Tahini Balsamic Dressing Recipe (Vegan)

This tahini balsamic salad dressing creates a perfect sauce that’s creamy, tangy and slightly sweet. Pairing tahini with balsamic vinegar is truly one of the best flavor combinations possible.

Use this vegan-friendly dressing on any type of salad (leaf salad or pasta salad) when you want creamy balsamic flavor. It’s great for meal prep, nutritious and free from most allergens.

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Tahini Balsamic Dressing Ingredients

This recipe uses just a few basic ingredients to create a truly mouth-watering, irresistibly creamy salad dressing.

• Tahini: Of course, you’ll need tahini as the base of this recipe. Made from ground sesame seeds, tahini offers delicious sesame flavor.
• Balsamic vinegar: As with tahini, you’ll also need balsamic vinegar for this tasty, creamy salad dressing.
• Maple syrup: Tahini can be somewhat bitter, and vinegar is sour, so adding sweetness is important for this recipe. I like to use maple syrup, but any liquid sweetener (like agave syrup) should work. Use 1-2 tablespoons, depending on your preferences for sweetness.
• Dijon mustard: While balsamic and tahini on their own is a great combo, a touch of Dijon mustard adds great flavor to this dressing. This ingredient is technically optional, so skip it if you aren’t a fan.
• Onion and garlic powder: Round out the flavor of this salad dressing with some onion and garlic powder.
• Salt and pepper: Don’t forget to season your salad dressings with salt and pepper. Salt enhances all other flavors in the dressing.
• Water: Tahini is super thick, so use water to thin the dressing to a consistency you like. If making pasta, you can thin it with starchy pasta water if you prefer.

How to Make Creamy Vegan Balsamic Dressing

As with any tahini dressing, this recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make. Just add the dressing ingredients to a jar or small bowl, mix it together, then serve!

Step 1: Mix Dressing

Get a small mixing bowl and whisk all the ingredients together. Tahini is thick and creamy, and it takes a minute or two to fully incorporate the vinegar and water.

You can also make this in a jar with a well-sealing lid; simply shake the dressing until it’s mixed.

Step 2: Serve

Serve this over any salad you like. A leafy green salad is my go-to, but this also works for grain bowls, pasta salad, quinoa salad or any other salad you can think of!

You can also use this recipe as a pasta sauce for hot or cold pasta. To make into a pasta sauce, thin the dressing further (I recommend adding some pasta cooking water to do this).

How to Serve as a Balanced Vegan Meal

I consider a balanced meal one that contains a good source of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, fats and lots of vegetables or fruits.

Tahini dressing is a great way to add healthy fats to any meal. It also offers a small amount of plant-based protein, carbohydrates and fiber. So really, all you need is to toss the dressing with veggies and you have a fantastic salad!

For a filling meal, add some plant-based protein and/or carbohydrates along with the veggies. You can do this by adding cooked chickpeas or beans to a leafy salad or make a grain bowl with your favorite grain, protein and vegetables.

Tahini Dressing Variations

Tahini is an amazing ingredient that creates delicious sauces and salad dressings.

You can flavor your salad dressing however you like, but if you prefer a set recipe, check out my other tahini dressing recipes, including:

• Dill Tahini Dressing
• Lemon Herb Tahini Dressing
• Lemon Tahini Dressing
• Miso Tahini Dressing with Orange Juice

In each of these recipe posts I offer additional flavor ideas!

How to Store Leftover Dressing

Refrigerate leftover dressing in an airtight container or jar for up to a week. If making lettuce or leafy green salads, it’s best to toss the salad with dressing right before serving. The exception to this is kale salads where kale benefits from marinating in dressing.

You can freeze tahini dressing in any freezer safe container for up to 5 months. When ready to use, let the dressing thaw on your countertop or in the fridge.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

📖 Recipe

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