Cilantro-Lime Tahini Dressing

This cilantro-lime tahini dressing recipe could not be easier to make – just combine the ingredients in a blender and puree!

The one thing I never, ever buy at the supermarket is bottled dressing. Most dressings on store shelves are made with poor quality oils, tons of unnecessary sweeteners, emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial ingredients. Not to mention, most store-bought dressings taste… well, not very good.

If you’re housing any store-bought dressing in your fridge now, walk on over there, pick up the bottle, and read the ingredients. If you don’t recognize the words, take the bottle and throw it in the trash – you do not need that kind of negativity in your life. Hashtag self-care.

Mixing up a batch of homemade dressing has been an easy and essential part of my meal prep routine for years. Whether I’m making salads, or grain or soba noodle bowls throughout the week, having a dressing prepped in advance really streamlines the dinner-making process.

This cilantro-lime tahini dressing recipe is one of my go-to’s. The cilantro lends a refreshing, herbaceous quality to the dressing, while the lime juice adds tang and balances the richness and nuttiness of the tahini. And the pale green color is just beautiful!

A Few Words About Tahini…

Tahini is a sesame seed paste that is widely used in middle eastern cooking and was, almost singlehandedly, popularized stateside by Yotam Ottolenghi‘s encyclopedia-like cookbooks. Tahini can be found in most supermarkets today, either alongside the nut butters or in the international foods aisle.

Be sure to read the ingredient list when purchasing your jar since the only ingredient should be sesame seeds. Tahini is a great source of heart-healthy fats as well as plant-based protein, calcium, iron, and other minerals. Some brands are more bitter than others so you may have to try a few before settling on a favorite. I like Krinos and Joyva brands.

Other Ways to Use Tahini

Most of us buy our first jar of tahini to make hummus or baba ganoush and then stare at the still-almost-full jar in the fridge, scratching our heads wondering how to use it up. If you’ve ever wondered what to do with leftover tahini, there are dozens of ways to utilize the creamy paste. Aside from this cilantro-lime tahini dressing, you can use it in smoothies (instead of nut butter), make tahini granola, or slather it on toast with some jam.

Servings Suggestions

Use this cilantro-lime tahini sauce to dress your favorite greens (it’s especially good on massaged kale!), or to drizzle on a grain bowl or over roasted vegetables. You can also serve it alongside veggie burgers or falafel, or as a dip for chips or crudités.

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