjust consistency: With the blender running, slowly add water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. For a pourable sauce, you may need about ⅓ to ½ cup of water total. Add the fresh parsley and pulse until smooth.
  3. Season and store: Taste and adjust with more lemon juice or salt, if desired. Transfer to a jar or airtight container. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5–7 days.
  4. Serve: Use as a drizzle for grain bowls, roasted vegetables, falafel, grilled meats, or as a dip!

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 164kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 396mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.03gVitamin A: 18IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

Notes

  • Use ice water, not room temperature. Ice-cold water helps the tahini emulsify into a smooth, creamy sauce instead of turning grainy or seizing up.
  • Add water slowly. Tahini goes from thick to pourable fast, so adding water a tablespoon at a time gives you full control over texture.
  • Don’t skip the lemon zest. It adds extra brightness that you can’t get from juice alone!
  • Taste and adjust. Whenever you are making a sauce, make sure you taste after blending and see if you like it. You can add more salt or more lemon to balance out the flavors.

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