Green Tahini Sauce 🌿🧄
Ingredients
Tahini: ½ cup — well-stirred, runny kind
Fresh parsley: 1 cup, packed — stems ok
Fresh cilantro: ½ cup, packed — or all parsley if you hate cilantro
Fresh dill: ¼ cup — optional but makes it pop
Garlic: 2 cloves — or 1 for less bite
Lemon juice: ¼ cup, fresh — about 1½ lemons + 1 tsp zest
Cold water: ⅓ to ½ cup — for thinning
Extra virgin olive oil: 2 tbsp
Ground cumin: ½ tsp
Kosher salt: ¾ tsp
Black pepper: ¼ tsp
Jalapeño: ½, seeds removed — optional for heat
Method
Blend — 3 min
Blender or food processor: tahini, parsley, cilantro, dill, garlic, lemon juice, zest, olive oil, cumin, salt, pepper, jalapeño if using.
Blitz until herbs are finely chopped.
Thin it out — 2 min
With blender running, stream in cold water until smooth + pourable. Start with â…“ cup.
Tahini seizes at first then loosens. Keep adding water until it looks like thin pancake batter.
Taste: should be bright, nutty, garlicky. Add more salt or lemon if needed.
Why this works:
Cold water: Hot water breaks tahini. Cold = smooth, creamy emulsion
Herbs first: Blending herbs with acid keeps them bright green vs oxidizing
Good tahini: Runny, pourable tahini blends smooth. Thick/dry stuff = gritty sauce
Lemon + garlic: Cuts tahini’s bitterness. Balance is key
Cumin: Warm background note that makes it taste Middle Eastern
Pro tips:
Tahini seized: Normal. Just keep adding cold water + blending. It comes back
Too bitter: Your tahini might be old. Add 1 tsp maple syrup or honey to balance
Garlic mellows: Sauce tastes less garlicky after 30 min in fridge
Consistency: Thick for dip, thin for drizzle. Adjust water to your use
Color: Use more parsley vs cilantro for brighter green. Cilantro makes it darker
Easy swaps:
No cilantro: All parsley + extra dill or mint
No jalapeño: Pinch of cayenne or skip heat
Nut-free: Already is. Tahini = sesame
Lighter: Skip oil, add 1 tbsp more water
Extra green: Handful of spinach blended in
Serve with:
Falafel, shawarma, roasted cauliflower, grain bowls, that tzatziki chickpea salad instead of tzatziki, grilled salmon, or as veggie dip.
Storage:
Fridge 5–7 days in jar. Separates naturally. Stir before using.
Thickens when cold — add splash of water to loosen.
This is the sauce that makes everything taste like it came from a Tel Aviv café. Creamy, herby, tangy. You’ll put it on everything.