Not only is this tahini salad dressing delicious, it also packs a nutritional punch as well. Made of ground sesame seeds, tahini provides an excellent source of most B vitamins as well as the ever-important calcium.
In fact, sesame seeds (the un-ground version of tahini) contain one of the highest concentrations of calcium of all food sources, making this salad dressing recipe a great supplement to vegan diets.
I especially love to pair my tahini dressing recipe with roasted veggies or on a massaged kale salad, but you’d be surprised how many other meals this creamy dressing goes well with.
This homemade salad dressing recipe is a staple in my kitchen for this exact reason.
Got a grain bowl of bips and bops that needs to be pulled together?
Slather it in a creamy tahini dressing.
Need a kick of extra flavor?
Drizzle with a fresh herb tahini sauce.
Want to dress a naked bowl of greens?
Then lemon tahini salad dressing is your #ootd.
Jump ahead to the recipe(s) below, where I have a tahini dressing recipe for every mood. If you want to read my tips on how to make a base tahini dressing that you can adapt for yourself, then let’s continue, my friend.
How to make tahini dressing
Tahini dressings are really easy to make. You basically add whatever flavor you like to the tahini paste and then blend until creamy.
The core ingredients for every good tahini dressing recipe begin with:
- tahini paste
- water
- garlic
- either fresh lemon juice, lime juice or some kind of vinegar
- a sweetener, I prefer maple syrup but agave or raw honey will work as well
In the recipes I made below, I used rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar, along with lemon juice in some.
To begin, add all of your core ingredients to a food processor. Then add the flavor you want from there:
- soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger for an Asian inspired tahini sauce recipe
- lemon juice, olive oil, and maple syrup for a quick and easy lemon tahini dressing
- add fresh herbs brighten the flavor and are especially delicious on roasted vegetables, like roasted cauliflower or sweet potatoes
- dijon mustard and olive oil emulsify with tahini paste to make a seriously creamy homemade tahini vinaigrette and is one of my favorite versions of this recipe!
- nutritional yeast with orange juice is a delicious combo that I used to use a lot with massaged kale salad; the citrus juice helped break down the kale when massaged
Once everything is blended, pour over your meal and enjoy.
Store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to a week. It will thicken in the fridge, so make it runnier than you would normally have it before storing.
Creamy Tahini Salad Dressing Recipe (4 Ways)
Equipment
Ingredients
Sesame Ginger Tahini Dressing, add
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp water as needed
Lemon Tahini Dressing, add
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp water as needed
Tahini Dill Dressing, add
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp water as needed
Vegan Tahini Vinaigrette, add
- 1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed Navel oranges
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp water as needed
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients into food processor and blend until creamy.
- Add some water if it becomes too thick. I like the consistency to be gummy but drizzle easily from my spoon.
Notes
- Store in the fridge until ready to eat.
- It will thicken in the fridge, so make it slightly runnier that you’d normally have it.
- It’s best to pour over greens and eat immediately (do not let sit) as the acidic ingredients will wilt the lettuce rapidly.
I made this just now – totally gorgeously yum!! I'm going to make a week's worth next time!
omg great idea!! I make a tahini dressing several times a week. It's just so delicious and it never gets old!!