Chicken Free Easy Cucumber Tahini Dip
Cool, creamy, and packed with bright flavor, this cucumber tahini dip is the kind of thing you'll want to keep in the fridge at all times. The base is built entirely on plant-powered ingredients — grated English cucumber, nutty tahini, fresh lemon juice, and a hit of garlic — so it comes together without any animal proteins whatsoever. Salting and squeezing the cucumber before mixing is the key move here; it pulls out excess moisture so the dip stays thick and scoopable rather than watery. Fresh dill and a pinch of ground cumin round out the flavor in a way that feels both herbaceous and a little earthy. A drizzle of olive oil and a dusting of smoked paprika on top make it look like something you'd order at a restaurant, but the whole thing comes together in one bowl with minimal effort. Serve it with pita, raw vegetables, or crackers — honestly, it works with just about anything you want to dunk into it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 1 medium english cucumber (about 10 oz), unpeeled
- ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- 2 tbsp cold water, plus more as needed
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, roughly chopped
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
For serving
- 1–2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
- pinch of smoked paprika, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Toss with the 1/2 tsp kosher salt and let stand for 10 minutes, until the cucumber has released its liquid.
- 2
Gather the salted cucumber in your hands and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible — the cucumber should feel nearly dry. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
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