Lemon Tahini Dressing (Oil Free)

Our lemon tahini dressing with yogurt is an oil free dressing with a hint of garlic, similar to a shawarma sauce. I love spice so have added some toasted cumin. It is simple to make in around 5 minutes so can be made in no time.

Although tahini itself does have natural oils, there is no added oil in this dressing. Instead the tahini is blended with Greek yogurt and fresh lemon juice to make this delicious Mediterranean tahini dressing.

This easy lemon tahini dressing is versatile and can be served with a whole host of dishes, but it works particularly well as a shawarma sauce, alongside grilled meats and vegetables.

What’s even better, this simple lemon tahini sauce can be made in a matter of minutes, but packs a real flavour punch when added to food.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• The perfect balance of flavours, creamy yogurt is blended with nutty tahini, sour lemon and just a hint of pungent garlic and spicy cumin to perfectly balanced dressing.
• Homemade dressings and sauces just taste better than anything you can buy in a store or supermarket.
• Make ahead and leave the dressing in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
• Feeding a crowd? No problem this recipe can be easily doubled up to suit numbers.
• Ready in 5 minutes, that’s a winner for me any night of the week!

What is tahini?

Tahini is commonly used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking. Tahini is a nutrient dense paste that is made by grinding sesame seeds. You can buy dark and light tahini and which you choose comes down to personal preference.

Light tahini is paler in colour and made by grinding hulled (skinned) seeds. Whereas, dark tahini is made from the unhulled sesame seed making is a more nutritious option. I love using dark tahini as it has a stronger flavour and is slightly bitter. But if you haven’t tried tahini before I would suggest starting with a light tahini.

How to make lemon tahini dressing:

• Look out the few simple ingredients, ready to start.

• Place the cumin seeds into a dry pan and place over a medium heat. Toast the cumin seeds for 2 minutes, moving the seeds around the pan so they do not burn.
• Once the seeds start to become aromatic, remove the pan from the heat. Place the seeds in a pestle and mortar and grind to a smooth paste.

• Now add all the ingredients into a bowl and give everything a good whisk to combine to a smooth dressing.
• Taste the dressing and adjust the flavours and seasoning to suit your own taste.
• This recipes makes quite a thick and creamy dressing. If you want a looser pouring consistency, add just a touch of water to thin the sauce.
• Place the dressing into the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Lemon tahini dressing ingredients & substitutions:

• Greek yogurt is something I always have in my fridge. It has a great thick consistency and a lovely sour flavour. It is delicious on its own, but a great ingredient to add to sauces, dressings, curries and marinades. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, substitute with regular natural yogurt – you don’t want a flavoured yogurt.
• Fresh garlic is crushed and added raw to the sauce. I recommend starting with 1/2 clove and if you want to add a little more you can do so.
• Lemon juice is a favourite ingredient and adds great sourness to the dressing, balancing out the creamy yogurt and slightly smoky tahini.
• Tahini comes in light and dark varieties and either can be used in this sauce, it’s entirely down to preference. I love dark tahini, but I recommend starting with light tahini if this ingredient is new to you.
• Cumin seeds are not traditional in a shawarma sauce, but it love the flavour that they add to this dish. Toast the seeds first, before grinding to really enhance their flavour. If you don’t want to add any spice, then leave the cumin out.
• Salt seasons the sauce, start with a pinch and add more to suit your own palatte.

Recipe variations:

This dressing can be easily adapted to include other flavours, depending on what you are serving it with. Here are some ideas:

• Swap the lemon juice for orange juice, giving the dressing a slightly sweeter flavour.
• I have added cumin seeds, but you could also add other spices like smoked paprika or coriander.
• For a hit of chilli try adding some fresh chilli, chilli flakes or ground chilli powder.
• To make a vegan lemon tahini dressing simply swap the Greek yogurt for a dairy free Greek yogurt.

Serving suggestions:

This versatile sauce tastes great when served with grilled meats and vegetables. Try it drizzled over my Moroccan Chickpea Stew with Harissa, Easy Chicken Shawarma Kebab or Lemon & Paprika Chicken Kebabs. Or serve is as we’ve done here with my Honey Roasted Carrots.

Even better, load the chicken kebabs and this delicious sauce onto our simple Yogurt Flatbread, along with some of our delicious Baba Ganoush.

Leftover sauce can be added to sandwiches for a real punch of flavour. You can also add a little extra water to loosen the sauce and serve it as a great tasting salad dressing.

For more recipes read my Easy Mezze Platter Ideas post.

Useful hints and tips:

1. Adapt the thickness of the dressing/sauce! Some Greek yogurt is thicker than others, so if your dressing is too thick, add water to the to achieve the consistency of dressing or sauce that you want.
2. Balance the flavours. Always check the balance of the dressing before serving. You can add in other flavours and seasonings to suit your own palatte.
3. To make your lemon tahini dressing Vegan, swap the Greek yogurt for a dairy-free alternative.
4. Allergy advice: gluten free, egg free, soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you love great tasting dips and dressings, try some of these recipes:

• Easy Baba Ganoush
• Creamy Hummus
• Roasted Carrot Hummus
• Beetroot Hummus
• Creamy Horseradish Dressing
• Classic French Dressing
• Honey Mustard Dressing
• How to make Homemade Mayonnaise

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