Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing

This creamy lemon tahini dressing is the perfect everyday plant-based dressing, delicious on salads, bowls, falafels, roasted vegetables, and so much more. It’s made with a handful of ingredients, including tahini, fresh lemon juice, water, garlic, and seasoning!

What is Tahini?

Tahini is a paste made from toasted ground hulled sesame. It’s commonly used in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking as well as parts of North Africa.

Tahini is basically sesame seed butter. High-quality tahini is made from a single ingredient: toasted sesame seeds.

The first time I ever encountered tahini was years ago at a Middle Eastern restaurant. I stopped in to pick up a sandwich and the only vegetarian option available was a falafel wrap, which I had never had before. It was love at first bite. I couldn’t get enough of the creamy delicious sauce and immediately wanted to know what it was. It was tahini.

Where to find Tahini

While you can easily make your own tahini at home, you may opt for buying this ingredient from any major grocery store (look for the natural ingredient section). You can also find it online — my personal favorite tahini is by Soom Foods (you can also get 10% off + free shipping with code REALANDVIBRANT if you purchase directly from their website).

Good vs Bad Tahini

Yes, the quality of your tahini will absolutely play a role in how your dressing comes out. This is what I’ve learned from experience about the differences between good-quality and bad-quality tahini.

How should tahini taste? A little nutty, savory, silky, and creamy. The texture is a little similar to creamy nut butter. What tahini should not taste like is bitter or even a little acidic. If it leaves your mouth feeling chalky, look for better tahini next time.

How to Make Lemon Tahini Dressing

All you need is a bowl, a whisk, and your measuring cups and spoons! You’ll need the following simple ingredients:

• Tahini
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• A clove of garlic, finely minced
• Water
• Sea salt + pepper
• Maple syrup (if you’d like to add a little sweetness)

Making the tahini is really quick and easy.

1. In a small bowl, add the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup (if you’re using), and salt and pepper.
2. Whisk until it starts to become thick and creamy.
3. Now add the water. You can either add it slowly if you like it thicker and for with the amount I mention in the recipe. At first, you may think “this doesn’t look like dressing” but as you continue to whisk, the dressing will become smooth and creamy – trust me!

And that’s it. Either use the tahini dressing immediately or store it in a sealed jar in the fridge. It will stay fresh for a about 3 days.

How to Enjoy this Lemon Tahini Dressing

So now that you’ve made it, what should you use this delicious lemon tahini dressing for? Here are some of my favorite ways to use this simple dressing:

• Drizzle on salads or your next Buddha bowl
• Spread it on toast
• Dip raw veggies in it
• Add it to your smoothies
• Drizzle on falafels
• Use it to make hummus!
• Drizzle on roasted veggies, like this garlic roasted cauliflower!
• Add it to your homemade desserts — hello, tahini brownies!

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