If you're looking for a creamy and flavorful dressing to elevate your vegan meals, look no further than this delicious tahini dill dressing recipe. Enjoy creamy tahini, fresh dill, and tangy lemon in every bite!
Packed with fresh herbs and tangy lemon zest, it’s a perfect addition to salads, grain bowls, and roasted vegetables.

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Ingredients for Tahini Dill Dressing
This salad dressing recipe only requires a few critical ingredients (like tahini and dill), plus a few extras to achieve a great flavor.
I make mine with lots of fresh ingredients that are easy to find at most grocery stores, including:
- Tahini: Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds and adds a rich and nutty flavor to the dressing.
- Fresh dill: Fresh dill brings a refreshing and herbaceous taste to the dressing, enhancing its overall flavor.
- Green onion: Green onions provide a mild onion flavor that’s not overpowering but offers a unique attribute of garden freshness.
- Lemon zest: Lemon zest adds a bright and citrusy aroma, giving the dressing a vibrant kick.
- Lemon juice: Tangy lemon juice balances the richness of the tahini and adds an acidic element.
- Liquid sweetener: You can choose a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup, agave syrup or anything similar based on your preference or what you have on hand.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon mustard lends a spicy depth of flavor to the dressing. Other types of mustard, like a grainy mustard, can work as well.
- Garlic powder: Garlic powder brings a hint of savory flavor without overpowering the dressing like fresh garlic cloves might. If you’re a garlic lover, you could use 1-2 raw cloves of garlic instead; just know this provides a pungent and spicy flavor to the sauce.
- Salt: Salt enhances the overall taste of the dressing. Adjust according to your taste preferences.
- Cold water: Water is added to create your desired dressing consistency, so adjust the amount based on how thick or thin you want your salad dressing to be.
How to Make Vegan Dill Tahini Dressing
Once you’ve gathered your ingredients, it’s really quick and easy to make this dill tahini dressing. It should only take a few minutes to add them to a blender, combine and serve.
Step 1: Blend Dressing
Simply add all the ingredients to a blender; a small blender works well for this recipe. Blend until the ingredients are well combined and smooth.
Scrape the edges of the blender down once or twice, to make sure all ingredients are well blended.
Finally, taste the dressing and adjust with more salt and sweetener if needed. You can also add extra water, if you want a thinner dressing.
Step 2: Serve
Once the dressing has reached your desired consistency and taste, pour it over your salad or enjoy it however you wish!
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 is the main ingredient in this recipe which provides some protein and plenty of healthy fats which will keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Aside from being a great lettuce-based salad dressing, there are so many ways to use this recipe, including for:
- Potato and pasta salad: This dressing recipe is a creamy, flavor-packed sauce that’s perfect for coating cooked potatoes or pasta, and just about any other ingredients you’d use for those non-lettuce-based salads. I like adding extra vegetables to my potato salad, and pasta salads are great with chickpeas and fresh veggies.
- Grain Bowls: Prepare a nourishing grain bowl by combining cooked grains like quinoa or brown rice with roasted vegetables such as sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and bell peppers. Top it with a generous amount of tahini dill dressing for a creamy and flavorful finish.
- Veggie Dip: Serve the tahini dill dressing as a dip alongside a platter of fresh vegetables like bell pepper strips, carrot sticks, celery, and cucumber slices. Pita bread, crackers or chips are also great for dipping.
Tahini Dill Dressing Variations
While this recipe is delicious as is, you can always experiment and customize the tahini dill dressing to suit your taste preferences. Here are a few variations you can try:
- Creamier Dressing: If you prefer a creamier dressing, you can add a tablespoon or two of unsweetened plant-based yogurt or cashew cream to the recipe. This will give the dressing a luscious and velvety texture.
- Herb Substitutions: Feel free to swap or combine fresh dill with other herbs such as parsley, cilantro, or basil. Each herb brings its unique flavor profile, allowing you to create a variety of taste experiences.
- Extra Spiciness: If you like a bit of heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of hot sauce to the dressing. This will give it a spicy kick and add some excitement to your dishes.
- Citrus Twist: While lemon zest and juice are used in this recipe, you can experiment with other citrus fruits like lime or orange to give the dressing a different flavor dimension.
Don't be afraid to get creative and tailor the dressing to your personal preferences. It's all about finding the flavor combination that excites your taste buds!
If you like this recipe, you may also be interested in similar ones I’ve made with tahini, including:
- Lemon herb tahini dressing
- Tahini balsamic dressing
- Lemon tahini dressing
- Miso-orange tahini dressing
How to Store Leftover Dressing
If you have any leftover dressing, make sure you store it properly to ensure its freshness. This will give you more meals of delicious tahini dill flavor!
Transfer your leftover dressing to an airtight container, such as a jar or bottle. Then, store the dressing in your refrigerator for up to one week.
Before using the leftover dressing, give it a good stir or shake to recombine any separated ingredients. If the dressing thickens in your fridge, just add a small amount of water or lemon juice and mix well to achieve your desired consistency.
If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!
Vegan Dill Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini (120 grams)
- ½ cup fresh dill , packed (10 grams)
- ¼ cup green onion (20 grams)
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest , zest of 1 lemon
- 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice , juice of 1 lemon (45-60 milliliters)
- 1-2 tablespoons liquid sweetener , of choice (15-30 milliliters) *
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (5 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt , or to taste
- ⅓-½ cup cold water
Instructions
Step 1: Blend Dressing
- Add all ingredients to a blender (a small blender works well).½ cup tahini, ½ cup fresh dill, ¼ cup green onion, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice, 1-2 tablespoons liquid sweetener, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅓-½ cup cold water
- Blend until the dressing is smooth and creamy. You may need to scrape the edges of the blender down a couple times to get everything mixed well.
- Taste and adjust as needed (extra salt, sweetener, etc.). You can also add extra water if you want a thinner sauce.
Step 2: Serve
- Serve the dressing cold, over any salad of your choice. It’s also delicious for grain bowls or over roasted vegetables!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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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.
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