Hazelnut Free Classic Tahini Sauce
Creamy, bright, and deeply savory, this tahini sauce comes together in minutes with nothing more than a bowl and a whisk. Tahini — made purely from sesame seeds — is naturally free from tree nuts like hazelnuts, so this recipe sidesteps the cross-contamination concerns that can make store-bought dressings and dips a gamble. The trick to getting that silky, pourable texture is adding ice water gradually while whisking hard, which transforms the initially seized paste into something luxuriously smooth. Fresh lemon juice and a hint of cumin give it a lively, complex flavor that tastes far more involved than the short ingredient list suggests. A single clove of garlic rounds everything out with just enough bite, and a scatter of fresh parsley at the end adds a pop of color if you want to dress it up. Drizzle it over roasted vegetables, use it as a dip for warm pita, or spoon it generously onto grain bowls — it genuinely improves almost everything it touches.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ½ cup tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 3–5 tbsp ice water, plus more as needed
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cumin until the mixture seizes into a thick, pale paste.
- 2
Add the ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition, until the sauce loosens to a smooth, pourable consistency that falls off the whisk in a slow, steady ribbon. Start with 3 tablespoons and add more for a thinner sauce.
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