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This easy lemon tahini dressing is perfect on salads, roasted vegetables, and grains. You can easily customize it to your personal taste. Ready in less than 10 minutes!

You may also like my Creamy Balsamic Dressing or this  Creamy Pesto Dressing.

easy lemon tahini dressing in a stoneware bowl with a wooden cooking spoon

I thought it was about time to put a quick guide on here explaining how to make tahini sauce/dressing.

It’s definitely a go-to of mine, especially for veggie-based dishes. It comes together quickly, and you can use it on all kinds of things.

You also don’t have to dirty up your blender or food processor, which is always a bonus for me. 😀

Even if you’ve never cooked with tahini before, chances are that you’re already familiar with it since it’s a key ingredient in most hummus recipes.

Tahini can usually be found in the nut butter section of most grocery stores. If you can’t find it there, try it in the ethnic foods aisle.

It’s also pretty good for you! Research says tahini can help to lower cholesterol (which may or may not be true), but, either way, it tastes good.

metal mixing bowl with easy lemon tahini dressing ingredients and a metal whisk

How to make tahini dressing

Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, honey (or maple syrup or agave if vegan), garlic, ground cumin, and 1 tablespoon of water together in a bowl. Add more water as needed to thin it out.

You can customize it until it’s the best tahini dressing you’ve ever had. 🙂 I put a couple of suggestions for extra add-ins in the recipe card. I love adding smoked paprika to it, for example.

Love tahini dressing? Try this eggplant and spinach salad with tahini dressing or my vegan barley salad with roasted veggies.

close-up of metal mixing bowl and whisk with easy vegan lemon tahini dressing

Tahini sauce uses

Tahini dressing/sauce can be used for many different things.

Anything from salads (this lemon tahini dressing would be awesome on a kale salad), to roasted veggies, on grains (like in a Buddha bowl), on falafel, on fish or meat, as a sandwich or burger spread (tahini on toast is great!), as a dip for raw vegetables… the possibilities are virtually endless.

You can slap vegan tahini dressing on practically anything.

More homemade salad dressings to try:

serving bowl with lemon tahini dressing on wooden spoon

I hope you love this creamy tahini dressing recipe!

Let me know in the comments below if you’ve made it or if you have any questions.

This simple vegan lemon tahini dressing is perfect on salads, roasted vegetables, and grains. It's healthy and delicious. Sweeten it with honey or maple syrup, and add as much garlic as you wish. You can thin it to your desired consistency. Quick & easy!
5 from 8 votes

Easy Lemon Tahini Dressing

This easy lemon tahini dressing is perfect on salads, roasted vegetables, and grains. You can easily customize it to your personal taste. Ready in less than 10 minutes!
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 4 (makes about 1/2 cup)

Ingredients 

  • 4 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon honey (or maple syrup/agave if vegan)
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons water 
  • Salt & pepper to taste

More add-in suggestions (optional - use none, one, or all):

  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives

Instructions 

  • Give the tahini a stir in its jar if it looks separated. Add the 4 tablespoons tahini to a medium bowl, along with the lemon juice, honey, garlic, cumin, and 1 tablespoon of the water. Whisk together.
  • Whisk in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dressing reaches your desired consistency. I like mine with 3 tablespoons water, but adjust as needed. 
  • Taste dressing and season it with salt & pepper as needed. Whisk in additional ingredients if using. The smoked paprika gives the dressing a nice, smoky flavor, and the chives provide a burst of freshness. 

Notes

  • Everyone's tastes vary, so if you find the dressing isn't sweet enough, add more sweetener. If you want it more lemony, add more lemon juice. My ingredient quantities are just suggestions.
  • Store any dressing leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. You may need to add more water to thin it out again. 

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Hi! I’m Natasha.

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5 from 8 votes

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17 Comments

  1. bob says:

    5 stars
    I had to leave out the paprika, garlic and chives–but the dressing is perfectly balanced. A hint of lemon and sweetness. I used about 3/4 teaspoon salt for a double size batch and that is just right for us. Also, I used a mini blender and it whipped it up into the silkiest mousse like texture. I kept adding water to thin it out but it just got creamier and lovelier. Anyway, its divine! Thanks

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!!

  2. Mary says:

    5 stars
    Excellent!

    1. Natasha says:

      So glad you liked it!

  3. Marilyn says:

    5 stars
    I just made this with the last of my tahini. Qh My Goodness! It’s delicious. Tonight it will go on a grilled veg salad, but Its good all by itself. Thanks for the great recipe.

    1. Natasha says:

      I am so glad you liked it, Marilyn!

  4. Lisa says:

    5 stars
    Love it, added the smoked paprika. Yum! Love that your mum and sis commented. 😊

    1. Natasha says:

      Excellent!! Haha yes, they sometimes read my blog 😀

  5. Barry Watson says:

    5 stars
    just poured a load of this over some quinoa. Delicious.

    1. Natasha says:

      So glad you liked it!!

  6. California Foodie says:

    5 stars
    I recently had honey lemon tahini dressing on a dish of roasted farm vegetables at Central Market in Petaluma. OMG YUM!!! The vegetables ranged from thin slices of browned delicata squash to root veggies to snap peas to the kitchen sink, but it was so good that we ate it all and mopped up the sauce with bread. If you are trying to coax your young ones to eat their veggies, I can’t think of a better way.

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you!!! You’re making me hungry haha.

    2. Nicole says:

      They liternally have the BEST roasted vegetables in the WORLD….Have you tried this sauce? Does it taste similar? I am dying to recreate this at home.!!!

  7. Your Mum says:

    5 stars
    Is that the handsome bowl I got you?

    1. Natasha says:

      Nope! Got this one in San Francisco.

  8. Natasha's Sister says:

    5 stars
    All these possibilities for this dressing, yet you’ve made it with exactly zero things for me. Will you soon?

    1. Natasha says:

      No.