This Falafel Sauce is a delicious addition to falafels, shawarma, kebabs, or even as a salad dressing.
The first time I ever tried falafels was at a flea market in South Africa. My sister and I, both teenagers at the time, were idly perusing various artisanal items when a delicious aroma suddenly caught our attention. We promptly agreed that we needed to find where the enticing scent was coming from and stumbled upon a Middle Eastern food vendor frying falafels. The minute we discovered they were vegetarian, we couldn’t order a falafel pita sandwich fast enough. As soon as we bit into our sandwiches, we found ourselves obsessing over, yes, the crispy and savory falafels, but even more so over the delicious tahini sauce that was drizzled inside the sandwich.
Ever since that day, falafels with tahini sauce have been in my top five favorite foods. It’s also a dish that I love to make at home. Though I have to confess that I sometimes take a shortcut and buy ready-made falafels, it’s super easy to make your own falafel sauce. I especially love how creamy this recipe is—perfect for drizzling over or dipping your falafels. It has a bit of zip from the lemon and garlic, which pairs delightfully well with the nuttiness of the tahini.
It only takes five minutes to make this incredible falafel sauce. If I’m lucky enough to have any of it left over, I love drizzling it over salads or using it as a delicious dip for veggies. It really is a super versatile sauce!
Is This Falafel Sauce Healthy?
Falafel sauce is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, making it an ideal condiment for vegetarians and vegans. The base for tahini is sesame seeds, which provide fiber, plant protein, and many essential vitamins and minerals. However, tahini does contain fat, so those watching their fat intake may want to limit their portion. There’s also no sugar in this sauce, which makes it a great alternative as a sandwich spread instead of mayonnaise or as a salad dressing, since many store-bought condiments and dressings contain added sugar.
What Is Tahini?
Tahini is made by grinding toasted sesame seeds into a butter or paste. It’s a staple ingredient in many Middle Eastern cuisines as well as Eastern Mediterranean and North African ones. It has an earthy, nutty flavor, and it’s used to make many popular dishes like hummus, baba ghanoush, and falafel sauce. It’s also frequently used to make desserts, such as halva, cookies, brownies, and pudding. You can find it in most grocery stores nowadays, or you can make it home. Hulled seeds (in which the outer shell is removed) offer a more delicate flavor than unhulled seeds, and toasting the seeds beforehand helps to remove some of the bitterness.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
While tahini itself has a fairly long shelf life, once you add water to it (such as when making this sauce), it’ll only stay fresh for 5 to 7 days. Place any leftover falafel sauce in an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to a week. Tahini often thickens while it sits, so you may need to whisk in a teaspoon of water at a time to thin it back out to your desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions
Of course, the ideal accompaniment for this sauce is falafel, and making this Air-Fryer Falafel recipe is so simple that you can enjoy it regularly. Eggplant and tahini are also natural combinations, so you can’t go wrong drizzling this sauce over Grilled Eggplant or Crispy Air-Fryer Eggplant. I recommend serving it with a side of Tabbouleh. Other dishes it’d pair well with include Chicken Shawarma, Chicken Kabobs, and this Vegan Salad or Roasted Broccoli And Cauliflower.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2-4 tablespoons ice-cold water as needed for consistency
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt.
- Whisk the ingredients together until well blended. The mixture will initially thicken.
- Gradually add the ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time, whisking continuously until the desired consistency is reached. It should be creamy and smooth, perfect for drizzling.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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