VEGAN TAHINI YOGURT SAUCE | dolly and oatmeal

sunday greetings, and happy august!

we’re coming in hot with my forever go-to sauce, vegan tahini yogurt! it is literally the “mother sauce” in our house. over the years of making this in conjunction with a variety of recipes on my blog, i have gotten the most questions on this one. mostly about how to create a flavor and texture similar to a traditional, dairy-based tahini yogurt, what brands to use, how to store tahini, and what to use tahini yogurt for. sit tight, we’re going to talk all about it.

because there are so few ingredients in this sauce, we want to make sure each one is the very best for the ultimate flavor and texture. here are a few suggestions for making a vegan tahini yogurt sauce that’s a total knock out.

yogurt -

traditional tahini yogurt is made with thick greek (or greek-style) yogurt. plant-based yogurt tends to be inherently thinner in consistency. but we use an almond-based, greek-style yogurt that achieves a traditional thickness and texture to dairy-based greek yogurt. i’ve tried countless plant-based yogurts over the years, and this one (by far) provides the best base for this sauce.

tahini -

the other deal breaker is good tahini. when looking for tahini, we look for one that hasn’t separated (with the oil on top, and the paste on the bottom). a few of my favorites include: soom, seed and mill, al wadi, roland, and whole foods’ 365 tahini. with a little shake and stir, your tahini should be smooth and good to go. i prefer to store my tahini in the pantry, but if you live in a moist climate, then i would suggest storing it in the refrigerator.

up the ratio -

even with a plant-based yogurt that’s thicker than most, we still need to fill it out a bit more. while typically there’s a smaller ratio of tahini to yogurt, we use a 1:4 ratio of tahini to yogurt. this gives the sauce a bit more flavor and sturdier consistency.

mellow that garlic -

we mellow the garlic in the lemon juice first. this softens the garlic a bit, and takes away that punchy, spiciness that can overpower a sauce like this.

what to use tahini yogurt for -

we love this in and on everything, truly. layer it on flatbread (or pita) with fresh sliced tomatoes, olive oil drizzle, salt & pepper. you could add a good plop to a bowl, or thick toast, and shower it with roasted or fresh vegetables. serve it alongside skewered poultry or fish for a cooling drizzle. serve it in a bowl garnished with spices and olive oil as a dip for sliced vegetables and grilled bread. the options are limitless.

big hugs, and i hope you find some inspiration with this recipe! ❤️

tahini yogurt sauce | v

| makes 1 heaping cup |

print the recipe

method

in a mixing bowl, combine the lemon juice and garlic. let it sit for roughly 1 minute. this makes the garlic a little less spicy and punchy.
whisk in the yogurt, 3 tablespoons tahini, and salt. give it a taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, adding an additional tablespoon of tahini, or more salt and/or lemon juice.
pour the sauce into lidded jar, and store in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.

ingredients