Low Iodine Classic Tahini Sauce
Creamy, nutty, and bright with fresh lemon, this tahini sauce is one of those condiments that instantly elevates everything it touches — from roasted vegetables to grain bowls to a simple piece of flatbread. The base is pure sesame paste whisked with garlic, cumin, and a squeeze of citrus, which means every ingredient is straightforward and easy to verify. For anyone navigating iodine restrictions, that kind of ingredient transparency is genuinely refreshing, since so many store-bought dressings and sauces sneak in additives or iodized salt that can complicate things. Here, you control the salt, and the recipe calls for fine salt rather than iodized table salt, so a quick swap keeps everything on track. The trick of adding ice water one tablespoon at a time is what transforms the initially seized paste into a silky, ribbon-like sauce — it's a little bit of kitchen magic that never gets old. A handful of fresh parsley stirred in at the end adds a pop of color and a clean, herby finish if you want it. Make a batch, keep it in the fridge, and watch it disappear faster than you expect.
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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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