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Peach and tomato panzanella with tahini dressing
youryum.com/recipes/peach-and-tomato-panzanella-with-tahini-dressing · serves 4

A creamy dressing without making the salad heavy

Lemony tahini gives the juicy fruit a creamy savoury backdrop and turns this bread salad into a more filling side.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy free
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 27 August 2026
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Peach and tomato panzanella with pale tahini dressing and herbs
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Prep
15 min
Cook
10 min
Total
25 min
Serves
4
Per serving
389kcal
Effort
Easy

Tahini can make a salad feel dense if you pour it on like mayonnaise. Loosen it properly with lemon and water, then use it as a thin dressing that catches in the bread without coating every peach.

The tomatoes supply the fresh juice; the tahini supplies the toasted note. Together they make a panzanella that can sit beside grilled vegetables and still feel like the main event.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Salad

Tahini dressing

Equipment

  • Large baking tray
  • Small bowl
  • Large serving bowl

Method

  1. Toast the bread

    Heat the oven to 200°C fan. Toss the bread with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake for ten minutes, turning once, until golden at the edges. Leave it to cool slightly.

    Hands whisking tahini lemon and water into a smooth dressing beside toasted bread

  2. Loosen the tahini

    Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt in a small bowl. It will seize and thicken first. Add the water a tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until it falls from the spoon in a thin ribbon. If it becomes stiff again, add another splash.

  3. Make the tomato dressing

    Put the tomatoes and onion in the serving bowl. Add two tablespoons of the tahini dressing and turn gently. The tomato juice will thin it further and make a dressing for the bread.

  4. Fold in the peaches

    Add the peaches, toasted bread and herbs. Fold from the bottom and leave for ten minutes. The bread should soften at the centre but keep its crust.

  5. Finish with more dressing

    Taste and add the remaining tahini dressing in small spoonfuls. You may not need all of it if the tomatoes are very juicy. Serve with a final scatter of herbs.

Tahini lemon garlic bread peaches tomatoes onion and herbs for panzanella
Keep the tahini dressing loose enough to pour.

Fixing a thick dressing

Tahini behaves differently from jar to jar. A fresh jar may be loose; one that has been sitting in the cupboard may need several extra spoonfuls of water. Stir the tahini from the bottom before measuring, then add water slowly. If the dressing tastes bitter, lemon and salt will usually bring it round, though very old tahini will stay harsh. If it tastes flat, it needs acid rather than more garlic.

Water is not a mistake here.

Use the same dressing with roasted carrots, green beans or warm potatoes. You can replace half the tahini with smooth peanut butter, but the peanut flavour is stronger and wants a little extra lemon. A spoonful of maple syrup makes it sweeter; I prefer to let the peaches do that work.

Make it more substantial

Fold in chickpeas or white beans at the end. They make the bowl filling without changing the tomato, peach and tahini balance.

Keep tahini in the background

Tahini is useful here because it gives the dressing body, but it can easily cover the fruit. Whisk the lemon into the tahini first, then add water a spoon at a time until the sauce loosens. The texture changes twice: it seizes and thickens, then turns smooth and pourable. Stop as soon as it coats a spoon. Add garlic only after that point so you can taste the sesame on its own. The tomatoes supply water as the salad rests, which is why a dressing that looks slightly thick in the bowl becomes right after ten minutes. Toast the bread until the outside is firm but the middle still has some give. It needs to catch the dressing, not disappear into it. If the final bowl is heavy, add lemon or herbs before adding more salt. Cucumber can replace some of the peach when the fruit is too soft, but keep the pieces large so they do not vanish into the tahini.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 389 kcal
Protein 9 g
Carbohydrate 49 g
Fibre 7 g
Fat 19 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I make this nut-free?
Tahini is made from sesame, not a tree nut, but check the label if you are cooking for an allergy. Sunflower seed butter works as a close substitute.
Why is my tahini bitter?
Some tahini is naturally more bitter than others. Add a little more lemon and a pinch of salt; if it still tastes harsh, the jar may be past its best.
Can I use yogurt instead?
Yes, use the yogurt version on this site. Do not mix yogurt and tahini in equal quantities here or the dressing becomes too thick for the bread.

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