Lemon, garlic and tahini dressing

This dressing can be poured over baked vegetables, served as a dip or tossed into a salad.

Ingredients

3 tbl tahini (store bought is completely fine, but if you want to make your own it’s super easy and you can avoid the bitter aftertaste…)

2 peeled garlic cloves

1/2 tsp salt

generous grating of black pepper

1 1/2 tbl olive oil

1 lemon juiced

Method

Place all ingredients except for the lemon juice into the bowl of a food processor and bleeeeend until smooth, maybe a minute or so.

When you’re happy with the smooth texture, pour in the lemon juice and blend for another few seconds. That’s it, you’re done!

I first made it to go over tempeh, as a vegan version of  Madeleine Shaw’s halloumi salad, or it would be perfect over baked aubergine, kind of like a decontructed babaganoush?? Anyway, my tempeh salad is below if you’d like to give it a try, and there’s also a link to Madeleine’s original.

For a super-food vegan lunch, try it in a warm tempeh salad: assemble a combination of leaves, celery, tomatoes, fennel, red pepper, spring onion, cress and whatever other lovely raw vegetables you have in the fridge drawer. Add 100g hot, grilled tempeh and pour over the dressing. It’s got to be good for you!!

Madelaine Shaw makes a brilliant tahini dressing for her grilled halloumi and mango slaw with coconut tahini dressing which was how I first realised how good tahini is in a dressing. It’s not vegan but it is delicious summer fare which can be prepared hours ahead, or for a more warming winter lunch, serve it freshly made with the halloumi hot from the griddle.