Lemon Tahini Dressing

This Lemon Tahini Dressing is a creamy and healthy salad dressing that is perfect for any tahini lovers. It’s easy to make in 5 minutes and great for quinoa salads or other bowl recipes.

This tahini and lemon salad dressing recipe is a super creamy, tahini based dressing.

For some other creamy salad dressings, try this creamy Balsamic Date Vinaigrette or this Tzatziki Salad Dressing.

Jump to:

• Recipe Highlights
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Step By Step Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• Expert Tips
• Recipes FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Recipe Highlights

• Tahini-Based — This tahini-based dressing is for anyone who loves the flavor of tahini. Unlike other dressings that use just a dash of tahini for creaminess, this one uses it as a base.
• Healthy & Creamy — All the creaminess from this dressing comes from tahini (rather than oils or other heavy ingredients), making it a healthy option.
• Quinoa & Bowl Recipes — This lemon tahini dressing works well on quinoa salads as well as on lots of grain bowl recipes.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Tahini — Tahini is the most prominent ingredient in this dressing. There are different quality tahinis, so make sure you are using a high quality one that — most importantly — you enjoy the taste of.
• Lemon — Use freshly squeezed lemon juice rather than bottled lemon juice for the best flavor.
• Olive Oil — You can use another type of olive oil as a substitute, such as sunflower oil, vegetable oil or avocado oil. You can also replace some of the olive oil (about 1 tbsp) with sesame oil for a dash of sesame flavor.
• Maple Syrup — A dash of maple syrup adds some sweetness to balance the other flavors. You can use honey as a substitute.
• Dijon — You’ll need a little dash of Dijon mustard. Regular mustard doesn’t work as a substitute.
• Garlic — Use a small amount of freshly minced garlic to pull the dressing together.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Add the olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon and garlic to a mason jar.

Step 2: Shake the jar vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds until the ingredients are well-combined and the dressing is creamy and smooth.

Serving Suggestions

This Lemon Tahini dressing works well on quinoa salads, or other grain bowl salad recipes.

Try it on this Quinoa Chickpea Salad recipe, which is made with roasted chickpeas, cucumber, peppers, parsley and red onion.

Here are some ideas for ingredients to use to build your salad around this Lemon Tahini Dressing:

• Quinoa, Farro or Barley
• Arugula or Kale
• Chickpeas
• Cucumber
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Parsley or Mint
• Feta
• Avocado
• Chicken

You can also use this dressing drizzled over some roasted seasoned veggies as a side dish. Try it over roasted cauliflower, cherry tomatoes or broccoli.

Expert Tips

• Use lightly over salads. This tahini dressing is definitely more strongly flavored than other salad dressing recipes. Use just a small amount at a time before drenching your salad in this dressing.
• Adjust the water. The thickness of this dressing really depends on the type of tahini you are using. If your tahini is very liquidy, wait until the end to add the water if needed. If your tahini is much thicker, you may need to add more water 1 tablespoon at a time to get the consistency you are looking for.
• Add more maple syrup. If you like sweeter dressing recipes, you may want to adjust the amount of maple syrup. If you want a sweeter dressing, add in an extra 1 teaspoon at a time.
• Use a whisk to mix the dressing. If you find the tahini doesn’t break apart easily, try using a small metal whisk to mix everything together.

Recipes FAQs

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