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Avocado tahini dip is a Lebanese-style Mediterranean classic…who knew? Probably plenty of people, but I was excited to discover this healthy-yet-rich dip just recently and add it to my regular rotation.
A Lebanese friend of my brotherโs told him that his Arabicโthe effective if small grab-bag of words we learned growing up as second-generation descendants of assimilation-minded familiesโis a little . . . outdated. I can only guess that means that the style of the words we learned from mountain villages of 100+ years ago sound the way any language would that had not evolved with the times. An American who still spoke as Americans did at the turn of the last century would also sound a little . . . outdated.
Similarly fascinating: Discovering ingredients traditionally used in Lebanese cooking that I havenโt experienced in that way before. Such a nice surprise to find that there are plenty of Lebanese dishes that call for cilantro. That the rich agrarian world that is Lebanon produces an abundance of all kinds of fruitsโincluding apples, which have always felt so American to me, not a part of the world of the Lebanese dishes made in my family.
Also a surprise: That avocado is made into a dip, same as hummus bi tahini and baba gannouj, with tahini. My personal recipe, once I crossed into avocado-tahini territory, has been to make it as a toast, fanning out beautiful slices of avocado on a thick slab of good toasted bread and drizzling tahini over top or topping with my tahini sauce recipe. Finish with toasted sesame seeds.
But with all of the dip-focus that is my kitchen every day around 5 p.m., Iโve been wanting to try avocado tahini the classic way the Lebanese do, or I should say, the way Iโve seen them do it in my cookbooks.
Now, you know I have a deep dedication to the smooth hummus dip (emphasis on Smooth. Didnโt know? That dedication inspired all of this.), and I auditioned the avocado in a similar manner, blasted in the food processor with the other flavor makers (lemon, garlic, salt, tahini).
The thing is, I make so much quick, no-appliance-necessary guacamole, in a chunky style, that I really did not want to veer from that with my avocado tahini. So, shocker, I let go of the smooth, and found myself enjoying a simple mash, with a key ingredient at the 5:00 hour being that it’s lightening fast to make, with very little mess.
The result? YES. Yes, yes, yes. Weโve been loving the fresh change-up from the flavors of guacamole, which is primarily the tahini, as all of the other ingredients in guac can be applied to your tahini avocado. I do hold off on the onion, of which I add plenty to guacamole, and no tomato, of which I add none to guacamole but many do, and let the tahini shine. Weโre talking good tahini, not bitter, avoidable tahini.
Seems a dish like avocado tahini would have made it into the family culinary legacy along the line over here. But unlike the adjustments to our Arabic that wonโt really happen at this point, I do have the shelves and shelves of Lebanese cookbooks, my own little window to Lebanon and the Mediterranean, to keep our repertoire up-to-date, inspired, fresh, and delicious.
Avocado Tahini Dip
Ingredients
- 2 avocados, firm-soft
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 small clove garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Scoop the avocado into a medium bowl and stir, mashing with a fork or masher as needed, to get to a spreadable, somewhat chunky, texture.
- Add the tahini, salt, garlic, and lemon juice and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Transfer the mixture to a flat serving bowl or a plate and using the back of a spoon, make a well in the center. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh thank you so much Maureen I canโt wait to make ALL of them!
So great to have these on hand!
This is delish. I went for ultra-creamy in a blender. 10/10 highly recommend. I will note that I had to add some water to get it to blend, but it didn’t affect the flavor at all. I’ll definitely make this again. I also agree with you about using *good* tahini – the flavor of the tahini is pretty forward in this recipe, so if you’ve got bad tahini you’re gonna have a bad batch.
Thanks for the recipe!
Great tips Tina, thanks so much!
And I thought I was addicted to guacamole! OMG this is stellar!
Love that you love this Kevin!!!