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Classic tahini sauce
For a large bowl
The universal sauce. Over raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, grains, in a sandwich, over a bowl — it connects everything. Tahini brings the roundness of sesame, lemon brings the tension, olive oil rounds the mouth. Three ingredients, a thousand uses. And in a single gesture, it tips towards umami: a touch of white miso or a dash of tamari, a turn of pepper, and the roundness deepens into a savoury depth.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp artisanal tahini (stone-ground whole sesame)
- Juice of 1 lemon (≈ 2 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp first-pressed olive oil
- 2 to 4 tbsp spring water to adjust
- 1 pinch of fleur de sel, 1 garlic clove (optional)
- Umami version: 1 tsp white miso (or a dash of tamari) + a turn of the pepper mill
Method
Whisk tahini with lemon juice — the mixture seizes and lightens in colour, this is normal. Add olive oil, then water one spoon at a time until the desired consistency. Salt. Grate in the garlic if using. Taste, adjust. For the umami version, whisk the white miso (or tamari) into the sauce and finish with a turn of pepper: the sesame gains a broth-like depth, that savoury roundness that signs umami.
The Strength of Sesame
A pillar of Middle-Eastern cooking, tahini is rich in healthy fats (omega-3 and 6), calcium, protein and fibre. It supports bone health and a healthy digestive system — creamy texture, subtle hazelnut taste. Gomasio and furikake draw on the same seed, simply dry-ground rather than pasted: three ways of bringing sesame into our meals.