Dairy-free tahini ranch dressing

Scrumptiously creamy and bursting with flavor, dairy-free tahini ranch dressing is the ultimate plant-based, oil-free dressing ready to devour in minutes.

When it comes to salads, bowls, potatoes, or even tacos and burgers, the dressing is directly aligned to the ultimate satisfaction you get. Maybe it’s just me, but when I take that first bite of say, brussels sprouts salad (yes, sprouts), I never shout ‘oh, those sprouts are terrific!’ – it’s much more likely that I’ll exclaim ‘I love this ranch dressing!’. And that’s even with the yummy tofu bacon on it.

Even a quick veggie salad with a cup of your favorite legumes deserves a yummy dressing to tie it together.

But we don’t want to spend a lot of precious time making complicated salad dressings. At the same time, we want a variety of flavorful dressings. And when it comes to oil-free, plant-based dressings, we’re always looking for new ways to make it thick and creamy.

That’s where tahini comes in.

In its purest form (and that’s how we like it), tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds. And if you want the best, pure, no-oil-added tahini, then my advice is to make it yourself. Hey, it’s just one ingredient.

It's easy to make tahini. First, you want to pan-roast the sesame seeds and next, while they are a bit warm from the toasting, process them in a food processor, blender, or for small amounts, a spice grinder.

Here’s all you need to make tahini ranch dressing:

½ cup of tahini

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup of water

1 tablespoon maple syrup (you can add another liquid sweetener if you like)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup of chopped herbs (I recommend an equal blend of parsley, chives, and dill)

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

You can easily make this dressing with just a bowl and a whisk if you follow a particular sequence that starts by whipping up the tahini. Something to know about our favorite sesame paste, it gets thick when it sits, so don’t fret if you think you’ve gotten it too thin.

Start by adding ½ cup of tahini along with ½ cup of lemon juice and start mixing it up. Gradually start mixing in the water. Stir and stir it again until it starts to thin out. You’ll notice that the tahini will get lighter in color as you do this. You want it to kind of run off the spoon.

Next, add maple syrup, and garlic powder. Keep mixing! This is the time to check the consistency and give it a taste. Some folks prefer their ranch a bit sweeter, or maybe a touch more lemon. Do this before adding the herbs to ensure that your base flavor is delicious sans herbs.

Once you have your dressing where you want it, it’s time for the finale. That means plenty of chopped herbs. And it just ain’t ranch without fresh dill, chives, and parsley.

Chop the herbs small and toss them into the bowl. And yes, keep on tasting, but seriously, leave some dressing for the salad or whatever you're saving this new favorite dressing for.

I ended up adding about ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, but it didn't need any salt for our taste. Do what suits you.

They're already on high tahini ranch alert, so you might be thrilled enough without any adjustments.

Ideas for your yummy ranch dressing

Ok, it’s called salad dressing for a reason, so there's a salad, but let's dig deeper and consider: 

Baked sweet potatoes

Falafel bowls

Middle Eastern Chickpea salad

Pasta salad – this dressing is fantastic with pasta!

Tempeh burgers (a plant-based Big Mac? Maybe.)

Final Thoughts

With all our attention on creating delicious and healthy meals, it’s easy to overlook those special touches that make food special. Sure, sometimes that might be a tasty salad dressing. But that little extra bit of time and care we take isn’t just about making great-tasting food. It’s about allowing a moment for considerate and loving preparation of nourishment and sharing it with those we care about. Peace.

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