Oil-Free Salad Dressings – Center for Nutrition Studies

Folks typically say cheese is the toughest factor they’d to surrender when adopting an entire meals, plant-based (WFPB) eating regimen, however for me, it was oil. I needed to be satisfied that I might make meals style good with out oil, and after a lot experimentation, I noticed the sunshine. The query then grew to become, “How do you change the oil?” Fortunately, there are a lot of selections, and every has its pluses and minuses.

I’ve a number of salad dressing recipes that modify of their elements relying on the season and my temper. Selection makes my well being journey simpler, and having a dressing that I like will get me to eat extra of nature’s finest meals—greens. Listed below are a few of my favourite methods to switch oil in most conventional salad dressing recipes.

1. Water and arrowroot powder. This foolproof approach has been round for a very long time: mix 1 cup of water with 1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder in a small saucepan over medium warmth, and cook dinner till thickened. The arrowroot powder has a really impartial taste, so it doesn’t have an effect on the flavour of the dressing, solely the consistency. Simply be certain to let it cool earlier than including it to your salad dressing.
2. Silken tofu. I’ve made many salad dressings utilizing silken tofu. It’s creamy proper out of the field. Use 1 cup of tofu for each cup of oil referred to as for within the recipe. The largest draw back to utilizing silken tofu is that its taste can have an effect on the style of the dressing, particularly when you have a mild-flavored recipe.
3. Unsweetened applesauce. That is my newest and favourite substitute for oil in a salad dressing. I’ve used it as an oil substitute in baking for years, however till just lately, I by no means considered utilizing it for a salad dressing. It really works particularly properly if you course of it in a blender as a result of mixing prompts the pectin within the fruit, which in flip acts as a thickener. Additionally, the applesauce barely provides a taste to the dressing, so it really works properly in dressings with a light taste. If you happen to don’t have applesauce round, you can even use a peeled, cored, and chopped apple. Add it to the blender with the remaining elements and course of it till easy.
4. Flax seeds. Flax seeds are nice emulsifiers in salad dressings, plus you get the added bonus of all that omega-3 motion in your eating regimen. So as to add it to your dressing, grind the flaxseeds in a spice mill earlier than including them to the water or no matter liquid you might be utilizing to make your dressing. By no means maintain floor flaxseed round. It goes unhealthy shortly when saved that method.
5. Nuts or seeds. Nuts and seeds reminiscent of sunflower seeds add nice heft to salad dressings. Most recipes recommend soaking them first and utilizing them uncooked in your dressing in order that they are going to add minimal taste, however I desire toasting my nuts and seeds, as toasting offers an additional burst of taste to any recipe. I do, nevertheless, buy my nuts and seeds uncooked for 2 causes: 1) they maintain longer, and a pair of) it retains me from snacking on them mindlessly. To make use of nuts and seeds in your recipe, you have to ¼ cup for many recipes calling for 1½ cups of liquid. You possibly can modify the amount to your style.
6. Avocado. Avocado is a well-liked emulsifier in salad dressings partially as a result of it provides creaminess, and in addition, who doesn’t like avocado? There are two causes I don’t use it extra typically: 1) it’s so excessive in fats, and a pair of) I by no means know when my avocado goes to be completely ripe for a recipe (in fact, you may freeze them when they’re ripe and thaw them within the fridge earlier than utilizing them, however that requires pondering forward). To make use of it in a recipe, you may substitute half as a lot avocado as the quantity of oil that’s referred to as for. And, in fact, that you must course of it in a blender or meals processor to make it creamy. Substitute the opposite half of the oil with another liquid like water.
7. Tahini and nut butters. Nut and seed butters are nice in oil-free salad dressings as a result of they’re pure emulsifiers, they usually simply make a creamy dressing. However, in addition they add plenty of fats to a dressing, so use them sparingly. Fortunately, you solely want just a few tablespoons of any nut or seed butter to thicken a dressing.
8. Beans. Beans are one among my favourite thickeners for salad dressing, particularly once I need a creamy dressing. I like milder beans (navy, cannellini, Nice Northern, or garbanzo beans), and I normally change the oil 1 for 1 with the beans.
9. Hummus. You can add hummus to the bean class, however it’s a fashionable, versatile salad dressing all by itself. You can add curry spices or contemporary or dried herbs to it. Yum!

From the upcoming cookbook Desk For One, by Del Sroufe

I like this dressing on freshly steamed greens as a lot as I do on salad greens. It is stuffed with taste with out being overwhelming.

Creamy Contemporary Herb Dressing

Makes about 2 cups

¼ cup contemporary spinach leaves
1 inexperienced onion, chopped
1 Tbsp minced shallot
1½ cups cooked navy beans (or no matter white bean you’ve gotten readily available)
¼ cup watercress, leaves solely
¼ cup parsley, leaves solely
1 Tbsp contemporary tarragon
2 Tbsp contemporary chives
½–1 cup water, as wanted

Instructions

1. Carry 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the spinach, inexperienced onion, and shallot, and boil for two minutes.
2. Pressure the greens in a colander, then run chilly water over them to cease their cooking. Pat them dry.
3. Add the greens to a meals processor with the remaining elements, and puree till easy and creamy.
4. Retailer refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as seven days.