Simple & Unexpected Ingredients
Dr. Fuhrmans Walnut Vinaigrette Dressing requires only 7 simple ingredients:
- balsamic vinegar
- water
- fresh garlic or garlic powder
- dried thyme
The point is you probably have most of these ingredients hanging out right now in your pantry and I absolutely love that this dressing doesnt require any fresh ingredients to make it happen. So mark my words, youre going to want to always make sure you have these ingredients stocked in your nutritarian pantry!
Hold on. Lets stop right now and talk about the key ingredient: walnuts.
The walnuts here replace the oil conventionally used in balsamic dressings, and Dr. Fuhrman does this for a very good reason.
To Make The Dressing:
Combine 2 tablespoons water, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, the juice from 2 lemons, 1/2 teaspoon curry, a tiny pinch of cayenne and black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup or liquid stevia . *If you use a piece of dried fruit as your sweetener, you may want to let it soak in the water used 30 minutes to soften before making this . For a creamier flavor, add 2 tablespoons either tahini, almond butter or cashew butter in addition to the other ingredients called for. Blend, drizzle, and serve.
Storage & Serving Suggestions
Our herby vegan ranch dip adds some serious flavor to whatever you serve it with! Thanks to the creamy silken tofu, its especially tasty with spicy foods like our crispy cauliflower bites or vegan buffalo tacos.
You can also use it in collard wraps, in sandwiches or on bean burgers! Plus, it makes for a nice dip for pizza rolls or sweet potato fries.
Any leftover ranch can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
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Walnuts Will Rock Your Nutritarian World
According to Dr. Fuhrmans The End of Dieting, numerous studies have shown that people who eat walnuts regularly have half the heart disease rates of those who rarely eat them. Even the smallest amount of these wonder-nuts added to your diet can have heart-protective benefits.
Walnuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids. You know that fat that everybody needs and every product claims to contain? Well, we need them for our heart and brain function, so you can ditch the fish oil supplements and reach for some walnuts instead!
But, by far, the most beautiful thing about walnuts is the fact that they allow more fat to pass through our stool! That means if youre eating them with lets say avocados, your body is going to absorb less of the fat from those avocados! Can I get an a-men?!
Before you go running to the closest Panda Express to order up some Honey Walnut Prawns, remember that the key to getting the most nutrients from nuts and seeds is to eat them raw, and sparingly.
Buzz kill, I know!
But lucky for us we have two daily salads to enjoy this No-Oil Walnut Vinaigrette Dressing with! And if for some reason making this dressing cant happen right now for you, then Dr. Fuhrman has it all bottled-up and ready-to-go for you right here:
Either way youre going to want this goodness in your life and I hope you love this simple oil-free salad dressing recipe as much as I do!
Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
How To Make Vegan Creamy Italian Dressing
It only takes 5 minutes to make this oil-free Italian dressing. You will just blend the raw cashews with the Italian herbs, spices, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, syrup, water and salt/pepper and boom, done. While it sure is delicious straight out of the blender, the true flavor is best after it has chilled and settled in the fridge for a bit. It reaches its optimum flavor that way and thickens even more.
It couldnt be easier either, you only need 8 ingredients :
- raw cashews
Recommended Reading: How To Get Salad Oil Out Of Clothes
No Oil Wfpb Salad Dressing
Fo a creamy texture in our no oil WFPB salad dressing, we use nuts and this gives the dressing healthy fats that help us absorb more of the fat soluble vitamins like vitamin E & vitamin K from our salad greens. There are a lot of dressings using walnuts & cashews, but I decided to try some different nuts for a change pecans.
This salad dressing would also be considered a raw vegan dressing, since you can make it with raw pecans.
My Salad Dressing Is Too Thick What Should I Do
First of all, dont panic. Theres a simple solution. If your dressing seems a little too thick after siting a while in the fridge, add a tablespoon each of plant-based milk and rice wine vinegar to thin it out. If you want less tang, just use the dairy-free milk. Add more or less to create the consistency that is right for you.
Read Also: El Pollo Loco Salad Menu
Tips For Adjusting The Thickness
See the photo above? That was a different batch on a different day, with less water for a thicker, dip consistency.
Whether you plan to drizzle your vegan ranch dressing on salads, use it as a spread for sandwiches or as a dip for raw veggies and vegan wings, the consistency is totally up to you. Isn’t that one of the greatest things about homemade salad dressings?!
Use the lesser amount of water listed in the recipe for a thick dip and the full 5 tablespoons for a thinner salad dressing.
Oil Free Vegan Dressings
Let’s be honest about something.
Vegan eating is ALL about the sauce.
And when I say “sauce” that includes marinades, salsas, dressings, dips…basically anything you can slather on something else.
I would say the majority of my meals include some sort of sauce.
Whether it is dressing for my salad, dip for my veggies or salsa for my burrito.
Now, the problem with some of these store bought sauces is that they are packed full of crazy things.
If I can’t pronounce it, I probably don’t want to be eating it.
And that’s what is so great about these 3 dressings.
They are made from whole, real ingredients.
And they have ZERO added oil.
That sounds pretty awesome, right?
Now, that doesn’t mean there isn’t some natural fats thrown in the mix.
Nuts and avocados are my two favorite natural fats for any meal, but especially a dressing. They make the dressings creamy and also add a nice flavor.
Win win.
The 3 dressings we are making today are an asian dressing, an avocado herb dressing and a creamy cashew dressing.
All of these would be great over a salad, in a buddha bowl or in a wrap.
Make one on a Sunday and you will have dressings for the entire week ready to go in the fridge.
Need more sauce inspo? Check out all of my dips and dressings here.
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.*
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
CREAMY AVOCADO FRESH HERB DRESSING
- Add all ingredients to a food processor.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
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Taras Tips For Perfect Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing:
- Buy the avocados soft OR plan ahead to make your dressing after they have softened.
- To speed up the avocado softening process, place them in a brown paper bag.
- How do you choose the best avocado? A perfectly ripe avocado for this creamy vegan avocado dressing is purple-brown in color and gives a little when you press it
- Use fresh cilantro.
- Adjust water as you go. We like our dressing a little thick BUT you can thin yours out if you like it watery or want to stretch it out over more salads.
- Toss in half of a jalapeno if you like it hot.
- If you have leftovers, put in an airtight glass jar with the avocado pit and an extra splash of lemon juice. This will prevent the avocado from browning.
Need more recipe inspiration :
- 1 tsp pink himalayan sea salt
- water 1 cup: plus more as needed
- juice of one lime + half of one lemon
Directions
- Step 1Place all ingredients in food processor or blender, add water one cup at a time. Blend until smooth and all ingredients well combined. Add up to an additional cup of water to achieve desired salad dressing consistency. Spoon over salad or use as a dip as desired.
Did you make this Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing? Love it? Leave a rating + a comment below!
I love to see your creations! Tag on Instagram and hashtag it #myvegetarianfamily
Be sure to to my weekly emails for tips and recipes so that you never miss a veggie thing!
Tomato Vinaigrette By Hungry Healthy Happy
A dressing can really make or break a salad and this Tomato Vinaigrette definitely makes a salad. Its light, fresh and low in calories, but best of all it is still full of flavor. Blend together some fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and balsamic and you have yourself a salad dressing that is ready in minutes.
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The Best Vegan Ranch Dressing Recipe
I know “best” is a bold statement, but seriously, in my 11 years as a vegan this is the best vegan ranch I’ve tasted yet!
Everyone loves ranch dressing because it’s so versatile. Creamy, milky, mildly herbaceous, garlicky, and just salty enough to make you actually want to eat veggies.
For those of us who prefer our salad dressings on the healthier side, store-bought vegan ranch really isn’t an option. Those are loaded with oil and honestly aren’t even very tasty.
But that’s okay! Because once you realize how easy it is to make healthy vegan ranch dressing at home, you’ll wonder why you ever thought about buying the bottled stuff.
Recently I’ve become interested in developing more allergy-friendly recipes. So after working on my Vegan Pimento Cheese and Pimento Macaroni Salad, both of which were originally made with cashews, I decided to explore seed-based creamy sauces and dressings. And I’m so glad I did! Raw sunflower seeds work like a dream here.
There’s no weird taste from tofu, and without cashews, which can sometimes taste too sweet, it’s totally, 100% savory. Just as ranch should be!
RELATED: Check out this Nut-Free Vegan Mac and Cheese and this versatile Sunflower Seed Dressing. And find more Oil-Free Salad Dressings here!
I suppose I hesitated to experiment with raw sunflower seeds because I thought their naturally nutty flavor might be overpowering. Thankfully I was wrong!
I do think it helps to give the seeds a brief soak first.
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!
Read Also: How To Cook Chicken Salad
Helpful Tips For Making This No Oil Salad Dressing
While theres not much to blending up this batch of salad-friendly sauce, there are few ways to switch it up a bit. Use your imagination to inspire you. Once you get going, you might come up with your own no oil salad dressing!
- Dare To Be More Than Dressing There are more than a few alternative and appealing options for this delicious dressing. Perfect on salads, baked potatoes or sweet potato fries, as a veggie dip, a sassy sauce for falafel or gyros, and even delicious mixed with your chickpea tuna salad instead of vegan mayo.
- Savory Seasoning Substitutions Instead the dill, consider incorporating oregano, chives, basil, cilantro, or parsley. If using the fresh herb rather than the dried, make sure to increase your measurements. For example, 3 tablespoons of fresh equals 1 teaspoon of the dried herb.
- Pleasing Plant Milk Options Creaminess is key to this dressing. Make sure to use an unsweetened, plain plant-based milk with a thicker texture, such as soy or cashew. If you only have a thinner plant milk on hand, add more soaked cashews to the recipe to thicken the consistency.
- SlightlySalt Sensitive? If you are salt-free or trying to reduce your salt, feel free to omit the salt all together. You could even use a salt-free mustard. Substituting with a salt-alternative would work, too.
How To Make Nut
For this vegan ranch dressing, a high-speed blender will give you the creamiest results. But if you don’t mind a bit of texture, a regular blender works, too.
This recipe is a breeze to make. The process looks like this:
You don’t have to do that last step if you really want to use the dressing right away, but it does taste better after it sits.
The flavors of the herbs spread throughout the creamy base, and if you go with fresh garlic instead of dried, the raw garlic bite becomes more mellow.
Also Check: Oil Free Sugar Free Salad Dressing
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.
Yummy + Good For You Too
Havent jumped on the avocado train yet? What are you waiting for?!?!? Check out my article here explaining why you need to be eating more avocados . Not only are they super delicious and versatile, they are loaded with MUFAs which help lower your cholesterol .
Yes, Its Whole Food, Plant-Based
As part of our commitment to #veganuary, we have adopted a whole food, plant-based diet. Check out the details in my article here. What does that mean for salad dressing? Well, that could mean that salad dressing could get very boring and bland especially without dairy or oil. NOT this Creamy Vegan Avocado Dressing ! #veganuary has not only taught us that avoiding all animal products is possible, but that we can create fabulous, yummy recipes without oil, dairy, animal products, or refined ingredients that still taste great!
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Give Your Greens Extra Zip
The Spruce
You don’t have to relegate yourself to a sad desk salad when trying to eat more greens. In addition to stacking your bowl with lots of colors, flavors, and textures, don’t forget the all-important dressing. Bottled salad dressing can get dull and doesn’t taste as fresh as the homemade kind. If you’ve never tried making your own, you may be surprised how easy it is. Try some of these vegan salad dressing recipes to give your salad extra zip.
Vegan Green Goddess Dressing
Before I went dairy-free, one of my all-time favorite dressings was Newman’s Own Green Goddess. It was herby, it was creamy, it was tangy and it was SO yum! Butit has sour cream, expeller pressed canola oil, and sugar, all of which I don’t like to eat anymore.
So I developed my own version of green goddess dressing using vegan coconut yogurt, fresh herbs, and maple syrup. I have to say it tastes even better than Newman’s Own.
Vegan Green Goddess goes well with:
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Why Do I Make And Prefer Fat Free Raw Or Vegan Salad Dressings
Well because salad is supposed to be healthy and full of nutrients, and not be a fat bomb of a meal. When I was at the Houston, TX airport we grabbed a bite to eat at Wendys and I was just curiously looking around me at what other families were getting. I noticed the woman beside me was eating what she thought was a really healthy meal, because there were no burgers or fries in sight: a BLT Cobb Chicken Salad, a cup of chili and a large soda.
Now I dont know if you know this, but all restaurants and fast food companies market their salads to women, especially mothers and older women who are trying to eat healthier, watch their weight as their children and husbands love ordering a burger and fries regularly. Everyone generally thinks burgers and fries are less healthy and salads are on the top of the list of healthy meals so this can be misleading when it comes down to the details.
The woman who ordered this was also probably 35-45 lbs over her ideal weight. I dont say this to be critical, just to give you an idea of who buys these fast food salads and how they are being seriously deceived. The thing that shocked me the most was that she squeezed every last drop of dressing out of her packet and then proceeded to suck on the packet just to double check! Gross! I thought people knew these dressings were very fatty and to only use half the packet or less. I guess not in Texas