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Yotam Ottolenghi’s Tahini Sauce Recipe

Name: Yotam Ottolenghi’s Tahini Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 3/4 cup
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 60 grams tahini paste; 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice; 1 garlic clove, crushed; A pinch of salt, or to taste; 3 tablespoons water, plus 1 teaspoon water, or as needed

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Oct 10, 2026 • 1 min read

“Tahini is something that runs in the veins of the people in the Middle East,” Chef Yotam Ottolenghi says. “It's like olive oil to southern Europe.”

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What Is Tahini?

Tahini is a Middle Eastern condiment made from toasted hulled sesame seeds, which are grounded to make the tahini paste. The paste is then mixed with a neutral-flavored oil to create a creamier texture.

How to Use Tahini Sauce

Tahini can be mixed with other ingredients like garlic and olive oil to make savory sauces, or even added to sweet dishes to balance flavor and add nutrients. Tahini is ubiquitous in Middle Eastern cooking and is a central ingredient to another vegan Middle Eastern delight—hummus. Yotam’s favorite brands come from Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel—he likes to turn the plain paste into a versatile and velvety sauce that can be drizzled over fresh meat kebabs, mixed into a salad dressing and drizzled over chopped salads, roasted vegetables, and in falafel sandwiches.