If you ask me, your go-to salad dressing must have these qualities (all of ‘em!):
- Versatility—great on many types of salads and grain bowls
- Ease & simplicity—quick to whip up, with no special equipment required
- Dynamite flavor—something that actually makes you look forward to eating salad
And this Lemon Tahini Dressing fits all criteria (and more).
You can think of it as a zippy-vinaigrette-meets-creamy-tahini-sauce, and it’s the salad dressing I meal prep most often (…..okay, maybe it’s a three-way tie between this, my Red Wine Vinaigrette, and the Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette on p. 164 of Big Vegan Flavor).
So, I figured it was high time I shared it with you!
In this post:
The dressing I make on repeat 🔁
As much as I love variety (we’re testing new recipes in the RPL kitchen quite often!), I have a few go-to recipes I always meal prep—and this lemon tahini dressing is one of them.
It’s the perfect balance of indulgence, brightness, and tang; it uses ingredients I always have on hand; it makes a generous amount so I can use it all week long; and I never get tired of it.
And not for nothing—it’s the dressing that has gotten renowned salad-skeptic Max to eat leafy greens and to not only not complain about it…but to even ask for seconds!
Ingredient notes
- Tahini: This star ingredient is a smooth, unctuous paste made purely of ground sesame seeds. It’s a sneaky source of protein and iron, and the natural oils from the sesame seeds contribute a lovely richness to the dressing. You can find it at well-stocked grocery stores, Middle Eastern markets, or online (see my recommended brands, below).
- Fresh lemon juice: All (good) salad dressings need acidity. Lemon juice was a natural pick here because it complements, enlivens, and brightens tahini—and it’s the acid traditionally used in Middle Eastern tahini sauces!
- Apple cider vinegar: While lemon juice is the primary source of acidity, I also include a small amount of apple cider vinegar for a punchy, fruity kick.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Unlike a classic tahini sauce, the kind you find drizzled over falafel or other Middle Eastern foods (check out Big Vegan Flavor, p. 197–198, for three phenomenal tahini sauce recipes), this is a salad dressing. To achieve the consistency and mouthfeel of a dressing, some amount of oil is helpful.
- Garlic: Do I need to explain myself here? Garlic in a salad dressing is a no-brainer.
- Dijon mustard: From a texture perspective, mustard acts as an emulsifier, helping the oil and acids bind together in a creamy mixture; from a taste perspective, it lends a sharp tang that kicks things up a notch.
- Maple syrup: A little bit of sweetness helps to soften the subtle bitterness in tahini and temper the acidity, so the maple syrup does double duty here.
Recommendations + Substitutes
- Look for tahini made from hulled sesame seeds (unhulled produces bitter tahini).
- My favorite brands: Al Kanater, Beirut, and Al Arz.
- Prefer an oil-free dressing?
- If you are oil-free (or want to use just a tiny bit of oil), check out the first FAQ for modifications.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a wide-mouthed jar or bowl, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, tahini, mustard, garlic, maple syrup, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk well to combine.
- Stream in the olive oil while whisking continuously until the dressing is emulsified.
- If too thick, stream in cold water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach your desired consistency. Taste, adding more salt, lemon juice, or vinegar as desired.
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
Tips for making this recipe
Use a tahini you like!
I’ve included my preferred tahini brands in the Ingredient Notes, but if you can’t find those brands, the only guideline that matters is to use a brand of tahini whose taste you enjoy.
If the brand you’ve got on hand is bitter or has a strange flavor (I’ve tried a lot of brands of tahini, so I know those ones are out there…), it might be best to wait until you can purchase another option to try out this dressing.
Stir the tahini, if needed
Some brands of tahini are well incorporated, while in others, the oil and fat are separated. If the latter is the case, you’ll want to give it a vigorous whisk to get a homogenous texture.
Tahini Tips
When you buy tahini, store the jar upside down (well-sealed, of course). That way, the oil doesn’t settle on the top.
If this trick doesn’t do the job or your tahini is seriously separated, you can add the contents of the jar to a food processor and blend until homogenous.
Thin out the dressings, as needed
Tahini sauces (as well as salad dressings made with olive oil) will thicken as they rest, so if you’re keeping leftovers, you’ll need to thin out the dressing.
Add a few teaspoons of cold water or ice water, whisk to combine, then continue to add water as needed until you reach your desired consistency. Depending on how much water you add, you may want to add a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon juice to boost the flavors.
And don’t stress—if you accidentally add too much water, you can always add more tahini to compensate!
How to use Lemon Tahini Dressing
This dressing works particularly well with:
- hearty greens like kale and cabbage
- peppery greens like arugula
- crisp lettuces like romaine, Little Gem, and butter lettuce.
Since it is a relatively creamy salad dressing, I wouldn’t use it exclusively with a soft lettuce like baby spinach or mixed greens—instead, if you’ve got soft lettuces to use up, combine them with something crisp or hearty like the varieties listed above.
Want more specific salad ideas? This dressing would shine on any of these:
- My go-to simple salad: Shredded and massaged kale + chopped romaine + roasted chickpeas (p. 236 of Big Vegan Flavor) + parsley or basil + sauerkraut
- Superb slaw, version 1: Shredded red cabbage + shredded carrots + chopped basil or parsley + roasted almonds
- Superb slaw, version 2: Shredded green cabbage + finely chopped romaine + diced cucumber + roasted sunflower seeds + chunks of avocado
- Greek salad: Sliced cucumbers + halved cherry tomatoes + sliced red onion + green or kalamata olives + capers
- Fall salad: Thinly shaved Brussels sprouts + thinly sliced tart apples + dried cranberries + toasted walnuts or pecans + optionally, vegan feta
- Winter salad: Shredded and massaged kale + shredded carrots + thinly sliced tart apples or citrus segments + pomegranate seeds + roasted pistachios
- Triple green salad: Chopped baby kale + microgreens, pea shoots, or broccoli sprouts + chopped parsley + shredded carrots + toasted walnuts + diced avocado
P.S. This dressing is also fantastic on grain salads and grain bowls!
Flavor variations
While I adore the base flavor of this dressing, feel free to add additional flavorings!
- For a hit of sweet umami and depth of flavor, add a bit of white miso.
- For a stronger punch of citrus, zest in some of the lemon before juicing it.
- For an herbaceous twist, fold in finely-minced fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, dill, or basil.
- Or, try replacing some or all of the lemon juice with pickle juice (thanks to reader Craig for this tip!).
Frequently Asked Questions
I tested a few oil-free variations, and here’s where I landed: you can omit the oil, but it’s a tad too harsh and acidic for my taste.
Here’s the best oil-free version I came up with, but it is substantially better with a little bit of oil—as little as 1 tablespoon for the whole quantity of dressing!
• ¼ cup (60 mL) aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
• ¼ cup (60 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup (56g) good-quality tahini, well-stirred
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed with a press or grated finely
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (27g) pure maple syrup, plus more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• Freshly cracked black pepper
1. Add the aquafaba to a small-capacity blender or food processor and blend until frothy. Add in the lemon juice, vinegar, tahini, mustard, garlic, maple syrup, salt, and black pepper to taste. Blend again until well-combined and emulsified.
2. Taste, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, or more lemon or vinegar for acidity. For more richness, you can add more tahini, but even just 1 tablespoon of olive oil will vastly improve the flavor and mouthfeel!
Definitely! It will stay good for 7 to 10 days stored in a large sealed jar in the fridge. It will thicken as it rests, so whisk in some cold water until it reaches your desired consistency.
While standard salad dressings do not freeze well, tahini sauces freeze a bit better, so you can try freezing this tahini dressing for up to 3 months.
For the best consistency, defrost in the fridge, and use an immersion blender or blender to re-emulsify the dressing.
More splendid salad dressings
- Red Wine Vinaigrette: another upgraded classic
- Vegan Ranch Dressing: the nostalgic salad dressing of your dreams
- Lemon Tahini Dressing: zingy, lemony, nutty and SO good
- Miso-Sesame Dressing: umami, nutty, sweet, and zippy
If you enjoyed this Lemon Tahini Dressing, I’d love it if you’d leave a rating and review below! It makes my day to hear from you!
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup (56g) tahini, well-stirred (see Note 1)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 fat clove garlic, grated or very finely minced
- 1 tablespoon (20g) pure maple syrup (see Note 2)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup (56g) extra virgin olive oil (see Note 3)
- Cold water, as needed
Instructions
- In a wide-mouth jar for which you have a lid (or a bowl), combine the lemon juice, vinegar, tahini, Dijon mustard, garlic, maple syrup, salt, and pepper to taste. Whisk well to combine.
- Now stream in the olive oil, whisking as you go, until emulsified. NOTE: If it feels too thick, whisk in cold water, one tablespoon at a time.
- Taste, adding more salt as desired. For more acidity, add more lemon juice or vinegar. For sweetness or balance, add more maple syrup.
- Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for 7 to 10 days. It will thicken, so stream in some cold water, whisk, and continue you reach your desired consistency.
Notes
- My preferred tahini brands: Al Kanater, Beirut, and Al Arz.
- If you want to make this dressing without oil or with less oil, check out the first FAQ.
- The sweetener helps balance the acidity from the vinegar and lemon, but if you prefer less sweet things, start with 1 teaspoon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
This was a good recipe BUT the maple syrup was wayyyyyy too much for me.
After I made it, the dressing was so sweet that it tasted like halvah. And the combination of sweetness and garlic was bizarre to me.
I made a whole second recipe without the sweetener and mixed the two batches so I wouldn’t have to discard the original.
It was still too sweet, but much better.
But now I have a gigantic amount of tahini dressing to use up before it goes bad. Which is not a terrible thing, but not ideal.
Next time I will omit the sweetener completely. I’m so confused by how my taste is so different from other people’s! I love sweets and I’m not one of those people who always make a fuss over sugar in recipes. Really! But this tasted crazy to me. Is it really supposed to be a tablespoon of syrup? Not a teaspoon?
Hey Sarah, sorry to hear the sweetness was too much for you. Usually the vinegar adds a strong enough acidity that a sweetener is necessary to tame the harshness, otherwise it is to acidic. Is it possible that you forgot the vinegar or used less than one tablespoon?
I have made this recipe probably 30 times or more including with different brands of tahini, so I’m confident the measurements are right, but of course everyone’s tastebuds are different. You can try it without sweetener next time and then add a little bit to your taste.
Thank you so much for your response!
I used a tablespoon of Bragg’s cider vinegar plus four tablespoons of lemon juice and a full tablespoon of dijon mustard instead of two teaspoons.
Maybe my maple syrup is super strong?
Anyway–Once I doubled the recipe and thereby cut the proportion of syrup in half, it was more palatable for me. Later I also took out a half cup of the dressing and mixed that with some white miso and some vegan mayonnaise and that version was really good. Less a dressing and more of a sauce at that point, but really delicious.
I have a feeling I will love the original recipe without any sweetener. The base flavor of this dressing is excellent. As every review has said!
It’s really odd that this is hitting my palate the way it is because normally I have no problem with sweetness! I get annoyed by all the sugar police comments I see on every cooking site.
So weird.
Love your website and your book.
Thank u for this easy tahini dressing. Been wanting to make a tahini dressing for some time And the tahini in my cupboard will be so happy that’s it’s finally been opened and used💋
You’re welcome, Lusanda! Enjoy 🙂
Made this tonight to go with a pear-pistachio-gorgonzola-arugula salad. It was definitely bright, zippy, and creamy! I felt like it was missing a bass note, though, so I tried the white-miso variation, and that hit the spot! So grateful to have a new salad dressing to add to my repertoire. Truly delish, and it wowed all my guests!
Delish, Anita! I’m even more excited to use this dressing on an arugula salad tonight 🙂
As always: So good. So simple. So delicious.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, D!
This blog post about Lemon Tahini Dressing was fresh and inspiring to read. I love how you highlighted the perfect balance of tangy lemon and creamy tahini to create a healthy and flavourful dressing. It seems like a great addition to salads, roasted vegetables, or even sandwiches. The recipe looks simple, nutritious, and ideal for modern healthy eating. Thank you for sharing such a delicious and creative idea. Looking forward to more amazing recipes from you.
Thanks for the sweet review, Hosna! We hope you love the dressing!
The day that Nisha introduced me to tahini sauces is, in my opinion, the most significant day of the 21st century thus far. Every time I see a new tahini sauce recipe in my newsletter, the clouds part, the sun shines a little brighter, the birds sing a little sweeter.
P.S. if you haven’t already, try using pickle juice instead of lemon juice! Sooo good on roasted vegetables and/or with crispy tofu.
Haha, we love to hear it, Craig!! And oooh, that pickle juice swap sounds so tasty… I need to try that one myself ASAP!
Made this today and served it over a micro green salad. It was so easy to make and so delicious. This will definitely be a go to dressing to have in the fridge all the time 😋
Hi Lindsey, thank you so much for your kind review!
10/10. Licked the jar clean. Highly recommend it with a shredded cabbage slaw and over roasted butternut squash!
The highest honors, Cleo! That combo sounds delightful indeed 🙂
I will be making this dressing every week until I get tired of it, which seems unlikely to ever happen because it is so good. My 12-year old daughter loved it too!
Hi Kara, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
I have made many tahini dressings before, and this one is perfect! So well balanced and it’s so tasty I could drink it by the spoon. So far, I have drizzled it over a lentil salad and kale salad, and my brain is already thinking of so many other uses!
We appreciate your feedback and support, Andrea. Thank you for leaving a review!