Name: Tahini Sauce Recipe (How to Make Tahini)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4-6 (yields 1 cup tahini sauce)
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1-2 garlic cloves; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 cup tahini paste; 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice; 1/4 cup cold water, more if needed; 1 cup freshly chopped parsley leaves, stems removed first (optional)

The best Middle Eastern tahini sauce recipe with garlic, lime juice and fresh parsley. An easy and super versatile sauce that I use daily. Bonus…it’s vegan and gluten free!

When I was writing about these tahini short bread cookies, I had a moment of panic realizing we hadn’t quite covered tahini except as a side note to these chicken kabobs.

What is tahini?

Tahini–a brownish creamy paste made of toasted sesame seeds– is a staple of Middle Eastern and Eastern Mediterranean pantries.

Perhaps the most familiar use of the earthy sesame paste here in the United States is in dips like hummus. But the classic, and purist application of tahini is in tahini sauce–a versatile condiment that makes a regular appearance on the Middle Eastern table. Think a bowl of basic tahini sauce accompanied with pita bread, for example. As a starter served with other mezze and salads; or even as a topping to jazz up sandwiches and wraps.

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Today’s tahini sauce recipe is one often served in Egypt’s local restaurants where they call it tahini baqdoonis or tahini with parsley. The garlic and the tang of the lime juice balance out the warm, mellow sesame paste. You can certainly omit the parsley for a more basic tahini sauce, but I think it adds a pop of fresh flavor, waking everything up! Also, fresh mint or dill can be used in place of the parsley.

I love to smother fish in this tangy tahini sauce. It’s also great drizzled on fried cauliflower or roasted vegetables. I’m certain we will reference more uses of this tahini sauce recipe soon!

Where to buy paste?

By the way, you can find tahini paste at local health food stores and, of course, at Middle Eastern and Mediterranean grocers’. You can also find a variety of quality, organic tahini paste options here on Amazon.com.