Tahini Yogurt Dressing

Simple, light, and creamy — and perfect for your fall salads

I’m a Salad Every Day person — a meal doesn’t feel complete otherwise — and while good greens and vegetables go a long way, a good dressing is equally important to keeping them fresh and exciting, and the kind of thing I crave day-in, day-out.

This dressing began years ago as a condiment for veggie burgers, but I recently gave it a revival because I needed an oil-free alternative to my usual vinaigrette (there’s a small amount of olive oil in the recipe now, but you can leave it out if you wish, not sacrificing much). Plain yogurt of any variety — thick or thin, vegan or not, full-fat or nonfat — gets a jolt of richness with tahini, and then a few other ingredients help balance it out. It’s not at all like ranch dressing, but in my mind it falls somewhere in that category.

Once you get a feeling for the balance of flavors, you can spare yourself the extra dish and wing it by stirring the little dollops and dabs together right in the salad bowl, and then piling the greens, sliced cucumbers, radishes, and pickled red onion right on top. Or maybe you’ll want to keep a little tub on hand for its many other uses. I’ve listed several below.