Garlic Tahini Dressing
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This garlic tahini dressing is made with creamy tahini, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and nutritional yeast. You’ll seriously want to drizzle it on everything.
You might not know this about me but I am tahini obsessed. I feel like it’s such an underrated ingredient that hasn’t reached it’s full potential yet!
I can totally see tahini making waves soon… maybe these tahini cookies will become the next cauliflower rice or sweet potato toast. We shall see.
In the meantime, I’ll be over here making a ton of tahini recipes and drizzling this garlic tahini dressing on everything.
Ingredients You’ll Need
One thing you’ll notice right away is that this dressing is completely oil-free and you only need six simple ingredients… most of which you probably have in your fridge or pantry right now!
- tahini – the star ingredient! Tahini is a condiment made from ground sesame seeds that is common in Middle Eastern food (like hummus). It has a mild, nutty flavor and it’s what makes this dressing so creamy and delicious. You can make homemade tahini!
- apple cider vinegar – one of my favorite ingredients to use for making homemade dressings. This adds the perfect amount of tanginess and a ton of health benefits.
- lemon juice – you need a good amount of lemon juice for this dressing and you want to use fresh juiced lemons, not the bottled stuff.
- Bragg’s liquid aminos – this adds a robust flavor and saltiness to the dressing. Other options you can use: coconut aminos, reduced sodium tamari or reduced sodium soy sauce.
- nutritional yeast – this adds a nutty, cheesy flavor without adding any dairy! Learn more about nutritional yeast here. I wouldn’t recommend subbing this for anything else. It’s a key ingredient in this recipe and gives it a ton of flavor.
- minced garlic – you can’t have a garlic dressing without fresh garlic. You can use pre-minced garlic to save time, but fresh garlic definitely has the best flavor.
Variations
I personally think this dressing is amazing as it is, but it’s also super customizable! Here are some ideas for how to tweak it:
Add some sweetness: If you like a bit of sweetness in your salad dressings, feel free to add 1/2 Tablespoon of maple syrup to this dressing. I’ve tested it and it’s delicious!
Add a little kick: Love spice? Feel free to kick it up a notch by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper or some crushed red pepper to this dressing.
Add fresh herbs: Fresh parsley or dill would be an amazing addition if you happen to have one of these on hand and want an herby dressing.
Ways to Use Garlic Tahini Dressing
This dressing is so good I could literally eat it by the spoonful, but there are more classy ways to enjoy it. Here are some ideas:
- On salad: Of course this dressing works great on salad! It’s particularly tasty on Mediterranean or Middle-Eastern salads and is amazing on this garlicky kale salad.
- As a sauce: It makes a tasty sauce for my baked falafel and these stuffed sweet potatoes.
- As a dip: Use it as a dip for for your favorite chopped veggies. I love it with cucumbers and carrots.
How to Store Garlic Tahini Dressing
This tahini dressing stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container. I usually keep my dressings in a mason jar or weck jar (like the one you see in the photos here).
More Salad Dressing Recipes
Check out my top salad dressing recipes or try out some of the dressings below.
- Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- Turmeric Tahini Dressing
- Chili Almond Dressing
- Creamy Southwest Dressing
- Creamy Avocado Dressing
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Garlic Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup lemon juice, about 2 large lemons
- ¼ cup Bragg’s liquid aminos, coconut aminos, low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, about 2-3 cloves
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until combined.
Notes
- Add maple syrup: Want a sweeter dressing? This dressing is delicious with 1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup added in.
- To store: This garlic tahini dressing will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This Recipe? Rate & Comment Below!
If I’m allergic to yeast, do you know if “nutritional” yeast is completely different or if I need to stay away from it. Also, is there a substitute for it?
Hi Robyn – Nutritional yeast is deactivated, so it’s different from the active kind used for baking, but if you’re allergic to yeast, I’d still double-check with your doctor before using it. You could try omitting it and adding a bit more garlic, lemon juice, or even a sprinkle of parmesan for that savory flavor.
Citrus-y and smooth. I’ve had nutritional yeast before, but I was not prepared for how much this dressing tastes like Cheezits. If you’re a fan of Cheezit salad then you’ll love it. But for me, wasn’t my favorite.
Thanks so much for giving the dressing a try and sharing your thoughts! Nutritional yeast definitely has a bold, cheesy flavor — and I totally get how it could give Cheezit vibes, especially with the citrusy kick. It’s not for everyone, but I appreciate you being open to trying it! If you decide to try it again, you could always try reducing the nutritional yeast to see if that helps. 🙂
This looks good, but where’s the nutritional yeast? It’s in the photo and part of the description, but it’s not an ingredient in the recipe.
Hi, An-Lon! Good catch—there was an error on the backend, but everything should be fixed now. Thanks for pointing it out, and I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Not sure what happened, but the recipe doesn’t match the list of ingredients. I’ve made it before (and loved it!) but there is no apple cider vinegar nor aminos, even though they’re listed as ingredients….and dijon mustard was not on the original recipe. Where did the original recipe go?
Hi, Andrea! Thanks for catching that. There was an error on the backend, but everything should be fixed now! I really appreciate you pointing it out—let me know if you have any trouble accessing the correct version. So glad you’ve loved the recipe!
To my astonishment, this was every bit as delicious as similar recipes that include as much as a cup of olive oil. I was so sad that the recipe had disappeared from my iPhone history but I was able to find again because I’d shared it with my daughter.
YAY! I am so glad you were able to find this recipe again, Kim and it turned out great for you. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
Hi Brittany! I love the recipe, but I am not sure why my dressing doesn’t have the beautiful yellow color. Any tips would be greatly appreciated to turn my golden brown tahini dressing more yellow!
Hi Cheryl! Did you change anything about the recipe that might’ve caused it to turn out a bit more on the brownish side?
Just a note that tahini consists of oil so this dressing is not really “oil free.” It may be important for some people to know that if they are on a special diet. Sesame seeds are some of the oil-rich seeds and tahini is just ground sesame seeds. You know how tahini sometimes separates if left on a shelf (like natural peanut butter)? The stuff on top is oil.
Hi Samantha – the sesame seeds themselves contain their own natural oil, but there is no added oil in this recipe.
On a whim I added this to my hummus instead of tradional tahini…
It makes an unbeatable dip for the Netflix veggie cuts.
You hit a combination which goes immensely well with hummus.
Thanks!
Amazing! I am so glad you found this recipe and gave it a try. Thanks for sharing your review and star rating, Marvin. Happy to hear this recipe is a hit!
I LOVE your salad dressings! Can I can them to preserve them? I am not finding much online that supports canning salad dressings.
Hi Stephanie – I have never tried canning my dressings, so I am not sure how they would keep. So sorry I can’t be of more help. Glad you’re loving my salad dressing recipes! I really appreciate it!
just made this recipe– SO GOOD! might be my new favorite dressing! so versatile too.
out of curiosity, do you have any favorite tahini brands? it was slim findings when I went to the store so I just ended up with whatever they had in stock.
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Holly. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it! For tahini brands, I like Soom, Artisana and Once Again. Hopefully that helps!
I hate tahini. Or at least I thought I did. Because of that, I was super skeptical of this dressing when my best friend made me a salad with it but I was sold on the first bite. HOLY CRAP THIS IS DELICIOUS. Since she introduced me, I’ve been eating 2-3 salads every single day with this dressing. I can not get enough!! The best part is that I’ve been doing the 21-Day Standard Process Purification Program twice per year and this dressing is compliant, which makes this cleanse so. much. easier.
I felt compelled to leave a comment to the genius who sold me on this delicious recipe. Thank you so much!
Ahh this is simply the best, Susan! I am so excited to hear that you are loving this recipe. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
OMG, I love love this recipe, I have been using it for the last few years, ever since I discovered it.. So so delicious! I would have it on everything, but then I’s have to make it again!
WOO! I am so excited to hear that you are loving this recipe, Noni. Thank you so much for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me.
Loveddddddd this recipe!!!!. I used the recipe calculator and made a WHOLE lot, but also reduced my soy sauce according to my taste. Blessings to you because I am living overseas and was so excited to make this after not tasting it for almost 10 years. I’m addicted to this and thanks for the tip to adding our own flavors…..the Habanero I put it gave me a nice balance for the garlic. Thanks so much 😇💯
Yay! I’m so glad you loved this recipe, Flo! Thanks for leaving a review and star rating, I really appreciate it!
this recipe has changed my life! I have it memorized and I honestly have had a jar of this dressing in my fridge at all times for the past 2 years. anyone who’s not into salads needs to try this, it makes any salad go from good to AMAZING. i personally add a splash of either maple syrup/orange juice/honey because I like it slightly sweet, but it’s perfect even without. THANK YOU!!!
So pumped you’ve been loving this tahini dressing, Camille. Thanks so much for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
Delicious and so easy to make! This is part of the regular rotation at our house. Love all the flavor without added oil. Thanks so much!
So pumped you loved this dressing, Christina!! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
Very tasty and so easy to make! I tried combining ingredients in a mason jar and shaking as another reviewer suggested, but the consistency was too “grainy” (for me at least). I blended with my hand blender and voilà.
Glad you enjoyed this dressing, Karen! And thanks for your feedback on using your hand blender.
This dressing is delicious! I made a salad today with baby arugula, grape tomatoes, corn, sliced almonds, avocado, and crispy tofu. This dressing was the perfect topping! I was able to make this without even using a blender or food processor. I put all of the ingredients in a mason jar and gave it a good shake and that did the trick! Another winner, Brittany! Thanks! 🙂
Ah yay!! I’m so glad this tahini dressing has been such a hit, Lisa! Thanks for making it and coming back to leave a review 🙂
What is the nutritional yeast? Is it the same thing as active dry yeast?
Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast made from molasses. It’s yellow in color and sold as flakes, granules or powder and can be found in the spice section or bulk bins of health food stores and even places like Target. I like the Bob’s Red Mill brand. Nutritional yeast has the word “nutritional” in its name for a reason! It is a complete protein – meaning it has all nine essential acids that we need! It is also high in protein (2g per tablespoon) so is a great way for vegetarians and vegans to add high-quality protein to their diet.
This recipe is seriously SO GOOD! Another EBF home run. This has been added to the weekly rotation in my house. I put it on top of roasted veggies, greens, and chicken for a super satisfying, savory dinner. It’s a cross between a dressing and a creamy sauce in the absolute best way possible. And, it’s packed full of nutrient dense ingredients. Just a damn good recipe I keep going back to!
Woo! This makes me so happy to hear, Cameron! I’m so glad this tahini dressing was such a hit. Thanks for leaving a review. I really appreciate it.
So good! Mines thicker than yours not sure why – water to thin or something f else?
My guess is that your tahini was a bit thicker than mine. You can add a touch of water to thin it out to your desired consistency!
This is my favourite dressing, thanks for the recipe!
So glad you’ve been loving this dressing recipe!
This sounds fantastic- but I can’t eat yeast. Do you have a substitute you recommend? Or can I just leave it out? Thanks!
The nutritional yeast is a big component to this recipe. I would maybe make this sauce instead. 🙂
Another winner!! This is so good and such a hit in our house. My husband who “doesn’t like” nutritional yeast likes this dressing a lot. It tastes decadent and delicious!
Yay!! That’s definitely a win in my book. 🙂 So glad this dressing was a hit. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating, Claire. I so appreciate it!
I also added sriracha for a lil kick and yassss !!!!
Always a good idea!!
Delicious!!! And I’ve had a hard time switching from only buttermilk ranch to healthier options but this did it for me and my kids !!! Thank you !!!
Ahh I’m so glad you guys enjoyed this dressing, Beckie! Thanks for giving it a try and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I appreciate it. <3
I was searching for an oil-free tahini-based dressing and I ran across this recipe. It is absolutely delicious, perfectly tangy and flavorful. ( I also added a few teaspoons of onion powder cause I love onion and garlic). If it makes my greens taste good then its great! Thank you much for sharing this delicious recipe with the world!
So glad you enjoyed this dressing, Margaret! I’m glad you found it. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment + star rating. The reviews are super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it!
Hi, can it be stored in fridge and for how long it will stay good?
Yes! It should be stored in the fridge and should last up to 1 week.