No one likes a dry salad. If you do, first of all, I don’t trust you, but secondly, you won’t after trying these salad dressing recipes that you can whip up with only 6 ingredients or less! So here you go, my favorite healthy salad dressings that don’t taste healthy.
What You’ll Need:
6 ingredients or less.
Yourself.
An airtight container for your delicious dressings – Mason jars work perfectly.
1. Avocado Lime Salad Dressing
· 2 avocados
· 1/2 cup egg-less mayonnaise (Just Mayo or Vegenaise are my healthier go-to’s)
· ¼ cup lime juice
· salt and pepper to tase
· 2-3 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
Mash the avocados until creamy, then mix in the mayo, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Add water if the consistency is too thick. Fold in the chopped cilantro last. Chill and enjoy! This dressing pairs great with Mexican inspired salads – think black beans, sweet corn and crisp bell peppers atop your dark, leafy greens.
2. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Ranch
· 2 cups of mayo
· 1/2 cup water
· 1 teaspoon dry dill
· 1 teaspoon onion powder
· ½ teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon dry chives
· the juice of ½ lemon
Simply whisk all of the ingredients together. You can even do it in your Mason jar – what’s easier than that? This dressing pairs great with a traditional garden salad: romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and top it off with some quinoa – a great source of protein.
3. Tangy Tahini Dressing
· 1 cup tahini
· ¾ cup water
· Juice of 1 whole lemon
· salt and pepper to taste
Whisk until there aren’t any lumps. Add as much liquid as necessary. If you hate lemon, substitute it for a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and add more to taste. This dressing is easily customizable with different seasonings, making it super versatile; it makes any salad delicious.
4. Creamy Balsamic
· 1 ½ cups mayo
· 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
· ¼ cup water
· 1/3 teaspoon garlic powder
· 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
You know the drill: Whisk all ingredients together and enjoy this creamy take on balsamic vinaigrette over a classic or non-traditional salad. I’ve yet to find a salad that balsamic dressing doesn’t compliment!
Here’s The Skinny On These Salad Dressings:
Using a canola oil based mayonnaise or tahini fills our creamy dressing base with what are referred to as good fats. In other words, the fats that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol (AKA the cholesterol associated with lower levels of coronary heart disease). We need monounsaturated fats that can be found in nuts, seeds, olives, and canola oil for a long list of reasons – including healthy brain function, resistance to depression, aiding in the absorption of vitamins and minerals, and protection for our vital organs. These salad dressings are full of the types of nutrients that will keep you sustained, without packing on extra pounds.
Lemon juice is often consumed regularly by those wishing to speed up their metabolism and experience a mild detox. Consuming lemon juice can bode well for your metabolic rate, as well as for your digestion.
Of course, what you put in the salad matters too. Add dark leafy greens for their nutrient density, chopped vegetables of your choice, a good quality source of wholesome protein (quinoa, black beans, nuts, seeds, legumes, tofu, tempeh) and a creamy, healthy salad dressing that will make you forget that you’re eating healthy.