Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing

It just takes a minute or two to make this delicious and easy lemon tahini dressing that is a delicious salad dressing or versatile sauce.  Simply combine lemon juice, water, and tahini with a little sea salt for a creamy and tangy sauce that is gluten-free and vegan!

What is tahini?

Tahini is a paste of ground-up sesame seeds.  It is high in protein and full of healthy, unsaturated fats. 

Tahini is a pantry staple in our house.  I buy my tahini from Trader Joe’s (and no, I am not compensated for recommending it). Trader Joe’s tahini is organic, packaged in a glass jar, and priced reasonably. 

I use tahini in homemade hummus, as the binder for my protein-packed homemade granola, and in this delicious and simple Lemon Tahini dressing.

Tahini-based creamy sauce

Adding lemon juice and water transform tahini transforms it from an oily paste into a thick and creamy sauce.

You can change the amount of water you add to the lemon tahini mixture to create your preferred sauce consistency.  My recipe, as written, makes a thin tahini dressing that is ideal for adding (generously) to salads.

Do you want a sauce that is a little thicker to serve with grilled veggies?  Try using a ¼ cup of water instead.  For a thick sauce that goes well with grilled chicken, reduce the water to only 2 tablespoons.

This recipe makes approximately 1.5 cups of lemon tahini sauce.

Store this lemon tahini dressing for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing Recipe

This lemon tahini salad dressing is delicious on salads, roast veggies, falafel, and even with grilled chicken or lamb.  Though it is fast to make, I try to keep some on hand for pulling together a salad bowl with leftovers and either baby spinach or arugula for a quick and easy lunch or dinner.

Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing serving suggestions: 

Serve this lemon tahini dressing as a sauce with this favorite herby grilled chicken.  

Lemon tahini sauce is a perfect topping to this delicious sheet-pan chicken shawarma dinner. 

This lemon tahini sauce is also delicious as a salad dressing on your favorite greens and veggies.  It is also the perfect tangy addition to this hearty arugula lentil salad with avocado and roasted tomatoes.

Other delicious homemade salad dressing recipes you will love:

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This recipe was originally published in Aug, 2017 and recently updated with enhanced instructions and refreshed photos.