6 of my favorite oil-free salad dressings
I try to eat leafy greens every day. It’s easy for me when I have a good dressing, slightly painful if I don’t. When I don’t want to make a dressing, I often get my greens in via green smoothie. Ideally, however, I make fresh salad dressing every few days. Here are a few of my favorite.
I’m including this Maple Balsamic one first because it doesn’t require a blender, and it’s one I often turn to when I want something fast. It’s really yummy on a fall salad with pears, apples, and nuts, or any salad with fruit in it. If you want to avoid maple syrup, you can make this Walnut Balsamic dressing from Dr. Fuhrman that is also really yummy, and will increase the absorption of nutrients in the greens because of the fat from the walnuts. It’s just that…you’ll have to get a blender out for that one.
Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 TBSP balsalmic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Stir together and enjoy on a crisp green salad with fruits and nuts.
This one is so good! I recommend the whole Cobb Salad recipe but you can put this on straight greens and call it done!
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raw cashews, sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds
- 2 TBSP maple syrup
- 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 2 TBSP soy sauce or similar alternative
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 2 TBSP dijon mustard
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1-3 TBSP water
Instructions
- Blend all together, adding water one tablespoon at a time until it's as thin as you want.
Creamy Italian Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cashews, sunflower seeds, or blanched almonds (without skins)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 TBSP Italian seasoning (or 1 tsp each oregano, basil, thyme)
Instructions
- Blend in a high-speed blender until very smooth. Delicious on a green salad or pasta salad.
Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw cashews or sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds (or more of the nuts/seeds you're using)
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 TBSP lemon juice
- 2 tsp capers
- 1 small clove raw garlic
- 1/2 TBSP dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- If don't have a good blender, soak the cashews in hot water for about 1 hour first.
- Blend all ingredients together in a small bullet or blender. Taste and add more lemon juice for tanginess, salt, pepper, garlic as desired. No alterations are necessarily needed, just personal preference.
- Delicious tossed with any greens, even thinly-sliced kale. To make a caesar salad, toss together chopped romaine lettuce, crispy chickpeas or sunflower seeds, a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and garlic powder and the Caesar dressing.
- Best enjoyed immediately, or keep in fridge up to 3 days.
Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw cashews*
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 medium clove of garlic
- 1 juice of a lime
- a few dashes jalepeno tabasco or spoonful of salsa verde
- 1/2 cup packed cilantro stems and leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- optional: 2 tablespoons vegan mayo
Instructions
- Blend all together until smooth. Add a little more water to thin as desired.
Notes
Vegan Spicy Mayo
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 TBSP sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Blend all together in a high speed blender until very smooth.
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