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–+ servings

5-Minute Harissa Tahini Sauce

A bright, zesty tahini sauce infused with harissa, lemon, and smoked paprika. So versatile and easy to make with just 5 ingredients and 5 minutes required!
Author Minimalist Baker
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Top down shot of a bowl of creamy harissa sauce
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 12 (Tablespoons)
Course Dressing, Sauce
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Mediterranean-Inspired, Middle Eastern-Inspired, North African-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 4-5 Days

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice, plus more as needed
  • 2 Tbsp harissa sauce* (NOT paste // we used Mina harissa mild)
  • 1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup water (plus more as needed)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • To a small bowl, add all ingredients except water (so tahini, lemon juice, harissa sauce, salt, and smoked paprika) and whisk to combine.
  • Add water a little at a time, continuing to whisk until you have a creamy, pourable sauce. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more lemon juice for tang, paprika for smokiness, harissa for mild heat, and sea salt for overall flavor.
  • Serve over our quick crispy cauliflower, roasted vegetables, nourish bowls, sweet potato fries, or tacos.
  • Leftovers will keep in a sealed container for up to 4-5 days. After refrigerating, thin with water as needed. Not freezer friendly.

Video

Notes

*Recipe as written makes ~3/4 cup.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of salt.
*If using a spicy harissa sauce, start with less and work your way up.
*Leftover harissa (for example, the Mina harissa sauce we used) is delicious with eggs or pasta or in shakshuka. It can also be frozen in an ice cube tray for later use.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 tablespoon Calories: 44 Carbohydrates: 1.2 g Protein: 1.3 g Fat: 4.1 g Saturated Fat: 0.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.6 g Monounsaturated Fat: 1.7 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 63 mg Potassium: 27 mg Fiber: 0.7 g Sugar: 0.3 g Vitamin A: 87.7 IU Vitamin C: 1.5 mg Calcium: 4.1 mg Iron: 0.4 mg