My Cookbook: Souk to Table 
5-Minute Tahini Ranch Dressing
This creamy tahini ranch dressing combines the nuttiness of tahini with classic ranch herbs and seasonings to make a dressing that goes with any salad. This dressing is also perfect for wraps, and as a dip alongside grilled meats and veggies! Let’s walk through the easy steps.
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The Tahini and Ranch Combination
Tahini is a classic Middle Eastern addition to lots of sauces, dressings and dips. But what if we combined it with another classic: ranch dressing? Well, you get a match made in heaven!
The nuttiness of the tahini goes perfectly with the classic herbs in ranch such as parsley, dill and chives. The result is a nutty dressing that goes perfectly with a simple salad or even as a sauce with your favourite meal.
I also find that this tahini ranch version is much lighter than the classic version which has mayonnaise, sour cream and sometimes buttermilk. And an added bonus is the protein you get in Tahini!
How to Make Tahini
Tahini is commonly available in most grocery stores, but you have to be careful with choosing a brand that doesn’t taste bitter. But if you don’t have access to tahini nearby, you can actually make it yourself.
Making tahini is very easy, but there’s a few key steps you need to follow to get the best tasting tahini! This tahini post outlines how to make it step by step. The main trick is to toast the sesame seeds just enough to avoid bitterness and optimize the flavour.
I’ve come to rely on tahini in so many of my sauces and dressings because of its flavour and versatility. And because I am Arab and it runs in our blood! If you are just as obsessed, you should try this kale tahini salad, as well as baba ghanoush and hummus all of which use a generous amount of tahini.
Ingredient’s You’ll Need for Tahini Ranch!
The star of the show here is tahini of course but you will also need some pantry staples. Let’s walk through the ingredients.
- Tahini; store-bought or homemade tahini will work.
- Yogurt; I love using whole yogurt with enough fat (6-7%) to end up with a satisfying dressing. This ingredient is what will give the dressing a ranch-like consistency and colour.
- Lemon juice; freshly squeeze! And you can increase the amount depending on your preference.
- Herbs including Dill, Parsley and Chives. Now you can use either fresh or dried herbs. I usually have dried herbs in my pantry so I tend to use those more often. But if you have fresh herbs, it’ll be even better!
- Mustard Powder; I use the dry mustard instead of fresh to maintain a white colour to the tahini ranch so it resembles the real thing. However, if you don’t have mustard powder, just use a few squirts of mustard to your liking.
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder; these are quite important for more depth. I find that using fresh garlic overpowers the other more subtle flavours, so I prefer the powder.
TIP: Keep in mind that fresh dill will taste more subtle than dry dill or dillweed. If using fresh dill, feel free to increase the quantity to your liking.
How To Make This Recipe, Step by Step
First gather your ingredients for the dressing. Start by mixing together the tahini, lemon juice and yogurt. I like using a whisk to ensure a smooth consistency, but a fork works too.
Once you mix in the tahini, the sauce will seize up and look very dry. Do not fret! Once you add the water and continue whisking, it will smooth out into a creamy dressing.
Now add in all the dried herbs and spices and whisk to combine. Feel free to taste and adjust more or less of your favourite herbs.
The dressing can be stored in an airtight mason jar to preserve freshness and used throughout the week.
How to Use and Store Tahini Ranch Dressing
This dressing is best stored in an airtight mason jar and in the fridge, for 1-2 weeks. It does include yogurt, so aim to use it within a week or so.
TIP: Once it is refrigerated, the dressing will thicken slightly due to the tahini. Simple add a tablespoon or so of water and whisk it to thin it out to your desired consistency.
Use it throughout the week on your favourite salads or alongside your favourite meals. It is delightful with chicken dishes such as my Chicken Kofta, or my Air Fryer Chicken Kebabs. Add it to your lunch wraps or serve it alongside Arayes or Ground beef Kafta Kabobs. Like I said, the options are endless!
Other Sauce/Dip Recipes You Will Love
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5-Minute Tahini Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup whole yogurt
- 1/3 cup lemon juice, juice of 1-2 lemons
- 3/4 cup water, as needed
- 1.5 teaspoons onion powder
- 1.5 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1.5 teaspoon dried dill, or 2-3 tablespoons fresh dill
- 1.5 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder, or dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more as per preference
Instructions
- Combine the tahini, yogurt and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk. As you whisk the tahini, it will thicken and dry up. Add in the water and keep whisking until smooth.
- Add in the herbs and seasoning and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust for more lemon juice and salt per preference.
- Store in an airtight mason jar in the fridge for 1 week.
Notes
- If you don’t have dry dill, you can substitute fresh dill, but use more since the flavours are more subtle with fresh dill.
- If you don’t have dry mustard, use fresh mustard but keep in mind that it will change the colour slightly.
- Adjust the lemon juice and salt to your preference.
Loved this healthy take on ranch! I had it with some roasted sweet potatoes and I will be putting it on all my lunch meals this week!! Maybe it was the tahini I used but I found the tahini a bit too intense and dry even after adding the water so I added a lot more yoghurt and it was perfect honestly even better than regular ranch!
amaaazing!! made it to go with your chicken wings recipe!!! so goood!