You know that tiny bit of anxiety you get when you bring a dish to a party, set it on the table and then secretly spend the rest of the time praying people will eat it?
No? Just me?
Well that’s what happened with this on Easter.
My mom asked me to bring a side dish of vegetables so I threw together some barely cooked asparagus, raw shaved zucchini and stuffed green olives in the biggest pasta bowl I have, dressed it with just some olive oil, lemon and garlic and then went to work on this dressing to be served on the side.
I used Katie’s recent recipe as inspiration but literally just starting throwing things into the food processor with abandon and adjusting after a few pulses here and there. You should see the notepad I write recipes on, this one looks like something out of A Beautiful Mind, minus the whole genius/schizo part.
I’ve only had tahini in my hands for literally a week now, but I can 100% say that this will be one of my go to uses for it. It basically turned what would otherwise be called a pesto into an amazing dressing. Put it on a salad, drizzle it over raw or roasted vegetables, use it as a pasta sauce, maybe an unconventional hollandaise sauce over eggs… Possibilities = endless.
Don’t worry, I did actually wash the basil that went into the dressing. I can’t even tell you how much the sand on those leaves is bothering me in this picture (deep breaths).
So I sit down with my plate of food assuming no one will say anything about the vegetables when there’s french toast casserole, potato leek casserole, a ham, a lamb roast, muffins and 10 desserts strewn across the kitchen counter resigning to the fact that I’ll probably be taking home every damn zucchini ribbon that I spent 30 minutes peeling and guess what? It happened. That “oh my gosh, who made this?” question that everyone hopes is about their dish. I turn around expecting to see someone with their face full of dessert to see my aunt with a forkful of veggies raised in the air looking around for someone to claim it as theirs. All I could do was smile.
Veggies with dressing for the win.
It may not have bitchin’ in it’s name but it sure acts like it.
- ¼ cup parsley
- ¼ cup basil
- 1 clove garlic
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup water
- 1½ tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- salt & pepper
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I need another sauce in my refrigerator like I need another hole in the head. So, obviously, I’ll be making this for lunch today. Besides, it will cover the smell of cauliflower that my husband has been complaining about the last 24 hours.
Thank you SO much for this recipe. I bought tahini and had no idea what to do with it. Now I can put together something awesome!
That sounds incredible. Who knew tahini could be used for anything other than hummus??
Sounds wonderful! I can see drizzling it all over everything from crackers, to chicken, oh even on mashed potatoes! Great dressing!!!
I’ve never really tried tahini before… And after all your rave reviews of it – I guess I better make this and find out how versatile and awesome it truly is! Gorgeous Gina.
Holy yum! I make a tahini dressing for salads every summer – I love the ingredients you’ve put together! I pinned this and am totally making it as soon as I get my basil planted in the next week or two. Thanks!
ahh i love tahini!! great incorporation of this into a dressing…i’m so glad that everyone enjoyed it
i’m definitely like you when it comes to bringing something. i feel that as food bloggers, all our friends and family EXPECT us to bring something awesome. no pressure, right?!
Mmmm, the vegetarian restaurant I worked at in college had a killer green goddess dressing made with tahini, and this reminds me of it– yum!!
I definitely stress about whether people will eat my food and like it or not. I love tahini! I make a tahini dressing too but minus the herbs and it is our favorite. This looks like a great variation.
ok it’s official, i need to get my hands on some tahini!
Ohhhh… it’s like tahini pesto! You could totally put bitchin’ in the name. I’m definitely going to try this out!
Everything in this dressing sounds wonderful. It’s another must try SOON! Yes, I pray that people will eat my dishes too. It always makes me sad when I go home and whatever I brought was barely touched. It irks me that people would rather go for some cookies from Walmart than something homemade. Or go for the Costco sides rather than something someone obviously worked hard on.
best. feeling. ever.
haha the sandy basil looks like it has fur! =) Mine gets like that too — the green onions in my garden are also covered with sand at all times. And my peppers are stunted… and…. hot garden mess over here =)
The dressing looks amaaaaazing as always chica! Your photos keep getting better and better! xo
I need to know where you get these super cute spoons!
I am so on this, Gina. Love the flavors. Tahini makes such great sauces. Love it!
I totally get nervous when I bring a new dish too…but rarely get raves over veggies. Definitely trying this salad dressing! I just bought tahini too and have been loving it in hummus…but now I’m seeing worlds of new opportunity for it. Thank you!
I’m slobbering looking at this! All my favorite things in one dressing. I would probably drink that as a smoothie…just kidding?