Salads are one of the most common foods eaten in the United States. According to the Produce Marketing Association, four out of five of the most commonly purchased vegetables are salad ingredients: tomatoes, onions, carrots and lettuce. When prepared with an array of colorful plant-based foods, salads can provide your body with a wide variety of nutrients, but you can quickly decrease the health benefits by drowning those greens in dressing.
Me neither. That sounds horrible! My favorite salads are topped with a creamy dressing like ranch or Caesar.
The good news is that you can make delicious salad dressings without oil or dairy products. Traditional dressings are high in fat and calories but provide few nutrients. Plant-based salad dressings are packed full of flavor, lower in calories, and provide fiber, vitamins and minerals. Plus, they only contain real foods, no weird additives that you can’t pronounce.
Place beans, ½ cup water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Blend/process until a creamy texture is achieved.
Scrape down the sides of the container and taste dressing. Add an additional tablespoon of lemon juice if desired. If the dressing is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Add the garlic powder, dried parsley, onion powder, dried oregano and salt to the blender and pulse until the spices are well mixed.
Refrigerates well for one week.
Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend until a creamy texture is achieved.
Refrigerates well for 4-5 days.
*You can use any fruit in this recipe; blueberries, strawberries, peaches and mango are delicious!
**White wine or champagne vinegar goes better with peaches and mango.
Add seasonings to a small bowl and stir until well combined.
Place cashews and water in high-powered blender.* Process until smooth. If you want a thinner dressing you can add more water until it reaches your desired consistency.
Pour dressing into bowl with seasoning mix and stir until well combined.
*If you don’t have a high-powered blender, soak cashews in water for at least 2 hours. Drain the water and use new water to make the dressing.