Coconut Free Creamy Tahini Lemon Dressing
Bright, nutty, and tangy all at once, this tahini lemon dressing is the kind of thing you'll want to drizzle over absolutely everything. Sesame paste forms the creamy base here — no coconut milk, no coconut cream, no coconut oil — so it's a genuinely rich and luscious result without any of the tropical sweetness that can sneak into store-bought dressings. Garlic-infused olive oil adds depth without requiring you to mince a single clove, while fresh lemon juice keeps the whole thing bright and alive. A touch of maple syrup and ground cumin round out the flavor in a way that feels complex but comes together in just one bowl with a whisk. The cold water trick is the real magic here — added gradually, it transforms a thick, seized paste into a silky, pourable dressing that coats greens, grains, and roasted vegetables beautifully. Fresh parsley stirred in at the end adds a little color and a clean herbal finish if you're feeling fancy. Make a batch, keep it in the fridge, and watch it disappear faster than you expected.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup tahini (well-stirred)
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
- 3 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
- 3–4 tbsp cold water, plus more to thin
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp fine salt, or to taste
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic-infused olive oil, maple syrup, cumin, salt, and black pepper to a small bowl. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth and uniform — it will seize and look thick at first, which is expected.
- 2
Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until the dressing is pourable and coats the back of a spoon — about 3 to 4 tablespoons total. The dressing should flow off the whisk in a thin, steady ribbon.
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