olive oil substitute in cous cous dressing?

songofserenity81

I found a lovely spicy cous cous and chickpea recipe with a tasty dressing but I want to tweak it, why, it calls for 3 full tbsp's of extra virgin olive oil, now while I know its still healthier than normal oil its still well over 300 extra cals in the recipe.

the dressing consists of

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt

what types of things can I replace the olive oil with, any suggestions very much appreciated.

triciawebb78

I would just reduce the amount of oil....

sandislim

You could add 1 tlbs of oil instead of three - you could also add some chopped olives for flavour.

sandislim

You could add 1 tbsp of oil instead of 3. You could also add some chopped olives for flavour.

dogwhisperette

I would also reduce the amount of oil.
Thank you for sharing, I am going to make this! sounds great!

russelljclarke

No real alternatives, just reduce the oil - 3 Tbsps is ridiculous, I would only use a tsp (1/9 the amount!)

capriciousmoon

My question would be... How many servings is this supposed to be? I don't know how dressing works with cous cous or how many servings that recipe is supposed to be divided up into. Maybe you could use less dressing?

stroken96

Maybe try 1/2 oil and 1/2 water

MaMA_G_21

Veggie oil?

coatsie79

The oil is not really going to add anything other than flavour, so you'd be better off finely chopping a few green olives and throwing those in instead.

Strive2BLean

You can try cutting the portion size by mixing it with some low fat chicken broth or veggie broth. I wouldn't eliminate the oil completely cause then the texture of the dressing would be different.

FairyMiss

yeah i agree with the above , there is really nothing healthier you can sub. just use a bit lss

PBJunky

I found a lovely spicy cous cous and chickpea recipe with a tasty dressing but I want to tweak it, why, it calls for 3 full tbsp's of extra virgin olive oil, now while I know its still healthier than normal oil its still well over 300 extra cals in the recipe.

the dressing consists of

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt

what types of things can I replace the olive oil with, any suggestions very much appreciated.

3 tbsp EVOO = 14 grams of fat = 378 calories...quite calorie dense

floshideaway

I have been substituting with mineral oil for years, which can be found in the pharmacy dept of your grocery store. It is NOT absorbed by the body and has no accountable calories. This was recommended to me by the pharmacist while in France more than 20 years ago. There they do sell flavored mineral oil, here in the States you only find plain. I recommend only substituting half. Mineral oil is used as a laxative and still should be used sparingly but used wisely it will reduce you fat intake in salad dressing. You CANNOT cook with it or heat it up, use only in cold dishes.

songofserenity81

the whole recipe serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main, but for me the side is my main

kristen11joy

I have a pasta salad that I make where I just reduce the oil and increase the vinegar -- it makes it a bit tangier, but it's pretty bland to start with, so I like that. I would do as ohters have suggested, and just reduce the oil. Or leave it out altogether. It may not change the taste too much (and if it does, add a little back in until it's how you like it)