Healthy Salad Dressing Suggestions?

[MattTuck]

I've been trying to eat more healthy, which includes more salads. Curious if you guys have any suggestions for dressings? store bought or home made.

I've been making one that is basically 3 parts olive oil, 2 parts dijon mustard and less than one part balsamic vineger. It's a bit strong, but is good with things that are bitter.

You guys have any recipes that you enjoy?

[crownjewelwl]

lemon juice, sea salt, pepper

[azrider]

i'm right there with ya. this is on my desk at work. great stuff.

[crownjewelwl]

i'm right there with ya. this is on my desk at work. great stuff.

Water, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Soybean Oil, Canola Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil), Red Wine Vinegar, Vinegar, Contains Less Than 2% of Salt, Red Raspberry Juice Concentrate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Dried Onions, Spice, Poppy Seeds, Natural Flavor, Oleoresin Paprika, Potassium Sorbate And Calcium Disodium Edta (to Protect Freshness). Contains: Poppy Seed.

keep it simple

[MattTuck]

Water, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Soybean Oil, Canola Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil), Red Wine Vinegar, Vinegar, Contains Less Than 2% of Salt, Red Raspberry Juice Concentrate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Dried Onions, Spice, Poppy Seeds, Natural Flavor, Oleoresin Paprika, Potassium Sorbate And Calcium Disodium Edta (to Protect Freshness). Contains: Poppy Seed.

keep it simple

mmmm, love me some potasium sorbate! :banana: Other than the sugar, that doesn't look so bad, I have to say. Lots of actual foods in there.

I'll try the lemon juice, salt, pepper. I imagine that doesn't keep very well. Do you usually use a fresh lemon, squeeze it and season the juice?

I just found a recipe that is maple syrup, dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar... could have potential.

[bcm119]

Simple is better. I like 1) olive oil and rice vinegar, with a little salt/pepper. Or 2) olive oil and lemon juice, with salt/pepper. I usually crush some raw garlic and flick it on, but that's not for everyone.

[crownjewelwl]

mmmm, love me some potasium sorbate! :banana: Other than the sugar, that doesn't look so bad, I have to say. Lots of actual foods in there.

I'll try the lemon juice, salt, pepper. I imagine that doesn't keep very well. Do you usually use a fresh lemon, squeeze it and season the juice?

I just found a recipe that is maple syrup, dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar... could have potential.

i squeeze the lemon directly into the salad...then add some s&p

works really well with kale slaw (kale, chopped avocado, chopped red onion, chopped red bell peppers, lemon, sea salt, coarse pepper)

[echelon_john]

I do similar vinaigrettes. Been doing a slightly sweet one lately, along these lines:

1 part olive oil
2/3 part balsamic
splash red wine vinegar
a little bit (1 tsp?) dark honey
squeeze 1/2 lemon
salt, pepper

If it's just for us, I'll also mince garlic into it; I like the spice/zip it gives, along with the flavor. Folks who don't love garlic would probably find this too garlicky.

[azrider]

Water, Sugar, Vegetable Oil (Soybean Oil, Canola Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil), Red Wine Vinegar, Vinegar, Contains Less Than 2% of Salt, Red Raspberry Juice Concentrate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Dried Onions, Spice, Poppy Seeds, Natural Flavor, Oleoresin Paprika, Potassium Sorbate And Calcium Disodium Edta (to Protect Freshness). Contains: Poppy Seed.

keep it simple

Yeah. I get it. But like someone else mentioned the list of ingredients ain't alllllll bad, and the OP said he was looking for store bought rec's also. Above is mine.

I am also very lazy and would make more of a mess creating my own as opposed to purchasing one for 1.87 at the local grocer that has nice neat little cap.

[eddief]

with cruet mixing jar is hard as hell to find in a normal store it seems. But Amzaon has em cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Seasons-Dressing-2-Count-Italian/dp/B003VN97GQ/?t=slickdeals&tag=slickdeals&ascsubtag=Vr2ISNLDEeKet866uOKJ7Q0_U3G83_0_0_0

I love the jar as it is a good size and is nicely reuseable. The dressing mix is gooey crap, but the measurement lines on the jar are handy. So this much olive oil, that much red wine vinegar is a great start. Then I add in some fresh pressed garlic, a teaspoon if Dijon, fresh squeezed lemon to taste, and salt and pepper. I do like balsamic, but red wine vinegar is often lighter and better on salad. Oh by the way. Almost never lettuce anymore, only baby spinach. yum

[Likes2ridefar]

raw tahini is a great base for creamy dressings. my wife uses this a lot but to be honest I've no idea what else she puts in it...i'll ask her tonight.

raw almond butter, though difficult to find in it's truly raw form, also works really well for a base for another creamy option.

i like expensive balsamic vinegar with olive oil or even just by itself. I'm referring to the thick, rich kind that usually costs at least $50 a bottle around my neck of the woods. it does last a long time though and imo is worth every awesome bite:)

Olive oil with a sprinkle of sea salt or some sort of flavored salt like black truffles mixed in.

avoid the ones already made, they are in almost every case essentially garbage for one reason or another.

[Likes2ridefar]

Yeah. I get it. But like someone else mentioned the list of ingredients ain't alllllll bad, and the OP said he was looking for store bought rec's also. Above is mine.

I am also very lazy and would make more of a mess creating my own as opposed to purchasing one for 1.87 at the local grocer that has nice neat little cap.

it is in fact, quite bad, and i'd go as far to say anything coming from Kraft is garbage. sorry to be blunt but it's just true...

[echelon_john]

For store bought, this stuff is pretty tasty and doesn't have much crap in it:

http://bragg.com/products/vinaigrette.html

Another thought, and something I do pretty regularly: I love blue cheese dressing, but obviously it's terrible for you on lots of levels. So I make a blue cheese vinaigrette that, if nothing else, at least I can know what's in it. Literally 1 part olive oil, 1/2 part vinegar, 1 part crumbled blue cheese, and a little salt & pepper. Adjust as needed.

[azrider]

it is in fact, quite bad...

compared to.........what? the alternative for me is jimmy johns or something else that's even more unhealthy. By my logic, if i'm substituting a terrible lunch with a salad and sprinkling on a little bit of sugar and xantham gum I'm still head and shoulders above the other option.

[Liv2RideHard]

In our house we keep it simple...

Marinate some onions and peppers in olive oil, little vinegar and some Balsamic vinegar (from Modena of course). Done. Drizzle over your greens.

[Likes2ridefar]

compared to.........what? the alternative for me is jimmy johns or something else that's even more unhealthy. By my logic, if i'm substituting a terrible lunch with a salad and sprinkling on a little bit of sugar and xantham gum I'm still head and shoulders above the other option.

yes, it seems to be quite a dilemma.

It's so ridiculously easy and fast to make your own dressing. it's better tasting, much cheaper, and better for you.

[MattTuck]

compared to.........what? the alternative for me is jimmy johns or something else that's even more unhealthy. By my logic, if i'm substituting a terrible lunch with a salad and sprinkling on a little bit of sugar and xantham gum I'm still head and shoulders above the other option.

yeah, that is where I'm coming from also. I have a cafeteria here with a salad bar. But who knows what dressings they use. probably from Sysco.

Something that I don't have to worry about making daily or even weekly would be good for lunches. Dinner is another discussion, but for lunch I'm not so quick to poopoo something like this.

[jdhansen63]

2Tbsp minced garlic
2Tbsp minced ginger
2Tbsp soy or tamari or braggs
1Tbsp honey or agave

blend well

slowly blene in 2Tbsp EVOO

[azrider]

yeah, that is where I'm coming from also. I have a cafeteria here with a salad bar. But who knows what dressings they use. probably from Sysco.

Something that I don't have to worry about making daily or even weekly would be good for lunches. Dinner is another discussion, but for lunch I'm not so quick to poopoo something like this.

Yep, that's exactly why I do it. The cafeteria has crap selections AND charges by weight so not having the dressing on my salad when she weighs it saves me few pennies. :) Plus you KNOW they're not replacing the dressings daily or even weekly for that matter. THey prob through some Saran wrap on that at end of each day and call it a night.

[crownjewelwl]

Yeah. I get it. But like someone else mentioned the list of ingredients ain't alllllll bad, and the OP said he was looking for store bought rec's also. Above is mine.

I am also very lazy and would make more of a mess creating my own as opposed to purchasing one for 1.87 at the local grocer that has nice neat little cap.

just giving you a hard time...it was really hard for me NOT to eat that new donut breakfast sandwich at DD

[azrider]

just giving you a hard time...it was really hard for me NOT to eat that new donut breakfast sandwich at DD

HA....yeah any company that uses horse meat in their products aint tippin the scales in the healthy direction....

Plus I just heard that Dr. Oz is saying there is something bad about the Yellow #5 they use in Mac N Cheese. Won't keep me from having it twice a year tho :p


http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/03/07/how-to-avoid-horsemeat-investments.aspx

[buldogge]

For store bought, Annie's Goddess dressing all the way:

http://www.annies.com/products/Natural-Dressings

-Mark in St. Louis

[Tony T]

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSy3ZF5t_MZyrbTJE4V6PDVOAcnf7aKI iOzrP3r9pkd6D4Y44sLhttp://www.newmansown.com/timthumb.php?w=190&h=160&zc=1&q=90&src=http://198.61.211.135/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/190x160_15.pnghttps://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQDl9vl1MZG2NJ8WTvu6T9MiMurHaLYM jhTKU6xPwG1yrVXwkVm

[maunahaole]

You are on the right track. Mix in some other vinegar...I have used red wine vinegar, sushi vinegar, filipino cane vinegar, etc. And use a higher ratio of vinegar. I also put a blast of srichacha or other hot sauce in. Spoonful of mustard, drizzle of lemon juice. My key secret ingredient is about a half teaspoon of sesame oil.

[woolly]

My favorite is a Sesame Ginger, used very, very sparingly - just enough to make it noticeable. Then toss in some cracked red pepper flakes to spice it up. I never seem to get tired of this one, especially over spinach.

Watching the 'custom' salads being made here at our office cafe makes me nauseous sometimes. Just get a bottle of ranch dressing & a straw, & cut out the middle-man. Ugh.

[Lewis Moon]

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSy3ZF5t_MZyrbTJE4V6PDVOAcnf7aKI iOzrP3r9pkd6D4Y44sLhttp://www.newmansown.com/timthumb.php?w=190&h=160&zc=1&q=90&src=http://198.61.211.135/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/190x160_15.pnghttps://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQDl9vl1MZG2NJ8WTvu6T9MiMurHaLYM jhTKU6xPwG1yrVXwkVm

Was about to post this. Newman's Own is great stuff.

Ingredients for Balsamic Vinagarette:
Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil and/or Soybean Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil), Water, Balsamic Vinegar, Distilled Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Garlic, , Spice, Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Xanthan Gum, Paprika (For Color)

[ryker]

Mix equal parts tahini, miso and water with an immersion blender. Add more water until desired consistency is reached. Chill. I've been making this twice a week for months.

[zap]

I've been trying to eat more healthy, which includes more salads. Curious if you guys have any suggestions for dressings? store bought or home made.

I've been making one that is basically 3 parts olive oil, 2 parts dijon mustard and less than one part balsamic vineger. It's a bit strong, but is good with things that are bitter.

You guys have any recipes that you enjoy?

Some fat dressing is best....creamy blue cheese over mixed salad. Best absorption of the leafy green bits in the digestive system.

[shovelhd]

Basic vinaigrette

Four tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Two tablespoons unflavored red wine vinegar, more or less to taste
Four grinds fresh sea salt
Eight grinds peppercorn mix
Half clove fresh garlic, pressed, or equivalent from a jar, more or less to taste
Pinch fresh dried basil

Combine in a teacup and stir until mixed. Keep stirring as you pour it over your greens. Toss. Makes enough for one large salad or two small salads. This has to be made fresh, it will not keep in the fridge.

[victoryfactory]

I love salads!
One thing I like to do is include hard vegetables that are not usually
eaten cold in salads:
broccoli
carrot
zucchini
golden beets
etc
The trick is to blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes and cool down.
a little longer for the beets, shorter for zucchini

This transforms hard carrots and broccoli into succulent salad texture
when mixed with the usual lettuce tomato etc.

As for dressing, some nice suggestions above. Here's one:
Olive oil three parts
tamari (natural soy sauce) one part
fresh lemon juice ( one part)
bit of fresh garlic salt pepper to taste. whisk.

The trick with oil based dressings is everybody uses too much!
try starting with half the usual amt. It works!
Finally, always spin the water out of the salad greens before you dress it.
big difference.
VF

oh yeah... try a bunch of fresh dill or mint in your green salad. magic.

[victoryfactory]

bleu cheese dressing.
I learned this working in a restaurant many years ago:

equal parts:
sour cream
Mayo
crumbled bleu cheese

add bit of fine diced garlic
pinch of sugar, salt,pepper
combine

best left in the fridge overnight

not exactly low cal, but awesome.

VF

[victoryfactory]

Wine vinegar can be a little too harsh
and acidic in salad.
Try white balsamic vinegar instead.
You get the sweet malty flavor
without the dark color of
regular balsamic.

[CheshireCat]

my insides can't handle a lot of olive oil, so I opt for lemon juice, grapeseed oil, and some spices.

grapeseed oil has a nice unique taste and it goes well with some salad

[SpeedyChix]

La Vecchia Despensa 10-yr balsamic and some of Hampsten's extra virgin olive oil. The balsamic is good enough to go solo but you can add some of the EVO, dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, bit of minced garlic, salt and pepper.

[Bkat]

Just balsamic. (The good stuff.) A pinch of sea salt. (The good stuff.) No oil needed.

[PQJ]

Tessemae's (http://www.tessemaes.com/) is good stuff.

[jblande]

pumpkin seed oil, with juice from half of a lemon, and a pinch of sea salt.

[crownjewelwl]

pumpkin seed oil, with juice from half of a lemon, and a pinch of sea salt.

that sounds bland

[ColonelJLloyd]

Good recipes here. I'll add that when making a vinaigrette, I put all the ingredients in a jar, close the lid and shake well. You won't get a better emulsion with a whisk and a bowl.

[jblande]

that sounds bland

pumpkin seed oil is anything but bland.

[victoryfactory]

pumpkin seed oil is anything but bland.

You're right.
Maybe he meant "Blande"?

[Likes2ridefar]

that sounds bland

the pumpkin seed oil I've had is very flavorful. Butter nut squash oil is my current favorite for strong flavored alternatives to the conventional olive oil.

[JAGI410]

I use salsa on my salads. Super low cal with tons of flavor.

[Louis]

The Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian is my favorite

(it's the one with him wearing the gondolier's hat)

http://www.newmansown.com/timthumb.php?w=340&zc=1&q=90&src=http://www.newmansown.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/360x515_5.png

[Tony T]

Try the Newman's Own Honey Mustard (Lite) (...the one with Paul Newman wearing the beekeepers helmet)

[Steve in SLO]

Try red wine vinegar by itself. I've been using this for years and it's really become my go-to.