Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes
My simplest tip for anyone who wants to eat more vegetables and enjoy them! is to start making a healthy salad dressing at home. Made with a base of extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or Greek yogurt, itll be more nutritious than any bottled dressing you can find at the store. But thats not all itll taste better, too.
Unlike most store-bought dressings, a homemade healthy salad dressing isnt designed to keep for months on end. That means that it can be made with fresh ingredients like herbs, garlic, and avocado. They may not last for weeks on a supermarket shelf, but they will add bold flavor to a homemade dressing. Try making one I think youll find that salad has never tasted so good!
Ingredients In The Ultimate Lebanese Salad Dressing
So yes, pomegranate molasses is essential. This is a syrup made of pure pomegranate juice. Can you make it yourself by reducing pomegranate juice stovetop? I suppose, but the truth is that the good bottles of this nectar are made with a sour pomegranate. There are sour and there are sweet pomegranates. The juice we drink is sweet. So no, just buy a quality bottle and youll use the heck out of it!
Vinegar, or acidity, is also important. Use fresh lemon juice. Or, my favorite vinegar that I dont seem to salad without: unseasoned rice vinegar. I use bottle after bottle of rice vinegar. Such a smooth flavor.
Sumac. Another bright, citrusy flavor lending much harmony to your ultimate vinagrette. Use some in the dressing and then dust the top of the salad with more before serving. Really pretty and so appetizing.
Dried Mint. You know the Lebanese can NOT eat salata of any kind without a crush of dried mint over top. This is what led me to create my Mint Salt spicessometimes I just dont have dried mint from my garden handy and so I want to reach for a jar at-the-ready. Again, in the vinaigrette and on the salad to finish.
Olive Oil. Extra Virgin. Get a good one and use it in salads every day! Now youre living the Mediterranean diet like native, and loving the flavor of that!
What Do I Need To Make A Balsamic Vinaigrette
This dressing is very thin, and it doesnt require much effort to mix, so all you really need to make it is a mason jar with a good lid. Add your ingredients, shake until theyre combined, and refrigerate until youre ready to use it. It is that simple! You can use a blender or food processor if you want, but its definitely not necessary.
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Can You Cook With Olive Oil
A common misconception about gourmet olive oil is that you cant cook with it. In fact, you can cook with olive oileven the flavored variety. Heres how:
Extra-virgin olive oil has a smoke point of 390 degrees F. Exceeding it not only causes the oil to smoke, but also affects the flavor. Its best to use EVOO for sautéing at temperatures between 310 and 350 degrees.
Sautéing is an incredibly versatile cooking method for vegetables, meats and seafood, along with other dishes such as stir-fry and paella. Its done on the stovetop at approximately 310 to 350 degrees, which is well below the EVOO smoke point.
Its easy to create a restaurant-quality sautéed dish at home. All you need is a medium to large saute pana fry pan or wok also works. Simply heat your olive oil on the low-medium or medium setting, add the desired ingredients and cook for 20-40 minutes on average. Youll know the veggies are done when theyre tender different vegetables cook at different speeds.
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Simple Ingredients You’ll Need To Become A Salad Dressing Master
The simplest form of all salad dressing recipes will require only 3 ingredients: olive oil, acid, and salt. These ingredients should all be pantry staples. To make the salad dressings in this post consider stocking your pantry/fridge with the following.
- Good Olive Oil Really good olive oil is the base of all good things. I am currently loving this small batch locally produced olive oil from Clean Slate Farms. The olives are organically grown in California and the olive oil is produced in upstate New York. You can purchase Clean Slate Farms’ small batch made Olive oil and Vinegar and other wonderful New York local products on Shop Taste NY.
- Acid This can be fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- Fresh Garlic Great in some dressings, in others I prefer garlic powder
- Salt and Pepper always, always, always salt your greens. Always.
- Fresh and/or Dried Herbs Fresh thyme, tarragon, and parsley are always welcome companions to salad dressing. I also love dried oregano , garlic powder, and sometimes I’ll even throw in some citrusy sumac.
- Parmesean I use this only in my Caeser-ish dressing, and I use only the best freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
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Healthy Red Wine Vinegar Dressing
Here’s another classic salad dressing you need to have in your recipe book. My Healthy Red Wine Vinegar Dressing is a bit heavier on the vinegar to keep the calorie count lower. It gets lots of flavor from lemon and more herbs.
Serve in almost any salad where you’d use a vinegarette. It’s also the perfect addition to my Mediterranean Quinoa Salad.
When It Comes To Eating Right Not All Salad Dressings Are Created Equal Find The Healthiest Salad Dressing For You With The Roundup Below
We know a fresh salad packed with green vegetables is good for us, but a salad is only as good as the dressing you choose to put on top. In general, salad dressings are either oil-based or cream-based. This distinction is important to know when deciphering whether or not a given product is healthy. Generally speaking, the healthiest salad dressing will be a vinaigrette like balsamic or oil and vinegar, while Caesar, ranch or anything with the word creamy will be the unhealthiest.
The exception? We like products made with healthy swapsthink Greek yogurt in place of mayo or heavy cream. Looking carefully at the list of ingredients will help you understand which salad dressings are healthy and unhealthy choices.
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Healthy Homemade Salad Dressings
Healthy homemade salad dressing recipes that are super easy to make from a basic balsamic vinaigrette to peanut, honey mustard and cilantro lime. All dressings are gluten-free, vegan-friendly and paleo-friendly.
Regular readers know that I could practically live on salads because I love them so much. Theyre such an easy option for healthy eating because you can literally toss a protein and healthy fat over a bed of greens with a ton of veggies or a whole grain and youve got yourself a delicious meal.
And honestly salads are all about the toppings! Yes, the greens are important, but if you have a ton of flavorful toppings you might not even need a dressing. A drizzle of good balsamic vinegar, a scoop of hummus or even hot sauce will do the trick. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but I put hot sauce on everything even salad.
That said, there are definitely times when Im in the mood for a salad with actual dressing. For times like this I like to whip out one of my homemade salad dressing recipes. The six Im sharing are my go-tos. I make them all the time, but theyve never really been featured on the blog because theyre all hidden within different salad recipes. Now theyre all are in one spot for easy reference.
The Ultimate Lebanese Salad Dressing
This is Pomegranate Vinaigrette, the ultimate Lebanese Salad Dressing! And the only dressing you need to gild nearly every salad with bright, delicious flavor. I love it so much Ive got all of the best ingredients for you over in my online shop here. Shop spices, pomegranate molasses, and olive oil.
I say it often, that Lebanese Fattoush Salad is my all-time favorite. I eat it every week, and so on. Fattoush is known for its inclusion of crunchy pita chips, like an Italian panzanella.
And those crunchy chips-in-salad earn their fame, for texture and flavor and wow-factor.
But not to be overlooked here is the fattoush vinaigrette. My version of this ultimate Lebanese salad dressing was built over time. At first, I made a lemon vinaigrette that is so essential for Lebanese salads. A hit of garlic, the key dried mint. Then my friend Janet, who is not at all Lebanese herself but her husband sure is, and so too then her children, schooled me in the ladies room at a culinary conference we were both attending years back.
That dressing! The pomegranate molasses is the flavor! And with that she brought her fingertips together in a point and kissed them to her lips with that universal Mediterranean love language for this is delicious. God bless you Janet. I went directly home and started in on my pomegranate vinaigrette.
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Note On Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
How To Make Healthy Delicious Salad Dressing
Instead of purchasing pre-made salad dressings, you can make your own with a few fresh, nutritious ingredients. Homemade dressings require little effort to create. In fact, all that is required is a little imagination.
You can mix a tasty concoction with as few as three ingredients. Or, you can combine more, depending on your taste preferences. All you need is a healthy fat for a base, and then you can choose vinegar or citrus fruits to give it an acidic punch. Next, you will add herbs, spices, and seasonings.
Aside from creating something delicious and fresh, making your own salad dressing also allows you to control how much salt, sugar, and other ingredients you include in your diet. For instance, salad dressings sold in grocery stores sometimes contain unnatural preservatives or stabilizers.
They also may contain flavors and ingredients that you may be allergic to or want to limit in your diet. Here is what you need to know about creating a healthy, delicious salad dressing.
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Simple House Salad In The Bowl Method
This is a method more than a recipe so I made you a video.
I typically use this method for my house salad of simple greens but feel free to add any veggies or toppings that you’d like.
The Method:
Salads And The Best Homemade Olive Oil & Lemon Salad Dressing Recipe
BY Liz
Youre not alone if you still struggle to fill half your plate with fruits and veggies. But exactly HOW much should you eat each day? Depending on your age, weight, gender, and activity level, MyPlate recommends 1 to 2 cups of fruit a day and 1 to 3 cups of vegetables a day. You can learn more over at MyPlate. In the meantime, if youre looking for a simple, delicious and nourishing solution to your produce conundrum, I say: EAT MORE SALADS!
Salads are colorful and crunchy, and they provide your body with nutrients like vitamins A, C and K and minerals like potassium. They also provide important fiber to your diet.
In this post, Ive got three sensational salad ideas and a homemade dressing recipe to make your salad dreams come true. For the salads, you dont need an actual recipe. Just riff. For the dressing, Ive given you the proportions of oil, acid, and mix-ins that I like to use.
Tuna Salad Niçoise:
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Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cold Pressed
Colavita is a traditional, family brand of olive oils that has expanded to become international without compromising the quality of its sourcing locations.
It has one of the largest olive oil bottling facilities in all of Italy, arguably the pinnacle of olive oil production.
Key Features:
- Imported from Italy, sourced from some of the most reputable groves in all of Europe
- Tested and approved for quality and authenticity from the North American Olive Oil Association and the National Olive Council
- A favorite of Mens Health Magazine, who has awarded it the title of Best everyday cooking oil twice
Biggest Drawback: Sadly, this olive oil is packaged in plastic. It is a BPA, dark-colored plastic, but plastic nonetheless. Ideally, your olive oil should be kept in a dark, glass jar, or, failing that, a quality metal can, for best quality.
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Hendricksons Dressing Original Sweet Vinegar And Olive Oil 16 Fl Oz
- Farm To Market EVOO: Farm to Market 100% extra virgin olive oil is a versatile, multi-use condiment, making it an essential kitchen staple.
- High-Quality Ingredients: Adhering to the highest standards, including Quality Assurance on the Global Food Safety Initiative, Farm to Market olive oil is NGMO project verified.
- Healthy Fats And Antioxidants: With a high nutritional content at the time of harvest, our cold pressed extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants, known for eliminating cell-damaging free radical molecules.
- Cold Pressed Olive Oil: Our EVOO is first cold pressed, the preferred production method because no heat or chemical additives were used to extract the oil.
- Great Flavor for Cooking: Recommended by top chefs as well as the many Farm to Market fans, our NGMO Extra Virgin Olive Oil is known for its Robust characteristics of fruity aromatics and smooth, buttery flavor.
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How To Make Healthy Homemade Salad Dressing:
I have full instructions for each salad dressing recipe in my individual recipes but heres a basic idea on how to make them.
Taste Adjust Seasonings And Serve
Once its mixed, just taste and adjust the seasonings if you like, and youre good to go. Tasting tip: For the most accurate idea of what the dressing will taste like on your salad, dip a leaf into the dressing, shake off the excess, and try.
If youre not serving your vinaigrette right away, you may have to shake it again right before serving. But heres where the bonus of a couple of the add-ins come into play: both Dijon mustard and honey help emulsify the dressing, which keeps it together longer. So consider adding one or both of these if youre entertaining and dont want the embarrassment of a broken-down dressing or if you are just plain tired of shaking.
And thats it!
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+ Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes You Should Make At Home
Whenever I tell someone I love healthy food, the first thing they inevitably ask me is if I eat salad all day. Heres the truth for you: I actually dont really like salad that much. I am definitely not one of those people who grab a mixing bowl from the cabinet, dump in a bunch of greens, and happily go to town. I am not a rabbit, and I dont enjoy eating like one.
For me, for a salad to be good, it has to be something substantial. It has to have a great mix of flavors, textures, and really good dressing. I love veggies, but lets call a spade a spadeveggies can be boring-tastic if you dont do something to spice them up a little bit. And a good salad dressing goes a looooooong way to making veggies exciting .
Try Using These Vinegar Or Acid Options
Try using any of the following for the acid in your salad dressing: Balsamic vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar can be used, but you will most likely want to add a bit of sugar, honey, or another sweetener to the mix. Lemon juice, lime juice, or any citrus juice can also work.
If you have IBS or food sensitivities, be sure to check your vinegar or juice before using it! Some of the vinegars recommended above are not low FODMAP.
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