Make this cilantro lime dressing recipe the next time you prepare a Mexican meal. It’s bright, sunny and fresh! This dressing is boldly flavored with fresh lime, olive oil, cilantro, garlic, honey, cumin and Dijon mustard. You can make it creamy or spicy if you wish.

Drizzle this dressing over crisp greens with sliced avocado and toasted pepitas for a perfectly simple side salad. You’ll find a longer list of salad toppings to choose from below.

I improvised this dressing to make a green salad with leftovers from my Fajita Veggie & Halloumi Bowls, and I loved it so much that I wanted to share it with you. It’s almost as versatile as my favorite Lemon Vinaigrette and suits some flavors even better.

This dressing comes together quickly in the food processor and keeps in the refrigerator for up to one week. Sometimes having a vibrant sauce on hand makes all the difference!

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Bored by your dinner plans? This green goddess tahini will liven up any basic meal! I’m always so happy to have it in the refrigerator to serve as an appetizer or snack.

A dollop or two brings together random leftovers and simple meals made with veggies, greens, whole grains or beans. You can also spread it onto your sandwiches or wraps. Green goddess tahini is here to save the day. You’ll find many more serving suggestions below.

This recipe was inspired by a similar dip that I grabbed at Whole Foods before hosting girls’ night (Falafel King brand). A couple of my friends follow dairy-free diets, so I’m always looking for fun options that satisfy our requirements. As the night went on, we all fell in love with this vegan dip—it’s creamy, rich yet fresh, and satisfying. It’s irresistible.

So, I combined my Best Tahini Sauce (truly the best) with the herbs from my Easy Green Goddess Dressing, and here you have it. You can make this recipe with any combination of cilantro, parsley, basil, dill and/or mint. Add a small handful of fresh tarragon if you can find it for that characteristic green goddess flavor. This dip (or sauce) is lovely in any season. I hope you fall in love with it!

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Some of my recipes start off with a strong concept or challenge, while others are designed to satisfy a craving. This lentil salad falls into the latter camp. It’s exactly what I’ve been craving lately.

This salad is tangy, crisp-tender, a little spicy, and quite satisfying. The earthy lentils and carrots ground the more bold flavors, so they’re not too overwhelming.

Dill, tahini and pepperoncini peppers aren’t everyone’s favorite ingredients, I know. I love them—the more, the better. If you’re not a fan, you’ll find some options to change up the recipe in the notes.

Better yet, try my classic lentil salad, Greek lentil salad with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, or my lemony lentil and chickpea salad with mint. Those are all safer bets!

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My friend Erin requested a tahini dressing recipe, and here it is! This tahini dressing is luxuriously creamy yet plant-based (no mayo!). It’s a fun alternative to your standard vinaigrette.

This tahini dressing is versatile and goes with a wide variety of salad ingredients. I listed a bunch of those ingredients below to help you craft your own salad. The tahini dressing will bring it all together.

I shared my go-to tahini sauce recipe a couple of months ago (have you tried it yet?). This salad dressing is similar but designed specifically for drizzling on salads, rather than using as a dipping sauce or on sandwiches.

For this salad dressing, I omitted the garlic and made up for the lost flavor by adding Dijon mustard. I also incorporated some olive oil in this dressing to make it extra luxurious. It’s easy to whisk together at a moment’s notice, and keeps well for about a week. I think you’re going to love it!

Watch How to Make Creamy Tahini Dressing

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I see you looking skeptical over there. Can tahini sauce really be “the best”? Isn’t it all the same? Au contraire, my friend! This tahini sauce is the best I have ever encountered.

This tahini sauce is rich, creamy, perfectly smooth, nutty and tangy. Its subtle garlic flavor enhances the toasted sesame flavor, rather than overwhelms or detracts.

This tahini sauce adds irresistible creaminess and tang to anything it touches, whether that be fresh or roasted vegetables, salad, falafel or pita bread.

When I set out to make tahini sauce, I read everything I could about the subject, like I do. Chef Michael Solomonov gave me some clues, via Serious Eats. (I don’t know the guy, but his techniques also guided my hummus recipe, which has been a smashing success.)

Are you ready to over-analyze tahini sauce with me? Hope so.

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Raise your hand if you love falafel! I’ve gone back into the archives to highlight my all-time favorite homemade falafel recipe. Making falafel at home can be tricky, but this recipe is easy.

Six reasons to love this healthy falafel recipe:

1. These falafels are golden brown and crispy on the outside. The insides are tender, delicious, and full of fresh herbs.
2. They’re baked instead of fried, so they contain significantly less fat than fried falafel. And your house won’t smell like fried food for days. Winning!
3. Once your chickpeas are sufficiently soaked, the falafel mixture comes together in no time. If you have someone to help shape the patties, they’ll come together even faster.
4. These falafels are gluten free and vegan, so they’re a great party appetizer.
5. These falafels freeze well, so they’re a fantastic protein-rich option to keep on hand for future salads and pita sandwiches.
6. On that note, this recipe is easily doubled! See recipe notes.

Are you convinced yet? Let’s make some falafel!

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The best hummus is lusciously creamy, yet somehow light and fluffy. It’s beautifully smooth and swirled, and begging to be scooped up onto a wedge of pita bread. It’s nutty and tangy, thanks to the tahini, with notes of bright, fresh lemon and mellow garlic.

I encountered the most delicious hummus at Aladdin Cafe, a local Mediterranean restaurant. That hummus met all of the above characteristics, and I was hoping the owner might enlighten me with his techniques. When I asked, though, he replied, “It’s a secret,” with a sly smile and walked away.

I went home determined to learn how to make magnificently creamy hummus. First, I took the fancy flavorings out of my other hummus recipes to make plain hummus. It was dense, a little gritty, and harshly garlicky. I was so disappointed.

Next, I went to Google and opened up a million tabs to learn everything about hummus. You know me. Ten hummus attempts later, I’m ready to share all of my hummus tips and tricks with you. Get ready to make the best hummus of your life!

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Confession: I’m afraid I’m allergic to real Christmas trees, and I’m definitely allergic to busy shopping malls. Does that make me a Scrooge? The holidays are always full of cheer but hectic. I’m tempted to take a nap before I deck the halls this weekend.

If you’re wondering what to bring to your holiday party, this caramel popcorn recipe is just the ticket. You’ll start by making a batch of stovetop popcorn. The healthier “caramel” sauce is sweetened with maple syrup and thickened with tahini. It is so delicious.

If you’re familiar with Middle Eastern halva, this popcorn reminds me of it. Crackly sesame seeds and ground cinnamon make it even more irresistible. You have been warned.

As I was typing up the recipe, I realized that it is gluten free, vegan and nut free as well. This popcorn is a special diet-friendly party option and a fun holiday treat. For an even more festive popcorn recipe, check out my peppermint bark popcorn. So good!

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“But why would I make baba ganoush if I could just eat hummus?” Mara asked when we set out to make the ultimate baba ganoush recipe. At that moment, I couldn’t help but shrug my shoulders.

Then we nailed the method and ingredients you see here, and neither of us could stop scooping up more. When you get it right, baba ganoush is irresistibly smooth and luxurious, smoky, and savory.

In its most basic form, baba ganoush is made with eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. I found that adding a tiny bit of ground cumin, smoked paprika and fresh parsley takes it to the next level.

Baba ganoush is similar to hummus, but it calls for grilled or roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas. Both dips originated in the Eastern Mediterranean, and they’re often served together with pita bread and raw, crisp veggies. You can use baba ganoush like you would hummus—as a dip or spread. Ready to make some?!

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Minneapolis is one delicious city. I haven’t unpacked my bags yet, but I have a list of recipe ideas from the past week and can’t wait to recreate them. Let’s procrastinate on unpacking and catching up on emails for a bit longer and talk about a much more pressing matter—edamame hummus. Have you tried it yet?

I got a taste of edamame hummus at a nearby sushi restaurant recently, then I discovered a tubbed version at Trader Joe’s, and then I had to make some myself. It’s rich, lemony, and high in protein (so is the traditional chickpea kind). It’s green, too, thanks to the edamame, which are green soybeans. I buy frozen, shelled edamame and defrost them in a pot of boiling water.

The word “hummus” is derived from the Arabic word for chickpeas, so this chickpea-free hummus is quite untraditional. To balance edamame’s very green flavor and fibrous texture, I had to use a little more tahini, lemon juice and water than my go-to herbed hummus recipe.

Combined with crisp veggies or whole-grain crackers, edamame hummus is a delicious, healthy snack or appetizer.  If you need a break from standard hummus (horrors!), please give this one a shot! I’ll be sharing a fun appetizer concept featuring this hummus in a couple of days.

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