Tahini-lemon dressing

A Middle Eastern sauce dish built on whole ingredients.

Servings: 4
Active time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min

Organic sourcing

Lemons are on the EWG Dirty Dozen due to pesticide residue; worth buying organic. Garlic tends to be lower in chemical residues, so organic is less critical here.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp water, plus more as needed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• to taste sea salt
• to taste freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the tahini and fresh lemon juice.
2. Whisk in the water and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the minced garlic, olive oil, and ground cumin.
4. Season the dressing with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
5. Adjust the consistency with additional water if a thinner dressing is desired.

Notes

• Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a bit of heat.
• Keeps in the fridge for about a week in a sealed container.
• Stir before using if it separates slightly.

Source

Paraphrased from the culinary canon by Organic.is editors, 2026. Classic Middle Eastern recipe. If you'd like a specific source for further reading, ask Tinni (bottom-right) for a book recommendation.