Yogurt Tahini Sauce and Dip

This post may contain affiliate links. See full disclosure page here. Your support is much appreciated and helps keep this site running. Thank you for being here!

Move over hummus and tzatziki, and make room for your cousin yogurt tahini sauce and dip. Tahini is a staple in Middle Eastern households. My dad’s side of the family is mostly Lebanese, so I grew up eating stuff like this all the time. If you haven’t tried it yet you are missing out, it’s totally comfort food. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you some long story about my grandmother wandering the streets of Jerusalem (she was born there though!)

Health Benefits of Yogurt Tahini Sauce

Benefits? Yes, benefits. Of course I’m going to use this as an opportunity to sneak in medicinal foods like raw garlic and herbs. Garlic is a natural antibiotic and immune system stimulator. You can put just about any herb you want in this dip but parsley and mint are commonly used, and sometimes cilantro. These all have their own health benefits. Cilantro detoxifies heavy metals, parsley is good for digestion and urinary tract issues, and mint can keep heartburn in check, among many other things. If you’re interested in reading more about medicinal foods, see my recent post The Best Foods for Cold and Flu

Yogurt tahini sauce is light, creamy and packed with protein. It’s faster and easier to make than hummus and has less ingredients than tzatziki. You don’t need a blender or food processor. It’s way healthier than most store bought dips and dressings that are loaded with cheap oils and other garbage ingredients. It’s a great way to get in your probiotics and protein from yogurt without all the sugar.

This sauce (or dip) seriously only takes a couple of minutes and you’ll probably spend more time reading this article than actually making it. It lasts fairly long in the fridge so it’s convenient. I’m not sure how long because I demolish it quickly but yogurt naturally lasts a while on it’s own, and the lemon juice and salt help deter mold.

Don’t get me wrong, I love both hummus and tzatziki sauce. It’s not a replacement, just another option. If you’re not familiar with tahini and you’ve eaten hummus, then you’ve had tahini. It’s also commonly used just with a little lemon juice and salt to make a sauce for kebabs and wraps.

Ingredients

You can make yogurt tahini sauce with just a few ingredients:

• Plain yogurt – Greek or otherwise. Full fat has the best flavor. Don’t be afraid of fat. Fat is not the enemy, the type of fat really matters, but if you prefer nonfat or lowfat it’s ok. Skyr yogurt works really well too. I actually prefer it over Greek yogurt’s flavor.
• Lemon juice – again fresh is best but you can use bottled.
• Tahini paste – this is just sesame paste. Buy a quality tahini and make sure you mix it well as it tends to separate from the oil.
• Garlic – if you have to cheat, use garlic powder but I usually go for a fresh clove.
• Salt and pepper – no explanation needed.
• Optional herbs and spices – cumin, paprika, sumac, mint, parsley, or cilantro can tailor this sauce to your meal.

That’s really all there is to it. The fresh and dry herbs mentioned go really well but they are optional. I eat this bare-bones basic all the time.

You should have no problem finding tahini paste at the grocery store in the international section, or of course on online there is plenty to choose from. Don’t skimp on the tahini! I’ve noticed a lot of recipes like hummus barely use any tahini at all and that’s a huge part of the flavor. Use the full amount in the recipe.

To make it a sauce you’re just going to thin it a bit with more lemon juice and a splash of water. It will also be thicker if you use Greek or Skyr style yogurt. Regular yogurt is a little runnier.

What to Eat with Yogurt Tahini Sauce and Dip?

Use tahini yogurt dip and sauce like you would hummus, dressings, and spreads. It can be used warm or chilled. As a dip it’s perfect for veggies like carrots, bell pepper strips, celery, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and pita chips. You can smear it on wraps, drizzle on chicken and beef kebabs, serve with roasted salmon, falafel, salads, etc. Include some on your next charcuterie board with olives, cheese, crackers, and toast. It’s also perfect for snacky bento box lunches.

Full recipe below. I’d love to hear how you like this and what you ate it with in the comments. Enjoy!