Vegan Tahini Caesar Dressing

This quick and easy vegan tahini Caesar dressing recipe is the only one you will need! It bursts with huge flavors, thanks to the garlic, lemon, Dijon mustard and capers, and has the most incredible creamy and rich consistency. Perfect for salads, but also amazing drizzled over bowls or sandwiches and served as a healthy dipping sauce. 100% vegan and dairy-free.

Mastering the art of making speedy, healthy and flavor-packed vegan sauces with just a few simple ingredients is, I think, the true secret to a successful plant-based diet!

I have learned over time that a ready-to-go Thai peanut sauce or Green goddess sauce hanging around in the fridge for the last-minute buddha bowl, salad or cold pasta dish is an absolute meal-saver and can help you stay on track with your healthy vegan lifestyle.

So, I am always on the lookout for a new vegan sauce to add to my repertoire!

And this vegan Tahini Caesar dressing is another amazing creamy sauce we cannot get enough of and I am sure you will love it too. I had in mind making a vegan Caesar salad topped with Cajun-flavored tofu, so I came up with this tahini dressing. And now I use it all the time, with our favorite recipe being this grilled romaine Caesar salad!

We love how rich the texture is, thanks to the tahini paste, and the combination of lemon, garlic, Dijon mustard and capers gives the dressing that unique Cesar flavor even if it is made completely vegan.

Also, this recipe is made without adding any processed oil, making it a healthier recipe, and it is also very versatile, so you can use it as a base and make it your own easily! By the way, it is perfect for a creamy kale salad.

Let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️

Why you should try this recipe

• Simply the BEST vegan Caesar dressing!
• Done in 5 minutes and no blending required
• Versatile ways to serve it
• Carries bold flavor, which will make your salad anything but boring!
• Fits many diets: egg-free, vegan, dairy-free, nut-free and gluten-free

What you will need

(complete ingredient details in the recipe card at the end of the post)

• Tahini: made by crushing sesame seeds into a thin paste, tahini is naturally very creamy + rich and has a unique nutty flavor. It is easy to find in any grocery store!
• Lemon: make sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice and avoid bottled juice for the best flavor. Depending on the size of your lemon, you will need the juice from half or a whole lemon.
• Garlic: you will need a clove of fresh garlic. Add more or less depending on how strong in flavor you want it to be.
• Dijon mustard: I prefer smooth Dijon mustard for this recipe, although you can also use a coarse Dijon for more texture.
• Nutritional yeast: this vegan Caesar dressing is fully dairy-free, meaning that there is no parmesan cheese, but nutritional yeast compensates and brings a mild cheesy flavor to the sauce.
• Capers: a classic ingredient in Caesar dressing. It adds a nice punch of saltiness and a briny flavor that works great.

How to make a vegan Caesar Tahini salad dressing

(full detailed recipe in the recipe card down below)

Combine

In a bowl, add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, salt, ground black pepper and water (you can start with 1-2 tablespoons of water and half the lemon). Whisk until mostly combined.

Adjust consistency

The sauce will likely be too thick at this point, so add more water until you reach the desired consistency using 1 tablespoon at a time.

Taste and serve

Taste the sauce and add more flavorful ingredients if desired, such as lemon juice, garlic and Dijon. Enjoy!

Helpful tips

• If possible, allow some time for the sauce to rest before serving so the flavors can develop. You can make it the day before you need it.
• Different brands of tahini will have different consistencies: some are thick like peanut butter and others are thin and saucy with a pourable or drippy texture. All kinds of tahini will work, you will simply need to adjust the final texture of your sauce by adding more or less water.

Serving suggestions

We love serving this recipe the classic way with crunchy Romaine lettuce, raw veggies, such as cucumber, red onion and cherry tomatoes, and croutons.

Other delicious ways to serve this Caesar dressing include:

• Buddha bowls: creamy sauces are amazing over grain bowls. Try it over this quinoa chickpea bowl or this marinated Greek tofu bowl!
• Sandwiches: swap your regular mayo in sandwiches for this Caesar dressing for a boost of flavor and nutrients. In that case, you can keep the sauce thicker so it has more of a spreadable consistency or serve by drizzling over a sub-style sandwich. It would be a great sandwich sauce recipe for this roasted vegetable sandwich or this buffalo cauliflower wrap.
• Salads: other than green salads, try using this Caesar dressing for making potato salad or pasta salad.
• Roasted veggies: this sauce is going to be perfect to jazz up simple roasted veggies, such as this roasted potato and broccoli recipe.
• Dipping sauce: use it as a dipping sauce for tofu nuggets, jackfruit nuggets or potato croquettes.

It also makes for the BEST salad dressing to accompany Italian pasta dishes, such as this vegan tofu bolognese and this oat milk Alfredo sauce.

Variations

This is a versatile sauce recipe and you can easily tweak the ingredients to make it your own! Some variations to try:

• Cheesy taste: I like adding some nutritional yeast for a mild cheesy flavor, but feel free to use store-bought shredded parmesan cheese instead. This dairy-free grate-able parmesan cheese from the brand Violife would work well.
• Herbs: a typical Caesar dressing does not have fresh herbs, but this sauce would be lovely with some finely chopped dill, basil or parsley!
• Spicy: also not traditional, but if you enjoy spicy food, then you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
• Lower-in-fat: tahini naturally contains a high amount of fat, but they are healthy fats that are good for you! That being said, if you would rather have a lighter version, then you can swap some of the tahini for a light dairy-free yogurt.

FAQs

Why is Caesar dressing not vegan?

Classic Caesar dressing contains a few ingredients that are not vegan. In fact, Caesar isn't even vegetarian! It is made with Anchovies (small fish), parmesan cheese and also, it is usually made using raw egg yolks.

Can I make it ahead? How do I store it?

Yes, I actually encourage you to make it ahead of time so the flavor can enhance and all come together by infusing the tahini. Feel free to make it the night before or even a few days ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until ready to use or for up to 5 days. The tahini might firm up while chilling, so you can get it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving and simply whisk in a little extra water.

More vegan tahini dressing recipes to try

• Cilantro lime tahini dressing
• Lemon herb tahini dressing
• Creamy tahini balsamic dressing
• Basil balsamic tahini sauce
• Sunshine dressing
• Creamy harissa dressing
• Creamy cajun dressing

I hope you enjoy this creamy vegan tahini Caesar dressing as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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