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This Tahini Dill Dressing is quick and easy to prepare, and makes for an addictive salad topping or dip. I could eat it straight off the spoon!
Why You Need to Try this Dressing
I can’t take credit for this brilliant flavor combination; it was inspired by a visit to Swingers diner back when I lived in Los Angeles. There, they serve an amazing Mediterranean platter, complete with falafel, hummus, and a Greek salad topped with a tahini-dill dressing.
I attempted to recreate this salad dressing several times at home with no luck, until I came across a similar recipe in one of my favorite vegan cookbooks, Veganomicon. The recipe you’ll find below is adapted from the one in this book, and I hope you’ll agree that it’s downright addictive.
What is Tahini Dressing Made Of?
Like my popular Lemon Tahini Dressing, the base of this dressing is simply tahini, lemon juice, and water. No oil is required!
Here’s what makes this dressing taste so good:
- Raw tahini
- Lemon juice
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic
- Salt
- Fresh dill
I use raw tahini, or homemade tahini, in this recipe, because it has a mild flavor that isn’t as bitter as other roasted varieties. The key to making tahini taste less-bitter is by using hulled sesame seeds, so make sure you buy hulled ones if you plan on making your own at home. (It takes less than 10 minutes!)
I think using fresh dill is key in this recipe, but you can try using a teaspoon of dried dill if that’s what you have on hand.
You could also try using fresh parsley or cilantro, to change it up!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw tahini
- 1/4 cup water , plus more as needed to thin
- 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt , plus more to taste
- 1 large handful fresh dill , finely chopped (stems removed)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the tahini, water, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, and salt. Use a small whisk to stir it all together until it is creamy. Taste and add another tablespoon of lemon juice if a more tart flavor is desired. (You can also add up to another 1/4 teaspoon of salt, to help make the flavor pop.)
- Stir in the fresh dill, and let the dressing rest for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up a week.
- The dressing will thicken quite a bit once it has been in the fridge, so you may want to thin it out with 1-2 tablespoons of water the next time you serve it.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info above is for roughly 2 tablespoons of dressing. All nutrition calculations are a general estimate; please check your own ingredients to get the most accurate results.
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too! We can all benefit from your experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite way to use tahini? My other favorite tahini recipes include hummus, Broccoli Salad, and Creamy Cucumber Tahini Dressing.
This is the best dressing ever. No animal proteins or added oils make this recipe exceptionally healthy.
This recipe required more water to thin it out and overall the tahini and dill did not mix well flavour wise in my opinion, almost made the dill taste off? Not sure why. I wouldn’t recommend this over a cashew or other more neutral base.
I Loved this recipe so much!
I made this dip for the first time a month ago and just made it for the third time. It is SO GOOD!! I use it as a salad dressing, veggie dip, and it’s a great mayo substitute for sandwiches and burgers 👌
My new favorite!! Thanks Megan!!
This was delicious!
This is delicious! Very simple and dairy free. It’s great.