Tahini Sauce Recipe

It's funny what inspires me sometimes to research and try a new recipe. This tahini sauce is such an instance. I had a bunch of celery that needed to get eaten ASAP, but I don't enjoy eating it plane. My go-to is typically peanut butter but I wasn't in a peanut butter mood. I have hummus on hand but don't love the combo of celery and hummus. Obviously ranch is great but I didn't want the dairy and don't have the ingredients to tackle a dairy free version.

What I did have on hand was a jar of tahini which is basically the peanut butter version of sesame seeds. I know it is a key ingredient in hummus but started to realize from Mediterranean restaurants that tahini can be made into its own creamy sauce. So that's what kicked off my research. It turns out that creamy texture doesn't require dairy at all. It's magic that happens when you whisk/blend ice cold water with tahini. Add a few other key flavors like garlic and lemon and voila, you have a delicious sauce.

Tahini sauce has multiple purposes including drizzled on veggies, as a salad dressing, or in a sandwich or wrap. And it certainly serviced my intended purposes which was to use as a dipping sauce for celery. I grabbed a high rated recipe online from Cookie and Kate and modified quantities and process for what works for me. I will definitely be making this more often given how easy it was to make.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt if tahini is not salted (1/4 teaspoon if salted)
• 4 tablespoons ice cold water
• Parsley or other herbs (optional)

Directions

• Place all ingredients except water and herbs in a Cuisinart or blender and blend until well mixed. Scrape down sides if need be.
• Add water in two parts blending after adding the first 2 tablespoons and then again after the second. This should create a super smooth, creamy texture.
• Serve as is or add herbs either pre-chopped or use the Cuisinart to mix them in.