Any good salad dressing recipes?

[FrederickSebastian]

Hi,

 

I have recently started CRON-dieting and am not sure if I am doing it right (see my other recent post). I am trying to do a diet based on salads for a few months then jump into other things as I find recipes I like and things that will work for me. For now, since I am sticking to mainly salads can anyone suggest any of their favorite CRON salad dressing recipes. I would buy like Kraft or Ken's but they have so many chemicals and are not really as healthy as I had hoped. I can make my own but I really want them to be tasty. Red wine vinegar and olive oil alone are so boring! Does any one have any really tasty low-calorie salad dressings they have used over the years that they'd be willing to share?

 

I'd appreciate it...

 

Thanks!

 

Fred

[Thomas G]

Dr. Fuhrman has a number of good salad dressing recipes:

https://www.drfuhrman.com/recipes/categories/3/salads-dressings-dips-and-sauces

I've also made this salad dressing many times and love it:

https://www.lighter.world/recipe/56c4970af83f55a2e4d91b68?ref=provider

Many days I just mix up some version of vinegar with some homemade mustard for a quick dressing.

[FrederickSebastian]

Thomas G. Amazing. Lots of options -- just like I was looking for... thank you!

[Todd Allen]

I mix up salad dressing in 1 quart mason jars and typically go through a couple a week.  I often make mine with combinations of ingredients inspired by traditional dishes or sauces such as pesto, baba ghanoush, tzatziki, hummous, salsas,  curries, etc.

Not being vegan I'll also use ingredients like anchovies, sardines, cultured creams, cheeses, egg yolks and many varieties of meats and fats so I've got a wide palette of interesting strong flavors.

Edited April 1, 2019 by Todd Allen

[FrederickSebastian]

Todd -- are these dressings you make very low in calories? I am now making salad with cabbage slaw and (trying to make it with) lots of shredded iceberg lettuce to add substance. I like the shredded iceberg cause you can add TONS with barely any calories -- the problem is dressing it! I can see a 400 calorie meal easily turning into a 1000 calorie meal. What do you think? Any sample recipes? Please keep in mind that I am trying to go vegetarian but will allow anchovies in caesar dressing and since i'm lacto-ovo dairy and eggs are fine...

[Saul]

IMO, best to get sed to using no dressing.

Alternatively, use a nice pure vinegar -- such as unsweetened, unflavored rice vinegar.

  ==  Saul

[Todd Allen]

3 hours ago, FrederickSebastian said:

Todd -- are these dressings you make very low in calories? I am now making salad with cabbage slaw and (trying to make it with) lots of shredded iceberg lettuce to add substance.

Commonly vinaigrettes are 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar so by that standard my dressings might be considered low calorie but I tend to use twice as much or more so the dressing is still the main source of calories in most of my meals.  The dressings I make vary a lot but probably average about 33% fat by volume, mostly evoo though I make an effort to have a lot of diversity in my fat sources.  The added volume in my dressings often comes from veg/fruit with high water content such as garlic, onions, eggplant, tomatoes, and lemon,  and from high fiber seeds often ground, such as mustard, flax, chia, sesame, sunflower,  almonds, pine nuts, coconut, fennel, caraway and cumin which can incorporate additional water in a creamy emulsion.

Iceberg lettuce has low nutrient density compared to most every other green such as spinach, kale, chard, leaf lettuces, etc.

 

[FrederickSebastian]

22 minutes ago, Todd Allen said:

 

Iceberg lettuce has low nutrient density compared to most every other green such as spinach, kale, chard, leaf lettuces, etc.

 

I know. I'm just too lazy to cut up romaine into noodle-shaped strands that twirl better on a fork than the pre-chopped square-shaped romaine. My goal is to be in the habit of cutting up romaine into straw-like strands by 2020, but for now a half a year of iceberg instead isn't gonna kill me. This is a long term thing... I absolutely HATE to fiddle around and stab at my salad when (if it's cut properly) I can just twirl it on a fork like a noodle. One exception I make is baby spinach because I absolutely LOVE baby spinach with ranch dressing, sesame oil and hard-boiled eggs (maybe even a little bacon bits - which are VEGAN btw)... This is a recipe I made up myself... I'll look into putting sesame seeds in my dressings as sesame oil is my FAVORITE source of fat... Thanks for the help!

[Todd Allen]

46 minutes ago, FrederickSebastian said:

I'll look into putting sesame seeds in my dressings as sesame oil is my FAVORITE source of fat...

Tahini, ground sesame paste,  is great in dressings and is probably more healthful than sesame oil which loses the fiber and desirable phytochemicals in the extraction and refining processes.   I prefer raw vs roasted tahini and store it refrigerated to minimize rancidity.  Grinding or mashing it yourself from whole fresh seed might be best but premade still ought to be better healthwise than oil.

[FrederickSebastian]

1 minute ago, Todd Allen said:

Tahini, ground sesame paste,  is great in dressings and is probably more healthful than sesame oil which loses the fiber and desirable phytochemicals in the extraction and refining processes.   I prefer raw vs roasted tahini and store it refrigerated to minimize rancidity.  Grinding or mashing it yourself from whole fresh seed might be best but premade still ought to be better healthwise than oil.

OK! I'll keep that in mind!

[Annik]

Soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, some rice vinegar, and a little sweetener (monk fruit is good) is delicious. Just play around with proportions. A little toasted sesame oil adds A LOT of flavor.

Just keep it in a mason jar and give it a good shake!🥗

[drewab]

Some salad dressings I use are:

• No dressing at all
• Balsamic vinegar (no sulfites)
• Banana - I slice up a banana into say 20 thin slices so each massive bite of salad gets some sweetness
• Watermelon + 1-2 dates blended in a Vitamix and poured over salad (this is sort of decadent since you get a large volume of semi-sweet dressing)
• I've created many of Dr. Fuhrman's dressings from his various books - they are incredibly good, but often more labor intense than I have time to create

As you can see, I don't go the typical route in dressings. The one thing is I ensure is that they are SOS (salt-oil-sugar) free.

Edited June 4, 2020 by drewab

[Saul]

Unsweetened rice vinegar.

  --  Saul

[pogonaminima]

In the middle east, whose culture I grew up with, they use a simple lemon juice and olive oil dressing.  I usually add herbs to it, like parsley or cilantro, if I haven't already included them in my salad.  some herbs that work for westerners are fresh basil or rosemary, or even sage.  i often add herbs de providence.  Adding a dab of cilantro chutney works well too, if you can get a hold of it.  Just go to your Pakistani/middle eastern grocery.  If they don't have it they can usually get it.  You can also puree a small amount of Feta ( the kind with herbs in it works well) with the lemon juice and olive oil.  Just watch the calories.  If you want to drench your food this might be higher calorie than you want.

[Barth deRosa]

Over your salad dressing  recipe, I have added two tablespoons of Dijon mustard and  standard seasoning like freshly ground black pepper to make my own variation. This makes my salad dressing more delicious.

[Alex K Chen]

just use salsa and mustard

[Syl]

I love this salad dressing! A little goes a long way. I use it sparingly, along with the juice from a lime

 

 

Edited June 6, 2021 by Starlight