Tahini Yogurt Dressing

Tahini Yogurt Dressing is a light dressing that is a nice addition to salads, grilled vegetables and meats and drizzled on potatoes. Tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and sumac are mixed to create the perfect sweet, tangy dressing. 

I had a reader ask for more homemade salad dressing recipes and I couldn’t agree more!

My plan is to share more this summer and first up is a family favorite, Tahini Yogurt Dressing.

There is something about making your own salad dressings that just takes a salad to another level.

I love making my own Greek Salad Dressing and 4 Ingredient Creamy Dill Salad Dressing at home too. I am a huge fan of olive oil based dressings, which I will be sharing soon, but yogurt dressings have always been a big part of my life.

Growing up we ate salads like this Cucumber Tomato Salad with Dill Yogurt Dressing that uses a light, easy yogurt dressing.

Honestly there have been many times that we just whisk together yogurt and fresh herbs to create a salad dressing.

I love how creamy and light yogurt dressings are, not to mention they are healthy.

You aren’t packing in a bunch of mayonnaise into this dressing.

You don’t have to feel guilty about drizzling a Tahini Yogurt Dressing on everything.

I use this dressing on salads but also as a sauce on Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Beef Kafta Kebabs or on these Spicy Lebanese Potatoes. 

I also like using this dressing in grain bowls like this Mediterranean Buddha Bowl, Chicken Shawarma Bowls, Beef Kafta Meatball Bowls or this Greek Quinoa Bowl Recipe.

If you are looking for new salad dressing recipes add this one to your rotation.  

You might notice that this dressing is a little thicker than some yogurt dressings.

If you prefer this to be thinner you can use a small amount of water to thin it out. I usually add 1 teaspoon, stir and go from there. You could also add a bit more lemon juice to help thin it out.

Recipe Ingredients

• Tahini: This dressing uses tahini which is sesame seeds that are ground into a smooth paste. Tahini is also used in hummus like this Lebanese Hummus Recipe or this Lemon Hummus so if you buy you will have many uses for it! 
• Garlic: I used 1 garlic clove in this recipe. If you like more of a garlic flavor feel free to add 2 to 3 garlic cloves. 
• Yogurt: I use plain Greek yogurt in my tahini sauce. I like the tangy, creamy texture is gives the sauce. You can also use plain yogurt but it won’t be as thick and the flavor will be a bit more bland. If you use plain yogurt I would use more garlic. 
• Lemon Juice and Olive Oil: The extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice help to thin out the dressing and add nice flavor. 
• Sumac: Sumac is a spice often found in Mediterranean cooking. I use it in this Fattoush Salad, Balela Salad and this Mediterranean Bean Salad. The sumac adds a hint of citrusy, tart flavor to this Tahini Dressing.You can skip it or try paprika or za’atar instead.

How to Make this Tahini Yogurt Dressing

Step 1: Blend Tahini and Water: In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the tahini and the water until the tahini becomes smooth. Add more water if needed to help smooth it out.

Step 2: Add Remaining Ingredients: Add in the remaining ingredients, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, parsley and a dash of salt and pepper and whisk until everything is combined and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.

Step 3: Store Dressing: Put in a salad dressing container or mason jar and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve on salads, sides or as a dipping sauce.

Other Recipes Using Tahini you Might Like:

• Tahini Sauce
• Roasted Carrots and Beets with Tahini
• Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt Tahini Sauce
• Edamame Chickpea Feta Salad
• Lemon Hummus

Tahini Yogurt Dressing

Tahini Yogurt Dressing is a light dressing that is a nice addition to salads, grilled vegetables and meats and drizzled on potatoes. Tahini, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and sumac are mixed to create the perfect sweet, tangy dressing.

4.38 from 45 votes

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Course: Dressing, Sauce

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: dill, dressing, healthy, sauce, vegetarian, yogurt

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

4

Author: Julia

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons tahini
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons water {more of less depending on the consistency you like}
• ▢ 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
• ▢ 1/2 cup yogurt {I used plain yogurt but you can use Greek yogurt for a creamier/tangier dressing}
• ▢ 1/2 lemon, juiced
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon sumac {optional-more to taste}
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley finely minced {optional}
• ▢ Dash of salt and pepper

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Instructions

• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the tahini and the water until the tahini becomes smooth. Add more water if needed to help smooth it out.
• Add in the remaining ingredients, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, sumac, parsley and a dash of salt and pepper and whisk until everything is combined and smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly.
• Put in a salad dressing container or mason jar and refrigerate.

Notes

• I like to add the sumac to the dressing to give it a hint of sweetness. This dressing also works great without the sumac.
• Try adding this as a sauce for roasted potatoes, a marinade for grilled meat or an addition to grilled vegetables.
• A variety of fresh herbs can work well in this dressing-I like to finely mince them. Try mint or dill.