Tahini Dressing

Besides being a great dressing for salads, try it as a sauce for pita bread stuffings, such as Beef with Pine Nuts in Pita or Beef Kebabs in Pita (Souvlaki). For summer cookouts, use it as a condiment on Greek-style Burgers or Moroccan Ground Beef Kebabs (Kefta). I wouldn't make these recipes without it; it adds that extra something.

Most recipes I have found also add garlic and cumin, and it is called Tahini Sauce, not Dressing. Tahini sauce recipes I have seen also do not add olive oil. I have always used this one, with the oil, as a sauce and like it a lot.

1/2 cup tahini (recipe for Homemade Tahini)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup water (added a few spoonfuls at a time)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Whisk the tahini with the oil and salt. Add the lemon juice and continue whisking. Add the water a few spoonfuls at a time, blending thoroughly until creamy and smooth. You may not need to add all of the water; the consistency should thick enough to coat the salad greens or the meat and vegetables - if too thin it will run off. Finally, add the herb.

Let the dressing stand for 20 - 30 minutes to blend flavors.

FLAVOR Variations

Roasted Red Pepper Tahini Sauce: This version is smoky and nutty with a simple blend of tahini, roasted red peppers, lemon juice, and garlic.

Green Tahini Sauce: Add your favorite green herbs, such as parsley, cilantro, dill, or mint, and the tahini sauce to a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Spicy Tahini Sauce: Whisk in some cayenne powder, chili powder, za’atar spice, or more cumin. You could also blend the tahini sauce in a food processor with a jalapeno or serrano pepper for a spicy kick.

Garlic Tahini Sauce: If you’re a garlic lover, you could always add another clove or two of minced garlic. For a sweeter, milder garlic flavor you could roast a whole head of garlic and then add that to a food processor with the tahini sauce and blend until creamy.