Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing
Ditch the store-bought dressing and whip up a batch of homemade Lemon Tahini Dressing. With just a few pantry ingredients, you’ll have a versatile, delicious dressing for salads and roasted veggies.
Why you’ll love this Lemon Tahini Dressing Recipe
- It can be used in a variety of ways, making it a go-to condiment to keep in the fridge. Not only is it a great salad dressing, but it makes a nice sauce for grilled vegetables, spread for sandwiches, or dip!
- Naturally vegan and gluten free, it’s a great choice for those with dietary restrictions.
- It lasts up to a week in the fridge, meaning you can making a big batch and use for several meals.
What is tahini?
The easiest way to understand tahini is that it’s just like peanut butter, except that instead of peanuts, it’s made with ground sesame seeds.
Check the label of tahini before purchasing. The only ingredient should be ground sesame seeds!
Tahini is common in Mediterranean and North African cuisine. It’s often served by itself as a dip or sauce (my local Lebanese restaurant serves it as the sauce for falafel).
It’s an important ingredient in dishes such as hummus and baba ghanoush. It can also be used as a substitute for peanut butter in recipes such as my Asian cold noodle salad.
Tahini Lemon Dressing Ingredients
- tahini
- lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- garlic
- paprika
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Home Chef Tips for making the Best Tahini Dressing
- The quality of your tahini really matters, and not all brands taste the same. You may need to try a few brands to find your favorite. The flavor should be nutty, creamy, and not overly bitter.
- If you have time, let your tahini dressing rest in the fridge for 1 hour before serving to give the flavors time to meld.
How to use Lemon Tahini Dressing
Once you make a batch, you’ll soon discover that there is hardly anything this dressing is NOT good on.
I put it on classic green salads and Thanksgiving salad and salad for Christmas and turkey burger salads, as well as chopped “village” salads (no lettuce) like the one above.
Grilled chicken kabobs? They get a drizzle of this. Falafel? I dunk them right into this dressing. Grilled zucchini? Roasted carrots? Sautéed green beans? Yes, yes, yes.
How to store Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing
Just like my miso ginger dressing, keep this in a mason jar or other airtight container in your fridge for up to one week (if it lasts that long!).
Lemon Tahini FAQs
Because the only ingredient in tahini should be ground sesame seeds, it is absolutely vegan.
Lemon Tahini
Ditch the store-bought dressing and whip up a batch of homemade Lemon Tahini Dressing. With just a few pantry ingredients, you'll have a versatile, delicious dressing for salads and roasted veggies.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
In small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. Gradually add olive oil, while whisking, until all oil is fully incorporated. Gradually add warm water, while whisking, until all water is fully incorporated.
Dressing can be stored in a jar or other airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 2 tablespoonsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 169mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
Love this. I don’t buy dressings or vinaigrettes! I love making them myself to pair with salads – I mean, it’s so smart and so much fun. I have little experience with tahini, except for hummus I think, so I wanted to print this. Happy New Year!
I hope you get a chance to try this dressing, Mimi!
No problem getting me to ditch store-bought salad dressings: I did that years ago. I usually put olive oil and balsamic vinegar on my salads (I grew up on a seasoned oil/vinegar dressing), and my husband just does straight balsamic vinegar. I can see where this dressing would be very nice on roasted veggies. Ooh! Just realized that maybe I should make this dressing for the steak salad with roasted veggies that’s on my menu for this week, instead of the usual with red wine vinegar… Thanks for a great idea (except for the fact that I’ll have to stir up a new can of tahini…). 🙂
Stirring up a new can of tahini is truly like Steps 1-9 of this recipe. LOL!