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If you've never made tahini dressing before, you're in for a treat!
This deliciously creamy, flavor-packed keto dressing is popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. It's really simple and can be prepared in less than 5 minutes. It's nut-free, egg-free, dairy-free, nightshade-free, and it's a great way to add healthy fats to your diet.
Flavor Options for Tahini Dressing
You can keep your tahini dressing plain and simple by using lemon and garlic like I did, or add your favorite herbs and spices. Here are some of my options and tips for substitutions:
- To make Golden Tahini Dressing, add 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp of cumin powder, 1/2 tsp of ground paprika and 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro.
- To make Moroccan-style dressing, add 1 to 2 tsp of harissa spice mix.
- To make Green Goddess Tahini Dressing, blend the basic tahini dressing recipe with a small bunch of fresh cilantro, parsley or basil leaves.
- For a low FODMAP tahini dressing, simply skip the garlic and optionally use your favourite herbs. You could try using wild garlic instead as it seems to be better tolerated by those sensitive to garlic.
- If you need more healthy fats, swap the water with 2 to 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- This keto tahini dressing recipe uses a small amount of powdered low-carb sweetener which you can skip or replace with a few drops of stevia.
Why is Tahini Good for You?
This easy sesame dressing is not just delicious — it's so good for you! Some might argue that sesame seeds are high in omega 6 fatty acids which are often labeled inflammatory but it's a very different case with tahini.
Sesame seeds, sesame oil, and tahini break the general rule that fat sources rich in omega-6 are inflammatory because sesame products contain three antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules: sesamin, sesamolin, and sesamol.
We talk about this and a lot more in our new cookbook, The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook which I created together with three more authors. Go check it out, it will be out in March 2021!
How To Use Tahini Dressing
I like to serve mine with chicken, drizzled over salads or char-grilled eggplant (aubergine for my UK friends). You can also serve it as a healthy high-fat dip with crunchy vegetables like cucumbers, celery sticks or bell peppers. Check out some of these recipes:
Hands-on Overall
Serving size 2 tbsp/ 30 ml
Nutritional values (per 2 tbsp/ 30 ml)
Net carbs2.3 grams
Protein2.8 grams
Fat8.6 grams
Calories97 kcal
Calories from carbs 9%, protein 11%, fat 80%
Total carbs3.8 gramsFiber1.5 gramsSugars0.2 gramsSaturated fat1.2 gramsSodium116 mg(5% RDA)Magnesium16 mg(4% RDA)Potassium71 mg(4% EMR)
Ingredients (makes about 1 cup/ 240 ml)
- 6 tbsp tahini paste - sesame seed paste (96 g/ 3.4 oz)
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp powdered Allulose or Erythritol
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp water (30 ml) or enough needed to thin down
Instructions
- Bring the tahini paste to room temperature or gently heat up on the stove or a microwave so it's easy to mix.
- Place all of the ingredients in a bowl: tahini, lemon juice, sweetener (can be skipped), minced garlic, salt and pepper.
- Stir to combine until smooth. You can use a blender if you want your dressing to be super smooth. If too thick, thin down with a dsh of water (as much as needed).
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container to prevent the dressing from drying on top for up to a week.
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp tahini paste - sesame seed paste (96 g/ 3.4 oz)
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp powdered Allulose or Erythritol
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp water (30 ml) or enough needed to thin down
Instructions
- Bring the tahini paste to room temperature or gently heat up on the stove or a microwave so it's easy to mix.
- Place all of the ingredients in a bowl: tahini, lemon juice, sweetener (can be skipped), minced garlic, salt and pepper.
- Stir to combine until smooth. You can use a blender if you want your dressing to be super smooth. If too thick, thin down with a dsh of water (as much as needed).
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container to prevent the dressing from drying on top for up to a week.
Nutrition (per serving, 2 tbsp/ 30 ml)
Calories97kcal
Net Carbs2.3g
Carbohydrates3.8g
Protein2.8g
Fat8.6g
Saturated Fat1.2g
Fiber1.5g
Sugar0.2g
Sodium116mg
Magnesium16mg
Potassium71mg
Detailed nutritional breakdown (per 2 tbsp/ 30 ml)
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