Green Tahini Sauce Recipe: Bright Herby Dip for Everything

Green tahini: what happens when tahini gets herbaceous.

Think classic Middle Eastern tahini sauce — sesame paste, garlic, lemon, and salt — brightened with plenty of fresh green herbs.

This is an open invitation for parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, dill, spinach, scallions, or any mix you like to join the tahini party.

Classic tahini becomes brighter, zestier, turns green, and develops a fresh herbaceous flavor.

You can whip up this vibrant, versatile green tahini in under 10 minutes. Use it as a creamy dip or drizzle it over roasted vegetables, grains, meats, and more.

Green tahini topped with nuts, seeds, purple edible flowers, and herbs in a black bowl.

What is Tahini?

Tahini is a paste made from toasted or raw ground sesame seeds. Think of it like peanut butter made from sesame seeds.

It has a creamy texture and a rich, slightly nutty flavor, and it’s a foundational ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine—essential in hummus and many sauces.

Most tahini is made from hulled white sesame seeds, though black sesame seeds are also used for varieties such as black tahini.

colorful Middle Eastern dips, including pink beet, orange carrot, yellow carrot, green tahini and whipped feta.

My Green Tahini Dinner Party Hosting World

I love hosting and greeting guests with a rainbow of dips. For the green element, I serve this tahini-based dip. Depending on the party I’ll change up the herb combination, but the result is always bright and herb-forward.

I typically offer it as an appetizer with pita and crudités, and later use it again with roasted purple cauliflower — smearing a generous swoosh underneath to create a striking green-and-purple contrast, especially on a dark plate. One dip, two very different serving moments.

Creamy green tahini sauce topped with purple edible flowers and seeds in a black bowl

Print Recipe

Green Tahini Sauce

Classic tahini blended with fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon until bright, zesty, and vibrantly green. Ready in 10 minutes—drizzle it, dip it, put it on everything.

Prep Time
10

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: 12

Author: Daniela Gerson

Ingredients

½ cup tahini
¾ cup fresh green herbs parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, dill, spinach, scallions, or a mix
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
¼–½ cup ice cold water

Instructions

In a blender or food processor, combine tahini, herbs, lemon, and garlic and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly stream in the ice cold water until you reach your desired consistency. Adjust salt and lemon to taste.

Notes

Store green tahini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–7 days.

Colorful Middle Eastern Dips

I love presenting a rainbow of dips when I host. Below are ideas and variations to inspire vibrant hummus-and-dip boards.

Tahini Sauce — the classic base and a core element of hummus.
Beet Hummus — roasted beet hummus with an intense magenta hue and earthy sweetness.
Carrot Hummus — bright, naturally sweet hummus that celebrates the colors of the carrot rainbow.
Black Hummus — dramatic hummus made with black tahini for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
Butternut Squash Hummus — roasted squash adds a seasonal sweet-and-savory twist.
Loaded Hummus — a playful, layered riff on classic dips, hummus-style.
Hummus with Spiced Lamb — a heartier Middle Eastern serving that turns hummus into a substantial dish.
Hummus with Tahini — the classic blend of chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic.
Whipped Feta — creamy, tangy, and perfect for a Mediterranean-style spread.
Muhammara — a sweet, smoky, and spicy roasted red pepper and walnut dip.
Labneh — a thick, tangy Middle Eastern yogurt cheese.

If you try this green tahini, I’d love to hear how you used it — leave a comment below or tag @danielagerson on Instagram so I can see your creations.

There are many more seasonal recipes and colorful produce guides on the site. Let’s make waves in the kitchen.