Salad Dressings
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DRESSING
Salad dressing is essential. I can eat loads of salad IF and only IF the dressing is LIT! That’s why I make my own dressings. These dressings are simple, although, if you are not familiar with some of the ingredients than I suggest you get familiar. If you want to incorporate veggies in your life every single day - yes, every day - than you want these ingredients in your pantry and/or fridge. Here’s a few must haves:
umeboshi Plum Vinegar - tarty condiment, beneficial acids, pickled plum
vegenaise - less saturated fat than mayo, zero preservatives, vegan
herbs - thyme, oregano, turmeric - dried and/or fresh
himalayan salt - pink rock salt mined from an area in Pakistan, loaded with minerals and health benefits, tastes amazing, energizing
lemon - sour and acidic, great for the digestion, stimulates saliva, vitamin C and B’s, improves mood, detoxes and cleanses system, skin
lime - bitter and acidic, digestive power, vitamin C, skin, iron absorption
Both lemon and lime are similar - make them your staples!
All dressings are:
vegan non-dairy gluten-free kosher nut-free
Balsalmic Vinaigrette
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar a.k.a ACV
3 tbsp flaxseed oil or olive oil
2 tbsp umeboshi plum vinegar - a.k.a UME plum vinegar sold in health food stores
1 tbsp monkfruit powder or maple syrup
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 tsp salt - invest in a good quality salt - Himalayan salt is my go to
black pepper
-in a small bowl whisk all the ingredients or place in mason jar with tight lit and shake it like a maracas at a party
-pour over a salad or pasta dish - think veggie pasta! Those zucchini spirals rock!
-recipe makes 1/2 cup and stays fresh in fridge for 2 weeks
Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup ume vinegar
1/4 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup basil leaves
1 tsp dijon mustard - optional
1 clove garlic minced
-place all ingredients in small food processor and blend until smooth
-makes 1 cup
Italian Style Dressing
1/4 cup UME plum vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano herb or 1 tbsp fresh
1/4 tsp dried thyme herb or 1 tbsp fresh
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
-place all ingredients in a food processor or mason jar with tight lid
-blend or shake in the mason jar until all ingredients are well combined
-let the dressing sit for 30-60 minutes until all the flavors merge
-makes 3/4 cup
Ginger Dressing
Ginger root stokes the fire in your belly. Ginger improves your appetite and digestion and eases gas - a great recipe for post salad success. You can use dry or fresh ginger, as well. This recipe calls for both - it’s intense and healthy! You can leave out the ginger powder if you feel you’re gingered out. Everyone benefits from the medicinal properties in ginger root so listen here: increases your circulation, warms your feet and hands (great to eat in the winter), anti-inflammatory and incase you’re getting a nausea feeling - ginger, my friend! This dressing is great in the winter time, although I use ginger ALL year round. Put it this way - I travel with my ginger! You heard me right - I carry ginger with me wherever I go, and use it in my tea or plain water. It’s my feel good herb!
10 slices of fresh ginger root sliced into circles - coin size
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup lemon juice - one lemon
1 garlic clove
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder
3/4 tsp salt
-place all ingredients in food processor
-blend well until smooth
Genia’s Spoon Me Tips: this Ginger Dressing is awesome on baked and sweet potatoes, rice, and veggie sticks as a dip.
Genia’s Popular Umeboshi Dressing
If you’ve ever tried my salads you’ve experienced a few variations of this recipe.
I get asked constantly - ‘What’s my recipe? My children eat your salad - I would love to create this in my own kitchen….’ I’m always touched by the compliments. Love to share my recipes - although, I’ve been making salad dressings for so long I really go rogue so there hasn’t been a set recipe in stone until now. Please read this carefully because there are two very important tasty variations. One with and one without a creamy texture. I use vegenaise or mayonnaise in my dressings when I’m going creamy. If your salad and palate is calling for creamy than add the vegenaise (my fave) to your salad dressing otherwise no need to add and enjoy your salad as is. Both are fantastic!
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp UME vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegenaise or mayonnaise - I don’t use mayo but that’s chef’s choice
2 garlic cloves minced - optional - depends who my guests are but my family LOVES garlic
-place ume vinegar, lemon juice, lime juices and salt in a bowl and whisk together
-add oil and whisk together
-server over green lettuce salad and include your fave veggies
Genia’s Spoon Me Tips: Presentation is huge! I like to chop scallions and scatter them onto of the salad before I toss the salad as a presentation, and than I add my dressing and toss. Love to show off my culinary skills, therefore, I scallion scatter and dressing toss in front of my family and guests. It’s all about the experience and details, eh? Call me a renegade chef! I’ll take that!
Love my dressings and you will too,
xoxo Genia