I’m not a huge fan of salad dressing… I’ll usually just use a really good balsamic vinegar with a touch of olive oil but this is such a delicious one that I had to share it with you. A nice departure from normal dressings, this one had a really savory and nutty taste that pairs incredibly with the crispness of a salad. The base for it is Tahini paste, which is essentially just ground up sesame seeds with a little bit of oil. You can probably find this at your grocery store, but I always just make it myself because it saves a lot of money and it’s so easy to do. You can use the tahini paste for a lot of things (put it on toast, eat it like hummus, etc) but with the addition of a few more ingredients this gets transformed into an even more versatile dressing. I love it with the chickpea falafels from THIS POST, on top of a piece of salmon with lemon slices, in place of the goat cheese in the Mediterranean Grain Salad from THIS POST… the possibilities are endless!
I always make a double batch of this (2 cups finished), but if you want a smaller amount this recipe can easily be halved to make a one cup batch. You’re going to need one cup tahini and you can either use pre-made or make your own, which I suggest. Put some sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium heat (1). I use about two cups sesame seeds because I use 1 cup of the tahini to make the dressing and keep the rest to use as a paste for toast, dips, etc. Toast until golden brown (2) watching and stirring carefully because they can burn easily. This step is important because you’re bringing out the oils which will translate to a really nutty flavor once they’re ground up. Transfer the toasted seeds to a mini food processor, add 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Pulse until you’re left with a smooth paste (I make it a little looser because I know I’m using it in the dressing) (4). Dice up half a small white onion and sautee it in a small skillet with a couple tbsp water over medium high heat until softened (5) about 4 minutes. Transfer the softened onion to a blender along with 1 cup of the tahini dressing, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano and 1/2 cup water (6). Blend until smooth and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator, being sure to shake it up before using as the oil will settle on the top!
I’ve never thought about making my own tahini before. Brilliant! It’s so expensive where I live. I’ll have to give this dressing a try!
That’s the only reason we started making our own, it’s SO expensive at our store and it’s so simple to make!
That looks good I love sesame seeds and tahini tastes good too.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re welcome!
I love tahini and use it all the time to make hummus, but I’ve never used it in a dressing before. I’m intrigued! Can’t wait to try it.
If you like tahini then you’ll love it!
This looks delicious! Like the others said, I’ve never even thought to make my own tahini and to use it as a base for salad dressing is a great ideas. It might also be tasty to drizzle over a grilled breast of chicken that has been marinated in lemon/olive oil/garlic. Looking forward to trying your tahini dressing very soon!
I bet having it with the chicken like you said would be incredible!
I’m a big fan of exciting dressing and this is one that I will try out – like every ingredients in it and then I have to hope that none of my guests are nut allergy sufferers. Have bookmarked it.
Have a great weekend.
Hope you do make it… you’ll really enjoy it especially if you like all the ingredients on their own, together they’re even better!
I will let you know .. when I done it. Did you toast the sesame seeds first???
Yes! Be careful not to let them burn though… just go from the color in the first picture to a light golden color as shown in the second picture!
I know … the burn so quickly – done that as a mistake many times, and probably will do it again – even as a chef. *smile
I’m a big fan of tahini and I always keep a container on hand to make homemade hummus or some other exotic concoction. I’m always in search of something new and interesting for my salad and veggies!
Thanks a bunch for sharing!
You’re welcome! It’s great because it’s something new and different just like you said!