A Low FODMAP Tahini Dressing That’ll Make You Love Salad

I have the best low FODMAP tahini dressing recipe ever. I’m not joking when I say this low FODMAP tahini dressing will have you craving salad. I know that’s a big promise but you’ll believe me when you try this toasted Asian sesame dressing.

All you need is 6 ingredients to make this delicious low FODMAP dressing recipe: Tahini, mayonnaise, oil, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. It’s gluten-free, vegan, keto and to die for. Here’s everything we’ll cover in today’s tahini dressing post:

As much as I’d like to take full credit for this salad dressing, this recipe is actually a copycat version of a very famous Japanese dressing. Want to hear more? Head on to the next section.

About This Low FODMAP Tahini Dressing

This low FODMAP tahini dressing is actually my take on the famous kewpie sesame dressing. It’s so good that they literally serve this sauce on a pile of cabbage.

You’d think a pile of cabbage would have no takers right? Nope. You’ll eat a plate of cabbage too if it had this dressing on it.

Here’s what the original product looks like if you haven’t seen it before:

I know you can get this at some Costco’s in Canada and Walmart in the US but this dressing is hard to find unless I head to an Asian grocers. That’s where this recipe came in. 

Not convinced? I’ve got 7 reasons why you’ll love this recipe.

7 Reasons Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I am begging you to try this low FODMAP tahini dressing if you haven’t yet and I’ve got 7 reasons to persuade you:

1. It’s a low FODMAP vegan salad dressing: The original recipe is made with Japanese Kewpie mayo which contains eggs and is not vegan. 
2. It takes minutes to make: Add everything into a bowl, mix and you’re done.
3. Suitable for other diets: This salad dressing is low FODMAP, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and is a tahini dressing keto friendly. Remove the sugar and it’ll be whole30 compliant.
4. It’s gluten-free.
5. Only needs 6 ingredients to make.
6. This salad dressing will have you eating a lot of salad.
7. It’s delicious and very addictive.

Have I convinced you to try this low FODMAP dressing yet? The next section is a quick rundown of the 6 ingredients you’ll need to make this dressing.

FODMAP Notes & Substitutes

The original store bought version of this Japanese sesame seed dressing has a long list of ingredients including wheat. This low FODMAP version is wheat-free, dairy-free and vegan. I made my own low FODMAP version with 6 ingredients. 

This section will cover the low FODMAP information of each ingredient and the appropriate substitutes. All serving size information listed is based on the Monash FODMAP app:

Oils

Oils and fats are FODMAP-free! I used sunflower oil for this recipe but you can use any neutral flavored oil. Avoid peanut oil, sesame seed oil or coconut oil because they have distinct flavors that will change the taste of this tahini dressing.

Tahini Or Sesame Seed Paste

Is tahini IBS-friendly? Tahini has a low FODMAP serving size or 2 tablespoons or 30 grams but the FODMAP app lists two kinds of tahini: hulled and unhulled. Both types are different in terms of taste, smell and texture.

I talk all about tahini in this blog post, “Is Tahini Low FODMAP?” 

No tahini? You can use Asian sesame seed paste or make your own. I’ll show you how to do that a little later.

Next up is mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise 

The original recipe uses Kewpie mayonnaise. A very popular Japanese brand of mayonnaise that’s made with egg yolks. They have a vegan option but I don’t always have it on hand.

You can use regular mayo but be sure to choose oil based mayonnaise. Stay away from vegan mayo made with chickpea water (aquafaba). Aquafaba is a popular vegan ingredient that is high FODMAP. 

More about low FODMAP condiments like mayo:

9 Low FODMAP Condiments To Enjoy

Sugar

Don’t be tempted to skip out on the sweetener for this low FODMAP tahini dressing. It’s an important ingredient that balances the whole dressing.

I used regular fine white sugar in this recipe but you can use brown sugar or maple syrup which has a low FODMAP serve of 2 tablespoons or 50 grams. 

Honey is not an option if you’re sensitive to fructose. It has a red light indicator on the app and is only low FODMAP at 1 teaspoon or 7 grams.

The next ingredient adds some acidity to the dressing: vinegar.

Vinegar

Vinegar’s FODMAP levels depend on which kind you use. I used regular white vinegar which is low FODMAP 2 tablespoons or 42 grams. But you can use malt or rice wine vinegar or lemon juice instead.

7 Types of Vinegars & FODMAPs

Are you soy intolerant? Skip the next ingredient and head on over to the recipe portion where I teach you how to make your own tahini.

Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is probably the last ingredient you’d expect on the ingredient list of a recipe for someone on the IBS low FODMAP diet. But surprise! Monash tested soy sauce and it’s low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons or 42 grams.

Note: Soy sauce does contain wheat. Avoid regular soy sauce and choose Tamari -a gluten and wheat free soy sauce. 

Different Kinds Of Soy Sauce & FODMAPs

That was the last ingredient on the list, folks. Now we can move on to actually making the sauce.  

How To Make Low FODMAP Tahini Dressing

The base of this low FODMAP salad dressing is tahini. Tahini is a paste made from ground raw sesame seeds. It’s often used in Middle Eastern foods like hummus, babaganoush and desserts like halva. 

Sometimes, I really want to make this salad tahini dressing but I don’t always have it on hand or my corner store doesn’t have it stocked. So, I got creative and came up with a quick solution: make ‘tahini’ at home.

The recipe for sesame salad dressing is super easy: mix everything into a bowl and season to taste with salt. How to make tahini dressing if you don’t have tahini?

All you need is 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds and the instructions from the next section.

Make Your Own ‘Tahini’

I like the flavor of unhulled tahini. It’s richer and more flavorful than hulled tahini. You can make your own tahini or roasted sesame paste at home by toasting the sesame seeds. 

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan on medium high heat for 5 minutes or until they’re golden brown. From this:

To this, in 5-7 minutes:

Add the sesame seeds to a blender or mortar and pestle. Pound the seeds or pulse the mixture until a smooth paste. Add the oil to the mix and pulse until everything is mixed together.

Add the remaining ingredients into a bowl and mix everything together.

Season the dressing with salt at the end. 

Note: Sometimes the tahini will thicken when other ingredients are added. This is completely normal. Gradually add small amounts of water to thin out the dressing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have some questions about tahini, IBS or this recipe? This FAQ section will help you answer those questions.

Is Tahini OK On Low FODMAP Diet?

Yes, tahini has been tested by Monash University. Both hulled and unhulled tahini is low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons or 30 grams.

What Dressings Can You Have On Low FODMAP?

There are a lot of low FODMAP certified salad dressing you can buy. Here are 8 low FODMAP options of low FODMAP salad dressings in store:

1. Fody Foods Maple Dijon Salad Dressing 
2. Fody Foods Garden Herb Salad Dressing 
3. Casa de Sante Essential Oil Balsamic Vinaigrette (sweet orange)
4. Casa de Sante Essential Oil Balsamic Vinaigrette (grapefruit)
5. Casa de Sante Basil And Lemon Essential Oil Vinaigrette Salad Dressing 
6. Live Free Foods Italian Dressing 
7. Live Free Foods Ranch Dressing 
8. Bays Kitchen Classic French Dressing

What Do You Put Tahini Dressing On?

You can put tahini dressing on almost anything: green salads, grilled vegetables, on top of poke bowls, lamb burgers or as a sauce in sandwiches or wraps.

How Long Does This Dressing Stay Good?

This dressing stays good for up to 4 days when refrigerated and kept in an airtight container or glass jar.

How Much Dressing Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes about 1 cup of salad dressing which is perfect for 4-5 people. You can also double this recipe to make more!

That’s the end of this low FODMAP tahini dressing recipe, folks. Looking for more tahini IBS recipes? Here’s 5:

Dill & Tuna Low FODMAP Pasta Salad With Tahini Dressing

Tahini Low FODMAP Tuna Salad

Roast Vegetable Strudel

Sesame Seed Dry Beef Noodles

Vegan Braised Eggplant

Need more low FODMAP salad dressings?