The best sweet tahini dressing with cumin, maple and garlic
Sweet tahini dressing with cumin, maple and garlic. Pairs perfectly with your favorite crunchy lettuce or as a dip for roasted vegetables!
One of the worst days of my life was the day I learned that Ayurveda doesn’t love a salad situation.
You see, what Americans seem to just be discovering, Ayurveda has been talking about for centuries: a healthy digestive system is the foundation, perhaps the most important pillar, of good health.
And the dry, cold and rough nature of lettuce and other uncooked vegetables, which are often combined with a protein or fruit, make salad particularly difficult to digest and basically a food combining (way of eating for optimal digestion) nightmare. I’m talking bloat, discomfort, gas, constipation, all of it.
But the body craves what it craves, and sometimes you just want a cold, crunchy, nutrient-rich salad, you know?
My stomach is sensitive with a capital S, so when this happens, I try to make a salad in the most Ayurvedic way I can.
There are lots of ways to do this. You can add more cooked veg, include warming ingredients like mustard greens or lentils, and so on.
One thing I love to do is pare back the raw vegetables, pick a cold crunchy green, and make the salad all about the dressing.
And that’s how this delicious dressing came to be.
Made with tahini, water, cumin, salt, a little garlic and a touch of maple, this dressing is easy to make, loaded with flavor and loves a simple bed of crunchy greens.
Health-wise -
Here’s what I love about it:
Tahini has what seems like an endless list of health benefits. It’s full of healthy fats and omega 3s to help lower cholesterol and reduce inflammation, and a great source of protein, B vitamins and iron. As far as health benefits go it’s my favorite nut/seed butter.
It includes garlic, which is a well-known to boost immune function, helping combat minor illnesses like the common cold. It’s also believed to help lower blood pressure, cholesterol and contains a ton of antioxidants, which support the body’s protective mechanisms. While it may ignite the digestive system and improve functioning for some, for others it can be hard to tolerate and cause bloating and discomfort. If you’re in the bloating and discomfort group when it comes to garlic (me too!), stick to no more than a tablespoon of dressing per serving.
It’s oil-free. I like to minimize or eliminate oil in cooking when I can, since it contains a lot of fat and isn’t great for heart health. You can get plenty of healthy fats from other plant-based whole food sources such as nuts or seeds, if that’s your concern.
It contains zero refined sugar and only a tablespoon of maple syrup, making it very low in sugar overall. Ideal for anyone looking to lose or manage their weight, but beneficial for all since there’s pretty much nothing about sugar that’s good for our health. Sorry!
It contains zero crap. Just pure feel-good plant-based whole foods. That’s it!
Why it’s so convenient…
I love a recipe that makes life easier. Here’s how this dressing does exactly that -
It’s ready in 5 minutes. Combine the ingredients in a blender, puree and it’s ready to go.
It’s incredibly versatile. You can enjoy it as a dressing on salad or as a dip! Love a multi-purpose recipe, don’t you!?
The ingredients are easy to find and you probably have most or all of them sitting in your pantry already.
Finally, flavor -
For many, the most important part. Here’s what to expect and how to enjoy it -
It’s sweet yet earthy and has a kick (hello, raw garlic!) all at once. It’s powerful tasting and best paired with things that let it shine.
It loves a cold crunchy base like iceberg or romaine lettuce or makes a great dip for a simple-spiced tender roasted autumn/winter squash. I love with it with these.
If you like a runnier dressing, add additional splashes of water to the blender until you reach your desired consistency.
Check out the full recipe below. Hope you love it as much as I do!
Sweet tahini dressing
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Yields: 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup raw tahini (sesame butter)
1.5 tbsp maple syrup
1 garlic clove
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mineral salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until completely smooth.
Use within a week.
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