I Cant Believe Its Cashew Ranch Dressing
Just when you thought youd never get to enjoy ranch dressing without a bunch of a processed substitutes!
Another Sid and Lisa creation, this one will even impress your omnivore friends and leave them shaking their heads, saying, I cant believe its cashew. Hence the clever name.
How to Use It:
I think everyone knows how to use a Ranch dressing, but I love to throw this on big salads with roasted veggies, chickpeas, and tomatoes, and toss in some pumpkin seeds for crunch.
We also use it as a dipping sauce for veggies.
The Recipe:
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper or, to taste
- Optional: 1 tsp hot sauce
Blend all ingredients till creamy and smooth. Make sure not to blend so long that it gets hot. If too thick, add more water.
This dressing thickens in fridge, so add a little water as needed to thin before using.
What About Homemade Salad Dressing
I hope you arent getting the idea that all salad dressings are bad. Or that you have to eat your lettuce and carrots like rabbits do, completely undressed. In addition to some clean brands and varieties of organic commercial dressings, theres always homemade. Not only can you control all the ingredients, but theyre much cheaper than store-bought, and fresher, too.
But even though youre probably not adding your own red dye #40 or MSG, a lot of homemade dressings still use oil as one of the first two ingredients. After all, the simplest dressing of all is called oil and vinegar. And it turns out, that might not be the healthiest option either.
Spicy Avocado Citrus Dressing
This dressing combines sweet, spicy, herby, and creamy into a very flavorful package. Drizzle it over a salad, slather it on grilled veggies, or use it as a dip. It particularly excels with Mexican-inspired flavors. It’s everything you love about guacamole, but in a citrusy salad dressing form!
- Ripe avocado
- 1 tsp cumin
- 0.5 tsp salt
Combine all of the ingredients except the avocado in a blender or food processor and blend until combined. Add the avocado and blend another 5-10 seconds. This will make about a cup of dressing.
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Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
I posted this in Instagram and you all went crazy for it, so here’s a more detailed description!
This is a creamy, dreamy, herby dressing that gets its wonderful texture from avocado! It’s a versatile dressing that is wonderful drizzled on absolutely anything from salad to grilled veggies to grilled protein . Switch it up by using different citrus or different herbs to match what flavor profile you’re working with.
- One ripe avocado
- Generous pinch of sea salt
- Splash of water as needed to thin out the dressing
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add a bit of water as needed to reach your desired consistency you may want a thinner consistency for a salad dressing and a thicker one for a sauce. This will make about a cup and a half of dressing.
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Green Smoothie Detox.drop a whole dress size in one montheat on the go natural ingredientssimple and quick to makedelicious
This is the best recipe when you want something light but warming! The fragrant cumin seeds give the carrots so much flavour and the lentils are deliciously filling. Big dollops of creamy cashew cheese really bring the whole thing together. It tastes great cold the next day too!
~Ella, DELICIOUSLY ELLA
5) Epic Plant-powered Chopped Salad
This epic plant-powered chopped salad is packed with crisp, refreshing veggies and whole food ingredients. It comes together in about 30 minutes and is made with chopped romaine, arugula, grated zucchini , artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, tomatoes, carrots, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, and the most dreamy basil ranch dressing.
~Ashley, BLISSFUL BASIL
6) Roman Chickpea Tu-No Salad
A quick, oil-free dressing is made from tahini, Dijon mustard, and capers. Mediterranean Roman flavor comes from a colorful mix of sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, olives, and more. This plant-based, gluten-free, vegan recipe is a snap to make, and it gets even better the next day.
~Katie, PLANTS-RULE
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How To Make Dinner Salads For Four
Dinner salads dont have to be about lettuce and a few boring vegetables. I like to start with garden fresh vegetables and go from there. I almost always have some type of lettuce, but you can switch it up with leafy greens, spinach, arugula, dandelion greens or a combination. See which lettuce looks the best and give it a try.
For every two cups of greens, I like to add one cup of cut vegetables. Look for whats fresh at the farmers market or in the produce aisle at your local grocery store. It doesnt have to be the same vegetables every time thats what makes it fun and interesting. I like mixing it up with carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
To make dinner salads for four, youll need about 8 cups of salad total. Since were using two cups of lettuce for every cup of vegetables, that makes the recipe look something like this:
- 6 cups loose greens, such as lettuce, spinach, arugula, or dandelion greens.
- 2 cup cut vegetables, such as carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
You can toss everything together in a large bowl and add one of the 6 plant based oil-free salad dressing recipes below. Each recipe creates enough salad dressing to make four, large well-coated dinner salads. If you want to make more than just one nights worth of salad, multiply the ingredients by four which will make enough dressing to fill a recycled salad dressing jar.
Easy Plant Based Salads That Are Actually Filling
Whether youre considering going plant based or have already made the switch to a plant based lifestyle, you may be wondering what delicious and filling recipes you can make. If you think eating plant based salads will leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied, think again. Here are 30 of our favourite salad recipes youre going to absolutely love!
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Simple Girl Citrus Ginger
Simple Girl Citrus Ginger goes in a completely different direction than the creamy Caesar, but its no less delicious and no less nutritious! The citrus ginger flavor offers a bright kick to any salad and goes well with toppings like tomatoes or fruits. The dressing is sugar-free and oil-free in addition to being organic and kosher. It also has only three calories, as well as no fat or carbs. All of these things combined mean that its allowable within pretty much any set of dietary restrictions or lifestyle choices.
The ingredients here include apple cider vinegar, onion powder, sea salt, garlic powder, stevia leaf extract, monk fruit extract, natural flavors, and a few spices. Its minimal, tasty, and makes for some of the healthiest salads youve ever had. If you want to mix things up a little, it can also double as a marinade!
Lastly, many customers love purchasing from Simple Girl not only for their quality, plant-based products but because they are passionate about giving back. They support many different causes and charities with their profits, including sea turtle rehab efforts, camps for kids, marine animal rescues, and many more!
Vegan Maple Mustard Dressing
Sweet and tangy homemade vegan Maple Mustard Dressing whips up in a matter of seconds! Think of it as a creamy, non-dairy, bee-free version of honey mustard dressing. Pour it over your salads, use it as a sauce for roasted veggies, or drizzle it over any dish that could use a little flavor boost.
Vegan blue cheese dressing combines the best of creamy and tangy textures and flavors.
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Best Plant Based Salad Recipes
Today I want to share something that might come as a bit of surprise.
Can you guess what it will be?
It is about my favorite meal of all times.
And Im pretty sure youll be guessing brownies, cupcakes, puddings, and all kinds of delicious sweet treats.
Am I right?
Well, guess again, because my favorite meal is the humble salad!
Yes, you read that right, salads are my favorite sit down meals.
Now, dont make that face because salads are not only incredibly good for you, but they are so deliciously filling and versatile.
You start off with a base of leafy greens and you dont even need to stick to lettuce here, arugula, kale, spinach, chard The options are endless.
You top the greens off with a whole array of fresh crunchy veggies.
You then add a bit protein with some hearty beans, lentils, quinoa, or whatever healthy protein source youre in the mood for.
You follow with some chewy bits of texture nuts, seeds, unsweetened dried fruits, or even toasted coconut flakes.
Then, for the fun part, you can play around with dressings. Honey mustard, creamy avocado, tahini maple, lemony hummus You really cant go wrong with any of these.
So, you have your nutritious greens and veggies, your filling protein, some crunchy bits of texture from the nuts and dried fruit, and a creamy dressing to bring it all together in just one bowl. Not to mention all of the nutrients that youll get from eating a simple salad each day. Whats not to love?
Tahini Caper Salad Dressing
The Spruce / Miri Rotkovitz
If you’ve never tried cooking with capers, try mixing up this tahini caper salad dressing. Capers have a briny, salty flavor that pairs beautifully with creamy, nutty tahini and bright lemon juice. Toss this dressing with greens or a grain-based dish for a different twist.
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Delicious Vegan Salad Dressings
Vegan Salad Dressings are delicious! Here are 40 recipes from some of the best plant-based recipes developers! Take your pick from creamy tahini-based recipes or blue cheeses or go light and refreshing with citrus or fruit vinaigrettes!!
Check out how beautiful the colors are in these creative and lovely dressings!
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Classic Olive Oil And Vinegar
One of my favorite store-bought salad dressings is Newmans Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing, says Elysia Cartlidge, MAN, RD. It is lower in sodium than a lot of salad dressings out there and contains no added sugar. Plus, its versatile enough to go with different types of salads leafy green, quinoa, and pasta salads are just a few of my favorites.
Buy: Newmans Own Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing, $2.69 for 9 ounces at Instacart
Dont see your favorite on the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
Rebecca Jaspan, MPH, RD, CDN, CDCES earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and her Masters of Public Health from the CUNY School of Public Health in New York City.After completing her Dietetic Internship through Hunter College, she practiced as a clinical dietitian at Bronx Lebanon Hospital providing care for patients with diabetes, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, as well as critically ill tube fed patients. After becoming a Certified Diabetes Educator, Rebecca went on to assume the role of Clinical Administrative Dietitian at Montefiore Medical Center where she directed the outpatient nutrition program at Montefiores ambulatory hospital. Rebecca is currently in private practice with Laura Cipullo Whole Nutrition Services in New York City where she specializes in eating disorders and disordered eating.
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Ways To Go Oil Free With Your Salad Dressings
Oil can add flavor, moisture, and mouthfeel to a salad. And it can serve as an effective transport mechanism for fat-soluble nutrients and flavorings. But its not the only way to accomplish any of these functions. If youre unsure of what to put on a salad, you can substitute other whole foods that contain fat, or even make your dressings completely fat-free.
Some more whole food alternatives to oil include tahini , nuts, seeds, or beans pureed in a blender with a little water, lemon juice, vinegar, or soy sauce, pureed organic tofu, avocados, and plant-based yogurts.
Creamy Dill And Chives
This creamy, delicious recipe is a unique combination of pureed corn and a variety of interesting spices that work very well together. The recipe calls for simple ingredients like lemon juice, yellow corn, fresh dill, mustard, black salt, pepper, and fresh chives. Though easy and seemingly basic, these things come together to create what could very well be your new favorite dressing.
Its also quite versatile, doing just as well over greens and veggies as it is in a potato or pasta salad!
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Why You Might Want To Make Oil Free Salad Dressings
One of the main health benefits of a salad is a very high nutrient to calorie ratio. A pound of raw greens, for example, contains around 100 calories. For a visual, the large plastic clamshell containers of mixed greens at the supermarket weigh one pound. You would be hard-pressed to eat that entire container all at once, especially if you added some carrot shreds and sliced red onion, cucumber, and radish for variety and texture. A more realistic portion of that mixed green salad is a quarter-pound, which would, after adding in some bonus veggies, yield around 60 calories. So far, so good.
Now add your oil-based salad dressing. Lets stick to the serving size of two tablespoons just for the sake of argument. A serving of dressing thats 50% oil would, therefore, include one tablespoon of oil, which contains 120 calories. Suddenly your 60 calorie salad is now a 180 calorie salad. And two-thirds of the calories are coming from the oil in the dressing. So while your eyes can fool you into thinking that youre eating a large salad with a little bit of dressing, your metabolism is actually dealing with a large amount of dressing with a small side of salad.
Oil is theres no way around it a highly processed food. Its had all of the fiber, protein, and most of the phytonutrients removed from whatever it was made from, creating a product that is pretty far from what nature intended.
Healthy Oil Free Salad Dressing Recipes
Check out our delicious oil-free salad dressings below. And have fun dressing your salad in ways that are both delicious and healthy. Theres no reason to deprive yourself of filling, interesting, and super-healthy salads. Or to skimp on the flavor and mouthfeel of creamy, tangy, spicy, smooth, sweet, or umami dressings. The world is your salad go dress it!
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Pro Tips & Substitutions
- These ingredients can be switched out with other variations if desired. For instance, though the recipe calls for balsamic vinegar, other vinegar such as pomegranate, red wine, as well as others can be substituted.
- The same goes for the mustard. I personally like Dijon in this dressing, but brown spicy, yellow, and others would likely be delicious too.
- If maple syrup isnt a favorite for you, try agave, brown rice syrup, or another sweetener of your choice.
- Another 3-ingredient oil-free salad dressing that I love is this 5-Minute Tangy Vinegar Dressing that is actually from my favorite Thai restaurant where they use it as a dipping sauce for their fresh garden spring rolls.
Esselstyn 3-2-1 Dressing was created by a chef named Jane Esselstyn. She is the daughter of Dr. B. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., M.D., author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
Fresh Flavorful Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes
Looking for a vegan salad dressing recipe with no added oil? Weve got you covered. Bursting with flavor from fruits, veggies, herbs, and spices, here are 14 delicious plant-based salad dressings, including classics like ranch, balsamic, Dijon, and lots more. Theyre a snap to make and taste amazing. Prefer something ready-made? Try one of our gourmet low-fat dressings.
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Easy Peanut Salad Dressing
This creamy, slightly spicy dressing is perfect for a Thai-inspired salad of mixed greens and other veggies.
Bonus, this peanut dressing is multi-use! Add it to ramen and curry, use it for stir-fries, or serve it as a dip.
Its so easy. You just throw everything into a blender and wait until smooth.
How To Make Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing
Youre just about 5 minutes away from an incredible salad dressing!
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Olive Gardens Signature Italian
The second dressing, Olive Gardens Signature Italian, is slightly cleaner, but is still full of problematic ingredients:
Again, we see soybean oil, sugar, eggs, and dairy products , and that sneaky natural flavor. Oh yes, and the vinegar is white vinegar, most of which comes from GMO corn.
Both dressings contain dairy, which is high in heart-attack promoting saturated fat. Dairy also contains the protein casein, which has been shown to stimulate cancer development in rodents, increase the risk of heart disease, and may contribute to immune dysregulation and digestive problems. Additionally, most of the worlds human population lacks the genetic adaptation to digest lactose, the primary milk sugar.
And check out the sodium contents of the two dressings. Just two tablespoons of ranch give you 260 milligrams of sodium, while the same amount of Italian delivers a whopping 540 mg. Just that little bit of Italian dressing uses up a fourth to a third of your total healthy sodium allowance. Whats the problem with excess sodium? Too much salt in the diet causes high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, and can lead to type 2 diabetes.