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This tahini salad dressing has an unbelievably creamy texture and is the type of sauce you’ll want to drench your next salad in. It’s made with simple ingredients, like lemon juice and garlic, and can be stirred together in minutes.
The first time I made this dressing was over a decade ago, when I was on a raw-foods kick. That meant I was buying raw tahini, which, as it turns out, is drastically different from other varieties. Be sure to read my tips below on which tahini will work best for this recipe, so you won’t wind up with bitter results.
Use it as a salad topping or a dip for veggies this week!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“Wow this was good!! BEST salad dressing recipe EVER and I’ve tried quite a few! Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂 I can’t wait to have another salad for dinner tomorrow night!!” – Amber
Tahini Dressing Ingredients
- Tahini. I think you get the best results with raw tahini, such as Artisana brand, or with homemade tahini. It takes about 10 minutes to make in a food processor and is more affordable than buying it at the store. If you use another brand, such as Soom, the toasted sesame seed flavor will be more pronounced. (So it will taste less like Caesar dressing.)
- Lemon Juice. You’ll need approximately two lemons for this recipe. I like to start with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, but you may want to use up to 6 tablespoons total. It’s best to taste and adjust as you go. Don’t use store-bought bottled juice; fresh is best!
- Garlic. I’ve learned that the key to hiding the bitter tahini flavor is to add plenty of fresh garlic. I usually use 3 small cloves in this batch, but you can adjust this to taste.
- Onion Powder. This is another layer of flavor that masks the bitterness of the tahini.
- Salt and Pepper. I use fine sea salt, which tastes different than white table salt. I recommend a minimum amount of salt in this recipe, but you can always add an extra pinch if you want to boost the flavor.
How to Make Tahini Dressing
Step 1:
In a 14 oz. or larger jar, add the tahini, lemon juice, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Use a microplane to finely mince the garlic cloves directly into the jar.
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Stir well. The mixture should start to look relatively thick.
Step 2:
Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dressing reaches a creamy, drippy consistency. I usually add 4 to 5 tablespoons total, but this may vary based on the type of tahini you use.
As soon as you’re happy with the consistency, you can taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning if needed. It’s ready to use right away.
Lemon Tahini Dressing (Oil-Free!)
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw tahini
- 4 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup water
Instructions
- In a 14-ounce jar or larger, add the tahini, 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, minced garlic, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. (Use a microplane to finely mince the garlic directly into the jar.) Stir well, then add the water and stir again.
- Taste the dressing and add more lemon juice, just one tablespoon at a time, if you'd like a more tart flavor. If you don't want to add more lemon juice, you may want to add another tablespoon of water to thin the consistency. Once you're happy with the flavor and texture, it's ready to serve.
- Secure the lid on the jar and store the dressing in the fridge for up to a week. It will thicken when chilled, so you may want to add another tablespoon of water to thin the consistency when you use it later.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More REcipes to Try
- Zucchini Hummus
- Make-Ahead Vegan Lunch Bowls
- Vegan Green Goddess Dressing (Oil-Free!)
- Tahini-Dill Salad Dressing
- Cucumber Tahini Salad Dressing
If you try this tahini dressing recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
What is tahani? I have never heard of it. And also where do I find it?
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds! It’s often found in stores near the peanut butter but it’s also super simple and more cost effective to make at home! You can check out my recipe for homemade tahini here: https://detoxinista.com/tahini/
THIS IS SO GOOD! MY FAVORITE HAS BEEN YOUR KNOCK OFF BUT THIS IS BETTER! I ADDED A LITTLE EVERYTHING BAGEL SEASONING AT END OF MINE.😄
Made this yesterday, stored it in the fridge overnight to let the flavors come together. Yum-o! Eating it right now and loving it. Thanks, Megan!
This dressing was so tasty and easy to make. I put it on a fried portabella mushroom, cherry tomato, and green bean dish. Planning to try it on salad since there is plenty left over. I wonder how long it lasts in the fridge.
Can you add balsamic vinegar to this dressing? I feel like I need to add something else besides water to make it not so thick. I LOVE it for a dip, I’m talking about for a salad dressing.
Just made this tahini with cashews (didn’t have the raw tahini on hand) and a handfull whole sesame seeds then blended in Vitamix till smooth and frothy. SOOOOOO good, I plan to wow my husband with it tonight 😉 Will be serving with roasted shawarma spiced veggies, I can’t wait for dinner! Another delicious recipe Megan, thanks!!!
I love Tahini so I had to try this. I thought the Tahini taste was a little to strong so I added some maple syrup to this and it was just what it needed. Just poured it over a huge plate of veggies, delicious.
I really loved this! It was divine used as a dip for my sweet potato fries. Thank you! Love your recipes!
YUM!!😋 Great idea!
This is absolutely the BEST dressing ever… I have had it with two different salads and both tasted great. I used a a small chunk of red onion as i didnt have onion powder and still came out fantastic. The salad it tasted best with was a combo of red cabbage, white cabbage, lots of mint, lots of coriander, orange carrot and lots of chives. Delish with toasted almonds.
Better than Annie’s Goddess. I have been following you and making recipes that you post now for about a year. I added a little green onion. This was better than I expected. I ran out of my yogurt dill dressing I make and decided to try it. Some day I will make everything you post.