This tahini sauce is remarkably versatile: spread on crackers, as a salad dressing or as a dip for your crudités, it adapts to every use. The recipe lends itself happily to improvisation, with each addition of lemon, garlic or spices giving it a slightly different personality. A base to always keep on hand in the fridge.
Raw tahini dip with lemon, garlic and cumin
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Ingredients
- 240 g raw tahini, made from unhulled sesame seeds
- 2 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice or cider vinegar, or a mix of both
- 2 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 to 4 tablespoons tamari or raw nama shoyu, depending on how salty you like it
- 1 to 4 garlic cloves, or 1/2 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon cumin
- a little filtered and hydrogenated water, to adjust the texture
Optional variations
- a little smoked chilli, reducing the tamari
- diced jalapeño, chilli powder or chilli flakes
- curry powder
- diced red onion or onion powder
- a little miso, reducing the tamari
Method
- Place all the ingredients except the water in a food processor or blender.
- Blend until the texture is even. The tahini may seize up at first when it meets the lemon: this is normal.
- Add the water gradually to reach the consistency you want: thinner for a dressing, thicker for a dip. The sauce will thicken a little more in the fridge.
- Keep it for up to two weeks in the fridge, in a closed jar.
Tip
This recipe works very well by eye: taste and adjust each ingredient according to what you have on hand and what you feel like. Start with the lower amounts of garlic, tamari and cumin, then increase little by little.
FAQ: your questions about the tahini dip
What is tahini sauce?
Tahini sauce is a Middle Eastern sauce made from tahini, the sesame seed paste, thinned with lemon juice, water and often a little garlic. It is traditionally served with falafel, vegetables or as a dressing. This raw version starts from a wholegrain sesame tahini, seasoned with nutritional yeast, tamari and cumin. Depending on how much water you add, it becomes a thick dip or a pourable dressing.
What does tahini taste like?
Tahini has a pronounced sesame taste with a slight bitterness, which is stronger when it is made from wholegrain, unhulled sesame. On its own, it is dense and a little dry in the mouth. In this sauce, the lemon, garlic and tamari balance and round it out, while the nutritional yeast adds an almost cheesy note. If the bitterness bothers you, go for the higher amount of lemon.
What is a good recipe for a raw vegetable dip to serve with drinks?
A good dip for crudités needs to be thick enough to cling to the vegetables: this tahini sauce does the job if you add the water very gradually. Blend the tahini with the lemon, nutritional yeast, tamari, garlic and cumin, then thin it just enough to get a coating texture. Serve it with carrot, cucumber or celery sticks and cauliflower florets. If made the day before, it will have thickened: a spoonful of water will loosen it again.
What is a good dairy-free dip for crudités?
Many crudité dips are based on yoghurt, cream or cream cheese, but tahini offers an equally creamy texture without any dairy. In this recipe, 240 g of raw tahini is simply blended with lemon, nutritional yeast for the cheesy note, tamari, garlic and cumin, then thinned with water. For a nicely coating dip, pour in the water a spoonful at a time and stop as soon as the sauce holds on a vegetable stick. The curry, chilli or miso variations let you offer several dips from the same base.
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