Lemon Tahini Dressing

4.1
12 Ratings

Gena Hamshaw

Test Kitchen-Approved
Lemon Tahini Dressing

Photo by James Ransom

Serves
1⅓ cups
Prep Time
5 Minutes

This dressing is perfect for fresh salads. If you like, add less water to make it more of a sauce.


Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2/3 to 3/4 cup water (as needed)

Featured Video

Lemon Tahini Dressing


This lemon tahini dressing recipe is one of our favorite ways to use up any extra tahini you may have on hand. It's super-easy to make, and you'll be able to use it in a variety of ways. But it also goes to show that homemade dressings taste so much better than store-bought. All it takes is four ingredients, as well as water, salt, and pepper. It'll also store for a few days in the fridge. Just blend or whisk all of the ingredients together, and your dressing is ready to go. And feel free to use this as a base recipe—taste as you go, depending if you want more lemon juice, less tahini, or a thicker or thinner dressing. Add more garlic, a touch of red pepper flakes for some heat, or as one commenter suggests, omit the salt and add miso paste. You'll love that hit of umami that goes well with the savory, brighter notes of the dressing.

The dressing complements any kind of fresh herbs. You can use it for any kind of dinner bowl with grains. Drizzled over a fresh salad, roasted vegetables, or whatever protein you're serving, you'll turn to this recipe again and again. Experiment with the ratios and ingredients to make this dressing your own and suit your and your family's tastes. Whatever you come up with, definitely let us know how it goes in the comments, as well as the changes you made that will make you completely forget about going out to buy the store-bought stuff.


Directions

  • Step 1

    In a medium bowl or blender, whisk or blend the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, and ⅔ cup of the water, adding more until you reach the desired consistency.

  • Step 2

    Do Ahead: The dressing can be made 6 days ahead. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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