Healthy, easy, flavorful tahini is one of my favorite ways to make creamy vegan salad dressings and sauces. Today I'm sharing a recipe for basic lemon tahini dressing plus four variations, all of which are oil-free, gluten-free, flavor-packed, and come together in just minutes!
When you need a quick and easy way to boost the flavor of your salads, veggies, and bowls, you can't go wrong with tahini dressing.
These five different dressings pair well with so many things beyond salad! Try them on tofu and tempeh, tacos, drizzled on potatoes, and more.
- Easy Lemon Tahini Dressing - the perfect balance of bright and rich flavors
- Smoky Tahini Dressing - same as above but with a subtle, smoky finish (<---yum!)
- Orange-Ginger Tahini Dressing - for those of you who like your dressings a bit on the fruity/sweeter side
- Green Goddess Tahini Dressing - fresh herbs = YES (my personal favorite!)
- Mustard Tahini Dressing - lively with zesty dijon
Ways to Use Tahini Dressing
Don't limit these delicious dressings to salads! Think about complementary flavor combinations and use these them as....
- Healthy dip for vegetable platters
- Mayo replacement in sandwiches and wraps
- Mayo replacement in chickpea salad
- Mayo replacement in potato salad or as a dip for fries (Baked oven fries with smoky tahini dressing? Yes, please!)
- Sauce for roasted, grilled or sautéed vegetables
- Creamy sauce for hot or cold pasta dishes
- And as a sauce for your favorite grain bowls!
Have other flavor combos in mind? Go for it!
And feel free to experiment with the ingredient amounts listed below. You may find you like a tad more smoked paprika in your smoky tahini dressing or a bit less orange in your orange-ginger dressing.....or vice versa.
We all have different palates, and in recipes that contain so few ingredients, small variations can make a huge difference!
Best advice: you can always add more of something, but it's not always easy to tone down an ingredient after adding too much.
How long does it keep?
This may vary depending on the exact ingredients in the dressing, but in general, I find the basic lemon tahini dressing is best consumed within 4 days.
Versions that contain fresh juice or herbs may not last quite as long, up to 3 days.
Always refrigerate leftover dressing, and be sure to store it in a clean jar or container with a tight-fitting lid.
More Ways to Use Tahini
Tahini also creates delicious, oil-free vegan desserts. Try it in these Rosemary Tahini Cookies, and these Spiced Oatmeal Cookies.
I've also used it in place of the cashews in this Vegan Chocolate Tart with amazing results!
Of course tahini is right at home in any hummus recipe. Try this Ginger-Carrot Hummus.
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More vegan dressings and sauces:
Creamy Harissa Dressing (tahini-based)
Ginger-Turmeric Dressing (Trader Joe's Copycat)
Nut-Free Vegan Ranch Dressing
Classic Vegan Caesar With Roasted Chickpeas (tahini-based)
Oil-Free Vegan Aquafaba Mayo
Creamy Lime Dressing
Carrot Salad With Tahini-Sriracha Dressing
Tahini Salad Dressing Five Ways
Ingredients
Easy (aka Basic) Lemon Tahini Dressing
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, about the amount from one small lemon
- 1 clove garlic, zested or finely minced if not using a blender
- 2 tsp maple syrup or agave
- 1 tsp salt
Smoky Tahini Dressing - same as Basic and add:
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Orange-Ginger Tahini Dressing - same as Basic but omit lemon juice and add:
- 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
- pinch of orange zest
- ¾ inch piece fresh ginger root, zested if not using a blender
- black pepper
Mustard Tahini Dressing - same as Basic and add:
- 2 to 3 Tbsp dijon mustard; start with 2 Tbsp and adjust
Green Goddess Tahini Dressing (written in full for simplicity):
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy yogurt (Forager Cashewgurt is my go-to)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic, zested or finely minced if making dressing by hand; chopped if using blender
- ⅓ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped if not using a blender
- 2 Tbsp chives, finely chopped if not using a blender (if you can't find chives, sub green onion)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp dulse flakes
- 2 tsp maple syrup or agave
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Blender: add all ingredients and blend until smooth.By hand: whisk all ingredients together until fully incorporated.
- Refrigerate dressing in an airtight container. Best consumed within three days.
