Serve up this bright and zesty Lemon Herb Tahini Yogurt Dip at your next potluck or summer gathering!
With just a handful of ingredients and a unique sesame flavor, this dip pairs perfectly with veggies or chips as a quick and healthy appetizer.
What you'll love about this dip
SIMPLE: No baking, no blenders - just stir everything together and you're ready to go!
HIGH PROTEIN: With Greek Yogurt as a base for this dip, it's surprisingly high in protein. A great way to eat more veggies with a higher-protein dip to keep things interesting!
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Ingredients
GREEK YOGURT: I used low fat Greek Yogurt with good results! You can use 0% fat or full fat Greek Yogurt if you'd like, too. Just keep in mind that 0% fat yogurt will not be as creamy.
TAHINI: Use tahini that only has 1 ingredient: sesame seeds. Make sure it's well-stirred before you use it in the recipe; the oils in tahini notoriously separate on the shelf.
LEMON JUICE + ZEST: Lemon juice and zest adds a bright flavor to the already-unique tahini flavor present here.
CUMIN: A touch of ground cumin adds a little more depth! You can increase this if you'd like, too - just taste as you go.
HERBS: Fresh parsley, dill, and cilantro add so much flavor to this dip and make it colorful! I like to mince the herbs and stir them in. However, if you'd prefer, you can add everything to a blender and blend it.
CHICKPEAS (optional): Optionally, you can top the dip with crunchy roasted chickpeas. While there are no chickpeas in the dip itself, this tahini yogurt dip is reminiscent of hummus so it does pair well and looks great when serving to guests!
Instructions
As you can imagine, the instructions for this dip are fairly short!
- Mince herbs - get the parsley, cilantro, and dill ready by finely chopping them. Set a bit of each aside to top the dip after mixing.
- Stir ingredients together - Add the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, zest, cumin, sea salt, and fresh herbs to a bowl and stir it all together until fully combined.
- Garnish and serve - Sprinkle reserved herbs overtop of the dip, and pile roasted chickpeas on top if using. Serve with pita chips and fresh veggies like celery, mini peppers, carrots, radishes, and broccoli florets.
Variations and Substitutions
Looking to change things up or substitute a couple ingredients? Here's some guidance!
I originally tested this recipe with chickpeas blended into the dip. About 1 cup of chickpeas made an entirely different texture, that worked well for veggies but also pita wedges or bread. I'd suggest also increasing the tahini if you go this route; it got a little lost.
Swap out the Greek yogurt for Blended Cottage Cheese! The dip will be tangier. You'll have to refrigerate before serving to help the dip firm up a bit, too.
Change the herbs if you don't have all 3 on hand. Omit the cilantro and use more parsley, go all in on dill, or swap out parsley for chives!
FAQs
I used Greek yogurt because it's thicker than other yogurts. Skyr would work great, here, too, because it's thick. Use plain yogurt, not flavored.
Yes, feel free to change up the herbs if you'd like! I went with a pretty basic mix of parsley, cilantro, and dill, but you can omit any one of those or add a different herb in, like chives, if you'd like.
Store, covered, in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks.
Note that if you plan to top with crispy roasted chickpeas, they won't keep well in the fridge (they get a little mushy). If you'd like, you can scrape 'em off before storing and enjoy them while they're still crispy!
Serving suggestions
What to serve with a light sesame dip?
My go-tos for a savory dip like this will always be veggies:
- Baby carrots
- Celery
- Sweet mini peppers
- Broccoli florets
- Radishes
A couple other ideas include:
- Pita chips (such as Stacy's)
- Savory crackers (I like Simple Mills or Nut-Thins)
- Pretzels
- Flatbreads
- Sliced pita
Despite this being a herby dip, I also think strawberries could work well with this dip. Worth a shot!
More dips and appetizer recipes
If you like this tahini yogurt, you've GOT to try Whipped Cottage Cheese Fruit Dip - it's high protein and oh so easy!
Otherwise, I also have an Easy Caramel "Peanut Butter" Dip that goes great with fruit, too.
If you're looking for novel ideas of what to dip in this tahini yogurt dip, take a crack at making your own crackers with Sesame Plantain Crackers.
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Lemon Herb Tahini Yogurt Dip
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Optional Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: No Bake
Description
Easy to whip together and refreshingly bright, this Lemon Herb Tahini Yogurt Dip makes a perfect healthy snack for home or for gatherings! Serve with fresh vegetables, pita chips, and/or crackers.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
- ½ cup well stirred tahini
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
- 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
- 1 tablespoon dill, minced
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- (optional) 1 13-oz can garbanzo beans/chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- (optional) 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Add yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, and sea salt to a large bowl and stir until combined. Add most of the cilantro, parsley, and dill, reserving some to sprinkle overtop the dip (if desired), and stir the yogurt mixture until fully incorporated.
- Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and top with reserved herbs.
- (Optional) To toast the chickpeas, pat them dry and spread out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Toss in 1 teaspoon olive oil and about ½ teaspoon sea salt. Roast at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, until browned and crispy. Let cool to room temperature, then mound on top of the dip.
- Serve with fresh vegetables, pita chips, and/or crackers. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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