Name: Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp Tahini; 2 Tbsp Lemon juice, fresh; 1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar; 3 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil; 2 tsp Real maple syrup; 1/8 tsp Kosher salt; 1/2 tsp Za'atar spice blend; 1/4 tsp Fresh ground black pepper

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This Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing is perfect for your spring and summer salads or as an easy marinade for chicken, fish, or pork. In just ten minutes or less, and with only a few ingredients, you can have the perfect complement to your favorite salad.

I’ve wanted to make something with tahini for a long time. And what better way to start than with a simple salad dressing? After all, salad dressings and vinaigrettes are super easy to make. Add an acid like vinegar or lemon juice to some oil, mix in some mustard and other herbs and spices, and you have a homemade dressing. All I needed to do is add in some tahini and blend it all together. And that, my friends, is how this Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing came to be. In all honesty, vinaigrettes and salad dressings are an easy way to experiment with ingredients you’re unfamiliar with – at least they are for me. But why tahini?

For one thing, I love the flavors of the Mediterranean, and tahini happens to be one of them. I’ve had it before in hummus and chicken dishes. But I knew there was a lot more that this ingredient could handle.

What is tahini?

Made from finely ground sesame seeds, tahini is a paste, similar to nut butter, often used in a variety of cuisines, especially in areas of the Mediterranean. You can easily find it in grocery stores or make your own at home. Just do a quick search on the internet and you have your pick of recipes to choose from.

Tahini can be used solo as a dip, or incorporated into other recipes.

Is tahini healthy?

Let’s look at what tahini provides nutritionally. A one tablespoon serving of tahini provides just under 90 calories, about 2 ½ gm protein, 8 grams fat, and 3 grams carbohydrate, along with a decent amount of thiamine, vitamin B6, phosphorus, and manganese. It’s rich in antioxidants and may have some anti-inflammatory properties as well.

While it is high in fat, most of those fats are heart healthy mono-unsaturated fats, along with a good amount of poly-unsaturated fats.

All in all, tahini can easily be part of a balanced, healthy diet.

cut lemon on cutting board surrounded by bowls

How to make lemon tahini salad dressing

This salad dressing is super easy to make. All you need is tahini, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, za’atar seasoning blend, red wine vinegar, real maple syrup, and a little fresh ground black pepper. Just put all the ingredients in a small container and blend. There you have it – Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing.

What to do if you don’t have za’atar? Za’atar is a spice blend usually made from oregano, thyme, sometimes marjoram, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really need to. It has so many wonderful flavors all blended together, it’s hard to describe – but it’s really good. That being said, if you don’t have any, you can try substituting a mix of your own using thyme, oregano, and sumac or lemon zest. No guarantees there, just something to try if you don’t have it.

salad dressing in clear jar with salad in the background

Seriously folks, you need to try this salad dressing. I mean, why not? It’s easy to make, has a lot of good-for-you ingredients, and it tastes superb. It’s delicious on chopped salad, but it would be equally as good when used as a marinade for chicken, fish, or pork. Or try topping a wrap or bowl with this creamy deliciousness. However you use it, you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!