Lemon Tahini Dressing
Last Updated on November 1, 2023 by Heather Reseck
You’ll find a lot of uses for this versatile creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing.
Tahini is sesame seed butter or sesame seed paste that is commonly used in Mediterranean cooking. Most often, it’s made from toasted sesame seeds; it can also be made from raw sesame seeds.
Like natural peanut butter, tahini tends to separate when it’s stored. See the jar on the left.
The oil rises to the top and the bottom part becomes hard. So hard sometimes that it’s hard to stir the oil back in. But there’s an easy way to take care of that!
The Easiest Way to Mix Tahini
- Open the jar or can of tahini.
- Pour about half of the oil into a small jar and set aside.
- Pour the rest of the oil into a blender jar.
- Use a spoon to scoop the remaining tahini into the blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add some of the reserved oil if it is too thick and blend again. (You will likely not need all of the oil. I had about 3 tablespoons of oil that I did not add back. Otherwise, it would have been too runny.)
- Transfer the blended tahini back to the original jar. (See the jar on the right.)
The next step is important.
Don’t wash the blender yet.
While there’s still tahini in the blender that you couldn’t scrape out, don’t waste it! Make Lemon Tahini Dressing.
How to Make Lemon Tahini Dressing
It’s incredibly simple to make! Just three ingredients, plus water and salt.
- Put tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Add additional water if desired.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. If desired, add more lemon or a touch of maple syrup.
Variations:
- Add ¼- ½ teaspoon ground cumin.
- Add 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes.
- Add 1 teaspoon maple syrup.
- Stir in minced fresh herbs after blending.
- Substitute fresh lime juice for the lemon juice.
- Lemon Tahini Dip: Add less water.
Serving ideas:
- Use as a dip for fresh vegetables.
- Drizzle over salad greens, spinach, baby kale, or arugula.
- Massage into a kale salad.
- Drizzle over steamed or roasted vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, or cabbage.
- Drizzle over brown rice, baked potatoes, pasta, or baked potatoes.
- Serve with falafels, chickpeas, broiled tofu, or Veggie Power Bowls.™
Tips:
- The dressing will thicken when refrigerated. Thin with additional water if needed.
- Use raw tahini for a milder flavor and lighter color.
Turmeric Tahini Dip: a great way to enjoy the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric.
How to Make Turmeric Tahini Dip
Reduce the water in Tahini Lemon Dressing to about ¼ cup. Add ½ teaspoon ground turmeric and 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes. For more color and nutrition, blend in a stemmed, seeded, and quartered red bell pepper.
More Salad Dressing Recipes
Lemon Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini sesame seed butter
- 4-8 tablespoons water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 large garlic clove peeled or minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Process tahini, 6 tablespoons water, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a blender until smooth and creamy.
- Add additional water if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Makes about 1 cup.
Notes
- Add ¼- ½ teaspoon ground cumin.
- Add 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes.
- Add 1 teaspoon maple syrup.
- Stir in minced fresh herbs after blending.
- Substitute fresh lime juice for the lemon juice.
- Lemon Tahini Dip: Add less water.
- Turmeric Tahini Dressing: Add ½ teaspoon ground turmeric and 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes. If desired, add a stemmed, seeded and quartered red bell pepper before blending.
- Use raw tahini for a milder flavor and lighter color.
- The dressing will thicken when refrigerated. Thin with additional water if needed.
- Use as a dip for fresh vegetables.
- Drizzle over salad greens, spinach, baby kale, or arugula.
- Massage into a kale salad.
- Drizzle over steamed or roasted vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, or cabbage.
- Drizzle over brown rice, baked potatoes, pasta, or baked potatoes.
- Serve with falafels, chickpeas, broiled tofu, or Veggie Power Bowls.™
