Lemon Tahini Dressing

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This lemon tahini dressing is nut-free, dairy-free, naturally gluten-free and vegan. Pour it over your favorite salad, meat, potatoes or anything you like.

A small glass of lemon tahini dressing garnished with fresh parsley, sesame seeds and a lemon wedge nearby.

Making lemon tahini dressing from scratch takes about 5 minutes, so it’s worth trying!

Ingredients you’ll need

  • Tahini
  • Water
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Maple syrup
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Freshly parsley

Why You’ll love it

  • Made with just 6 simple ingredients.
  • Naturally creamy without any dairy.
  • Easy to customize with herbs or spices.
Ingredients for a lemon tahini dressing recipe: water, olive oil, tahini, salt, lemon and maple syrup.

What is tahini?

It is a condiment that is made from roasted sesame seeds. They are ground with a little olive oil until a smooth creamy texture is achieved.

This condiment is also one of the ingredients in hummus (I have recipes for green pea hummus and roasted beet hummus if you are interested).

If you have trouble finding tahini at your local store, you can make homemade tahini easily yourself.

Julia pours maple syrup into a small bowl, surrounded by lemons on a wooden surface.
Julia stirs a tahini dressing mixture in a glass bowl with a red spatula, surrounded by lemons.

How to make tahini dressing with lemon

In a small bowl (a soup bowl will work just fine), combine lemon juice with maple syrup. Then, add olive oil and tahini sauce, while whisking constantly.

Add water to your liking (I always add at least ¼ of a cup) and whisk again.

Finely chop fresh parsley and stir this into the sauce. The parsley adds an extra flavor to this homemade tahini dressing. If you don’t have it on hand or don’t want to use it, you can omit it.

Give it a taste. You can add more lemon juice, tahini, maple syrup and water, if you like.

Storage

Keep this tahini dressing in a glass jar in the fridge. This dressing should last for several days (I usually finish mine within 4 days). If it thickens, just stir in a splash of water or lemon juice to bring it back to your preferred consistency.

A glass of creamy tahini dressing sauce with a spoon inside, placed on a cloth with sesame seeds scattered around.

Where to use lemon tahini dressing

Pour it over salads, roasted potatoes or reduce the amount of water and turn it into a dip. It goes really well with vegetarian spring rolls.

If you like making dressings from scratch, I recommend trying also my blue cheese dressing that we love pouring over wedge salad.

A glass jar filled with homemade lemon tahini dressing, garnished with chopped herbs, and a spoon inside.

Top tips

  • Make sure to use good-quality olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is the best option as it is cold-pressed, which means it is the healthiest option. Do not substitute it with vegetable or sunflower oil.
  • For the smoothest sauce, make sure to use quality tahini that’s well-stirred. If your tahini is too thick, a touch of warm water works wonders!
  • I always use freshly squeezed lemon juice and I recommend you do that too for the best flavor.
  • This lemon tahini dressing recipe is adjustable – if you like it sweeter, add more syrup; for a tangy flavor, squeeze in more lemon juice.
  • Parsley – use fresh flat-leaf parsley.
  • Maple syrup can be substituted with honey.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
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4.84 from 6 votes

Lemon Tahini Dressing

This lemon tahini dressing is nut-free, dairy-free, naturally gluten-free and vegan. Pour it over your favorite salad, meat, potatoes or anything you like.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Servings: 11 tablespoons (⅔ cup/160ml)
Author: Julia

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh), see note 1
  • 4 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup tahini paste
  • ¼ cup water , see note 3
  • parsley (fresh, finely chopped, optional), see note 4

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine freshly squeezed lemon juice with maple syrup. Add oil and tahini, while whisking with a hand whisk.
  • Stir in chopped parsley and give it a taste. You can add more lemon juice, tahini paste or maple syrup if you like.

Notes

  1. On small lemon should give you about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
  2. This dressing can be easily doubled.
  3. If you prefer the dressing thicker, reduce the amount of water added.
  4. Parsley is a tasty addition to this dressing. You can also try using cilantro. Use about a teaspoon of chopped parsley for 2/3 cup dressing.
  5. I got 2/3 cup of dressing out of this recipe. You can end up with a slightly different amount, especially if you add more ingredients (water, tahini, …).
  6. Store it in your fridge, in a sealed jar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 tablespoon, Calories: 96 kcal (5%), Carbohydrates: 6 g (2%), Protein: 1 g (2%), Fat: 8 g (12%), Saturated Fat: 1 g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5 g, Sodium: 3 mg, Potassium: 44 mg (1%), Fiber: 0.3 g (1%), Sugar: 4 g (4%), Vitamin A: 4 IU, Vitamin C: 1 mg (1%), Calcium: 16 mg (2%), Iron: 0.3 mg (2%)
Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: International
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and rating below or tag me on Instagram @happyfoodstube.
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Condiments | Dairy-Free Recipes | Gluten-Free Recipes | Recipes | Vegan Recipes
4.84 from 6 votes

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12 Comments

  1. This looks so easy to make and I love that I can make a lot to have on hand! Perfectly flavors for spring!5 stars

  2. I adore these flavors and and never thought to try them together in a dressing. Looks seriously scrumptious and I know just the salad I want to try it with.5 stars

  3. I love homemade salad dressing and this one looks great. I think I hear a salad calling my name and I need to get shopping for Tahini Paste—quick question I have always heard it is better to use the light tahini, any feedback before I buy some?
    Thanks in advance!5 stars