Tahini salad is an easy recipe that combines a deliciously creamy tahini dressing with fresh, crunchy vegetables.
It’s perfect as a standalone lunch, healthy dinner, or flavorful side dish, bringing Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors to your table.
You can make it with simple ingredients such as tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, fresh herbs, and a gorgeous tahini sauce.
Table of Contents
Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diet. It’s low in cholesterol and saturated fats.
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What is tahini salad?
It’s not the first time we have published a Mediterranean recipe, and that’s for a reason!
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food is packed with flavor and nutrition, plus it combines those creamy and crunchy textures we all love!
Tahini salad is no different, and Louise’s mild obsession with tahini sauce makes this recipe a regular on our table.
Like many Mediterranean recipes—think of stuffed bell peppers, lentil mujadara, Israeli couscous salad, and lentil salad—tahini salad provides satisfying flavor and excellent nutrition.
Plus, you can have it as a light main course with some warm pita bread or as a side dish alongside hummus, falafel, baba ganoush, or one of our heavenly Middle Eastern recipes.
Ingredients for tahini salad
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
For the salad
- Romain lettuce: substitute any other lettuce.
- Vine tomatoes: substitute cherry tomatoes.
- Cucumber: you can use Persian, American, or English cucumbers.
- Scallions or green onions: substitute white onion or shallots.
- Flat-leaf parsley: substitute curly parsley, mint, or fresh cilantro.
- Chickpeas: You can use canned chickpeas or dried chickpeas. Here’s our guide on how to cook dried chickpeas. Substitute white beans for chickpeas.
For the dressing
- Tahini: Choose pourable tahini, not pasty and coarse. It should also be light in color and made from 100% hulled sesame seeds.
- Lemon juice: freshly squeezed for best results. Substitute lime juice.
- Water: cold tap water.
- Salt: we recommend sea salt or kosher salt.
- Garlic: just a clove, peeled and crushed.
- Maple syrup or honey is optional; only add it if you like your dressings on the sweeter side.
How to make tahini salad
US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
1. Make the dressing
Add tahini, lemon juice, water, and salt to a small bowl and whisk until creamy.
Add a peeled and crushed garlic clove and let it infuse the sauce for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.
2. Prepare the vegetables
Prepare the vegetables and add them to a large mixing bowl. We like cutting them as follows:
- Tomatoes: diced
- Cucumber: diced
- Romaine lettuce: bite-size pieces
- Spring onions: thinly sliced
- Parsley: finely chopped.
- Chickpeas: drained and rinsed.
3. Mix the tahini salad
Remove the garlic clove from the dressing. Drizzle the dressing on the salad and toss until the vegetables are fully coated.
Taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice.
Plate and garnish with a pinch of dried oregano, sumac, or za’atar.
Serving suggestions
Tahini salad is equally delicious as a main dish or as a side. We often serve it with:
- Pita bread
- Falafel
- Hummus
- Muhammara
- Eggplant dip
- Olives, feta cheese, or grilled halloumi.
Storage
Make ahead: You can mix the salad up to 12 hours in advance before the lettuce starts to wilt.
Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 36 hours.
Freezer: This recipe is not suitable for freezing.
More salad recipes
Tahini Salad
Ingredients
- 1 small head Romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 medium cucumber diced
- 2 vine tomatoes diced
- ½ cup parsley finely chopped
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 can (15-ounces) chickpeas drained and rinsed / or 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
TAHINI SAUCE DRESSING
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ⅓ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic crushed
Instructions
- MAKE DRESSING: Add ⅓ cup tahini, ⅓ cup water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and ¾ teaspoon salt to a small bowl and whisk until creamy.Add 1 clove garlic (peeled and crushed) and let it infuse the sauce for 10 minutes.In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.
- PREP VEGGIES: Cut 1 small head Romaine lettuce into bite-size pieces. Dice 1 medium cucumber and 2 vine tomatoes. Finely chop ½ cup parsley, and thinly slice 2 green onions. Drain and rinse 1 can (15-ounces) chickpeas. Add all to a large bowl.
- MIX SALAD: Discard the garlic then toss the salad with the dressing until fully coated. Taste and adjust for salt and lemon juice.Garnish with a pinch of dried oregano, sumac, or za’atar.
Notes
Nutrition
If you liked this tahini salad, you might also enjoy the following:
