Tahini Sauce with Olive Oil Recipe

Tahini sauce is one of the most versatile and widely made sauces in Middle Eastern cuisine. It's mixed into hummus, drizzled over grilled dishes, eaten with flatbread — but its best form emerges when a good olive oil is drizzled on top.

This recipe is based on the classic Levantine ratio documented in Claudia Roden's The Book of Jewish Food and Yotam Ottolenghi's Jerusalem.

Why Olive Oil + Tahini?

Tahini is an oil base derived from sesame seeds — rich in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Combined with olive oil, two different fat profiles come together: the sesame aroma of tahini and the grassy, mildly bitter notes of olive oil. According to USDA FoodData Central data, this pairing creates a powerful combination in terms of vitamin E and oleic acid.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons tahini (good quality, oil not separated)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 3–4 tablespoons cold water (for consistency)
• Salt
• To serve: early harvest cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, sumac, fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Combine tahini, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl, mix with a fork — it will seize up at first, this is normal.
2. Slowly add cold water until you reach the desired consistency.
3. Season with salt.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with generous olive oil, sprinkle with sumac and fresh parsley.

Note: Using cold water makes the sauce whiter and creamier — a technique also emphasized in Ottolenghi's recipes.

Serving Suggestions

• Over roasted eggplant
• Alongside grilled chicken or lamb
• As a raw vegetable dip (carrots, celery, cucumber)
• With falafel and flatbread
• Over chickpea salads

Variation: Lemon Tahini

For a fresher version, increase lemon juice to 3 tablespoons and add lemon zest. Ideal for summer salads.

Sources

• Roden, C. — The Book of Jewish Food, Knopf, 1996
• Ottolenghi, Y. — Jerusalem, Ten Speed Press, 2012
• USDA FoodData Central — Tahini (Sesame Butter), fdc.nal.usda.gov