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Home > Vegan Recipes

Tahini Balsamic Dressing Recipe (Vegan)

4/20/23 by Nicole | 2 Comments

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5 from 2 votes. Leave a review!

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.

Jar of tahini balsamic dressing with blurry plates of salad surrounding it.

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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.
Small dishes with ingredients for balsamic tahini dressing.

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.

Two images showing a bowl with unmixed then whisked balsamic tahini dressing.

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).

Plate of lettuce salad with carrots, topped with drizzled tahini balsamic dressing and blurred plate of salad and jar of dressing in back.

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.

Salad tossed with creamy balsamic tahini dressing with wooden fork with bite of salad resting on plate.

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:

  • Lemon tahini dressing
  • Miso tahini dressing with orange juice

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

Top view of jar of balsamic tahini dressing with small yellow spoon in it.

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.

Two plates of leafy salad with creamy balsamic dressing drizzled over top and small jar of dressing to the side.

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

Close up of jar filled with creamy balsamic tahini dressing with blurred salad in back.

Tahini Balsamic Dressing

Balsamic tahini dressing is quick and easy to make. It creates a creamy salad dressing with a perfectly tangy-sweet flavor! Ideal for meal prep, free from most allergens and super versatile. Use for any salad or grain bowl you like!
5 from 2 votes. Leave a review!
Prevent screen going dark
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 140 kcal
Cuisine Vegan

Equipment

  • Small mixing bowl
  • Whisk (or fork)
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup tahini (120 grams)
  • 2 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar (40 grams)
  • 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (20-40 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ cup water (more/ less as needed to thin dressing)
Prevent screen going dark

Instructions

Step 1: Mix Dressing

  • Add all ingredients to a small bowl.
    ½ cup tahini, 2 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ cup water
  • Whisk together (using a small whisk or fork) until evenly combined. It takes a minute or two to fully blend everything.
  • You can also shake the dressing in a jar with a well-sealing lid.

Step 2: Serve

  • Serve the tahini dressing over your favorite salad.
  • If serving as a pasta sauce (hot or cold), thin out with pasta water to help coat your noodles more evenly.

Video

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving (⅙ of recipe)Calories: 140 kcalCarbohydrates: 9 gProtein: 4 gFat: 11 gSaturated Fat: 2 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5 gMonounsaturated Fat: 4 gSodium: 242 mgPotassium: 108 mgFiber: 2 gSugar: 4 gVitamin A: 1 IUCalcium: 94 mgIron: 2 mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Vegan Dip and Sauce Recipes

Like this recipe? You should also try:

  • Close up of rotini pasta tossed with creamy tahini sauce and oregano garnish.
    Tahini Pasta Sauce Recipe (Vegan)
  • Close up of teriyaki sauce in white bowl.
    Vegan Teriyaki Sauce Recipe
  • Close up of two small bowls of vegan brown gravy.
    Vegan Brown Gravy (Beef-Style Gravy)
  • Close up of a bowl of vegan chicken or turkey gravy.
    Vegan Turkey Gravy Recipe

About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.

She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karry

    April 28, 2023 at 1:32 pm

    One of THE BEST dressing I have ever tasted! It will definitely become a staple in my home. Thank you for sharing. 🙂

    Reply
    • Nicole

      April 29, 2023 at 7:07 am

      So happy you enjoyed - this is my new favorite for sure!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Nicole! As a vegan Registered Dietitian, I empower vegans to live a balanced life and gain confidence in the kitchen.

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