Tahini Salad
Updated Jan 27, 2026
A classic Lebanese tahini salad made with lemon, garlic, fresh vegetables, and herbs. Easy to serve on its own or over grilled meat and rice.
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This fresh vegetable tahini salad is soo good!
I love this tahini salad all on its own, but growing up it was almost always served as a topping for rice or alongside grilled meats. It’s one of those simple dishes that somehow works in a dozen different ways, which is probably why it shows up so often in Lebanese cooking.
In my house, we always called this tahini salad tarator (which, yes, sounds like tartar sauce and still makes me laugh). It’s creamy from the tahini, has a fresh lemon-garlic dressing, and is made with fresh, chopped vegetables like tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, and bell peppers. This tahini salad is basic in the best way, and once you start making it, it kind of becomes a constant in your fridge.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Tahini Salad Ingredients
- Vegetables: I like to use a combination of vegetables, including Persian cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, and red onion. These are traditional in a tahini salad, but you can add whatever vegetables you prefer, just make sure to cut all the vegetables into small cubes.
- Herbs: I like to use both fresh parsley and mint in my tahini salad, but you can also try herbs like cilantro, dill, or oregano.
- Tahini Paste: Look for a brand that uses just one ingredient, sesame seeds! You should be able to find this in any standard grocery store.
- Lemon Juice: Go for fresh lemon over bottled, if you can.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best in this dressing!
- Seasoning: You’ll just need salt and black pepper to season the tahini salad dressing.
How to Make Tahini Salad
Tahini Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup tahini paste
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves pressed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons water
For the salad
- 2 Persian cucumbers diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- ½ red onion diced
- ¼ green pepper diced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped
Instructions
- Place the tahini paste in a large serving bowl. Add the lemon juice, garlic and salt. Use a whisk or fork to combine the mixture until it forms a paste-like consistency.
- Slowly add water to the mixture and continue whisking until it’s smooth and well blended.
- Add the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, green pepper, parsley and mint on top and toss to combine.
Notes
- My Top Tip: Dice your veggies finely. You’re cutting your vegetables into little cubes, just like you would if you were making salsa. This helps all the flavors incorporate well!
- Storage: Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for to 2-3 days. If possible, keep the veggies and dressing separate to keep them crisper and fresher.
- Note: that the salad will continue to thin out as the juices from the tomatoes and cucumbers leech. This is completely normal and will continue to flavor the sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Toss before serving. As it sits, this tahini salad will continue producing more liquid, so it’s best to stir it to ensure everything is blended well right before bringing it out.
Serving Ideas
- Pair with starch. This salad can be eaten like a normal salad or like a sauce or topping with something like tomato rice pilaf, lemon rice, or even crispy falafel.
- Add protein. I love serving this tahini salad with some of my favorite Mediterranean plates like beef kafta, chicken or chickpea shawarma, or sayadieh (Lebanese fish and rise).
FAQs
To prevent the dressing from separating, whisk it together thoroughly before adding it to the salad. You can also try adding a tablespoon of water to the sauce to help emulsify it.
Comments
I made this tonight and it’s so delicious! I followed the directions exactly as written. It tastes very similar to my Palestinian mother-in-laws. My family loved it!
Made as instructed. Do not care for the mint in this salad. Glad I made a smaller portion. Will use same recipe but substitute cilantro for mint. Otherwise a nice fresh and crispy salad.
Glad you liked it, Brian! Thank you!