This is the Mediterranean house dressing that everyone raves about! It's slightly creamy, a little sweet, and perfectly zesty thanks to lemon, garlic and tahini. This dressing tastes great on salads, bowls, or as a garnish on your favorite savory dishes!
I originally featured this Mediterranean house dressing in my Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe, but I use it on so many other dishes that I had to give it it's own post! I could seriously drink this dressing and whenever I use it people rave about it and ask for the recipe. It is slightly creamy and nutty from the tahini, and then the garlic, maple syrup and lemon add the best combination of flavor on top of that!
Why You'll Love this Mediterranean Tahini Dressing
- Easy 5-minute recipe
- Fresh ingredients
- Creamy, sweet and zesty
- Naturally vegan
- Delicious dressing for any type of salad!
Ingredients
Let's talk ingredients! Making this dressing is as simple as gathering all of the components from your fridge and pantry... and before you know it you have incredible homemade Mediterranean house dressing!
- High-quality extra virgin olive oil - I recommend saving your highest quality olive oil for things like this salad dressing, where the flavor will really shine and make a difference in the overall quality of the dish.
- Distilled or red wine vinegar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Tahini - the runnier the better!
- Pure maple syrup
- Fresh minced garlic cloves
- Salt & black pepper
- Oregano
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for quantities.
How to Make Salad Dressing at Home
I ALWAYS recommend making your own salad dressing! It only takes a couple minutes, you can completely customize the flavor to your preferences, and it keeps for a while so you can use it over and over again. Trust me that homemade is always better than any store-bought dressing!
Homemade dressing is as simple as putting all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking! For even simpler preparation, put everything in a mason jar (or any jar with a tight-fitting lid) and give it a good shake. Bonus: you can store it in the mason jar, too!
Serving Suggestions
One of the beauties of this dressing is that it works for all sorts of salads:
- Pasta salads: This recipe was designed for this Mediterranean veggie pasta salad but also works wonders with this creamy tahini pasta salad too!
- Lentil/bean salads: Try it over this lentil tabbouleh salad!
- Quinoa salads: This vibrant Mediterranean quinoa salad uses a lemon garlic dressing but you can definitely swap it out for this dressing!
- Vegetable/lettuce salads: Dress up any side salad or simply pair it with your favorite fresh veggies!
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Note that the oils will harden after refrigeration, so set it out at room temperature for a couple minutes to allow the dressing to liquify before serving. Shake well before using.
If you make your own Mediterranean salad dressing I hope you'll tag me on Instagram! You can also review the recipe here on the blog post to help other readers (and make my day!). This dressing is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free. Everyone will love it!
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Easy Mediterranean Tahini Dressing (Vegan)
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This is the Mediterranean salad dressing that everyone raves about! It's slightly creamy, a little sweet, and perfectly zesty thanks to lemon, garlic, and tahini. This dressing tastes great on salads, bowls, or as a garnish on your favorite savory dishes!
Ingredients
- ½ cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white distilled vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons tahini (make sure it is runny and not hardened, oils should be well incorporated)
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and pressed through a garlic press
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon oregano
Instructions
- Add all dressing ingredients to a small glass bowl and whisk to combine. Or, add the ingredients to a mason jar (or any lidded jar) and shake well to combine.
- Pour overtop pasta salads, lentil/bean salads, quinoa salads, or vegetable/lettuce salads.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. After refrigeration the oils will harden. Leave out at room temperature for a couple minutes to allow the dressing to liquify before using. Shake well before using.
- Prep Time: 5
- Category: Dressing
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Sara says
WHAT?!?! THIS IS THE BEST DRESSING. I normally hate all homemade salad dressings- I've tried so many. THIS IS SO GOOOOOD!!!!!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you SO much, Sara! I'm so glad you feel this way because I could literally drink this dressing. I want to put it on all the things. Glad I'm not the only one! I'm so glad you tried this one despite your history with homemade salad dressings! 🙂 Thank you again!
Dyanne says
We made this last night and it was so good! It came together so quickly. It is so much better than any salad dressing you could ever buy at the store. We loved it.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Dyanne! I'm so happy you loved this one! Thank you for the five star rating! Best, Elaine
Jessica says
This recipe is toooo good. I used lime juice because I didn’t have lemon juice and I added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. I also accidentally added an extra teaspoon of tahini by accident. Seriously so excited I tried this out!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Jessica! Love that you were able to make it work with the ingredients you had on hand. And you can never have too much tahini really! lol. 😉
Jill Montgomery says
Love this recipe for a really delicious dressing or dipping sauce, family and friends so impressed that this is homemade with staples from the cupboard. Easy to make and healthy. Thank you.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Jill! So excited you have been loving this one along with your friends and family!
Anonymous says
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you!
Marisa says
Is there anything that I can use to substitute the tahini? I am allergic to sesame 🙁
Elaine Gordon says
I would say in this recipe it is key and to use this recipe instead for a tahini-free dressing: https://www.eatingbyelaine.com/simple-side-salad-recipe-simple-tossed-green-salad/