Alternative to salad dressing

SlvrBluGoddess

Personally, I never liked the taste of any salad dressing... But I have found that if you squeeze lemon wedges over your salad it makes it not so dry & bland.

JennaM222

I use olive oil, italian seasoning, pepper, and lemon juice on my salads.

YUM!

TheFinalThird

Lemon juice, red pepper flake and mashed avocado.

djcon

bump

TrailRunner61

I use olive oil, but not as much as most recipes call for. Any kind of vinegar I have on hand, which can be rice wine vinegar, red wine, seasoned rice, regular, apple cider vinegar, a bit of balsamic, whatever. I add herbs like parsley, oregano, basal and some garlic or garlic powder, paprika, a pinch of salt, pepper and if I'm in the mood for something sweeter I'll add a little sugar, honey or lemon. I also add different varieties of mustard like spicy mustard, dijon, honey mustard and Walmart has a low sodium/no sodium (not sure) southwest spicy mustard that I use since I have to cut back on sodium too. I usually keep it in the frig overnight if I can wait that long to use it. Shake it like crazy before you use it. I put it on tomatoes, cukes, whole grain pasta and of course, salads.
There are a million recipes out there. Look some up, get a large sized canning jar, mix up your healthier ingredients and voila! Fresh and healthy dressing! It also tastes a LOT better.
If you dont want to add oil due to the fat calories, there are recipes that call for cooking the dressing with a bit of cornstarch to thicken it and disperse the flavors the same way oil does.
Also you can used dried herbs instead of fresh and they sell them at Sams club or costco in huge, cheap containers. It's like a dollar more than the little bottles you find in the supermarket.

bcf7683

I like to mix balsamic vinegar and fat free italian. OR, (my favorite) put a blob on guacamole on the salad and use salsa.

bthewes2

In the past, I have used cottage cheese. It is actually quite nice plus you get calcium and protien.

erinlibke

extra virgin olive oit (tiny bit) and balsamic with oregano- acts like a greek dressing. I also LOVE a good Balsamic glaze, its heavily reduced so you only need a little and has a sweeter taste than your basic vinegar. Plus you don't need any oil with that stuff. I put it on everything!!!

DanaDark

Just saying...

Salads tend to be high in fiber, which can help lower cholesterol levels... but this can only be done if the fiber is ingested along with fats.

So, a regular, non-fat-free salad dressing is actually healthier and better for the body. More calories yeah. But, if the salad is ate along with a meal that contains fats, then its perfectly reasonable for a non-fat dressing.

MMark2012

I sometimes use a teaspoon or 2 of medium spicy salsa! It adds flavor w/out any fat at all!
Another alternative is a 1/2 teaspoon of cocnut oil with pinch of garlic salt and pepper.
You could also go sweet with a few raisins, cut up, small pieces of tangerine/orange, and shopped walnut!
Experiment! I eat a salad almost every day!

Juliane_

Interesting post with great ideas!.

I use black beans as my "sauce". I serve myself the salad and on top of it I add 1/2 cup of already made and seasoned black beans (I don't drain the sauce created by the beans)...then add the rest like chicken, corn, broccoli and/or other veggies. Sorta like the Chipotle restaurant salads in a big bowl. There is no need for dressing there.

JustJennie1

I love olive oil (healthy fat!) and balsamic vinegar on my salads.

I usually use this as well.

If I really want something creamy I'll make my own blue cheese dressing.

Lalouse

I'm Lebanese and always go with the traditional Lebanese salad dressing

olive oil
lemon
garlic (mushed, but you can skip this)
salt to taste

I didn't put amounts because it depends on the size of your salad, and I just eyeball it, so you may have to try and taste.

Lalouse

I'm Lebanese and always go with the traditional Lebanese salad dressing

olive oil
lemon
garlic (mushed, but you can skip this)
salt to taste

I didn't put amounts because it depends on the size of your salad, and I just eyeball it, so you may have to try and taste.

I also sometimes use or add a teaspoon of pomegranate molasses, if you can get access to it.

cathomer

Balsamic vinegar! it's amazing, I need to get some really and figure out some warm salad ideas.

mmddwechanged

Mix Greek yogurt, hot spicy mustard and tumeric to make a thick dip for your salad

ahviendha

i usually eat my salads plain, but if i put anything on them it'll be balsamic vinegar and occasionally olive oil.

i like the taste of plain, raw veggies!

erikaaaaaaaa

I second the others who have said a squeeze of lemon juice.

moxette

a little tip from my Italian nonna (grandmother). Add the vinegar first if it isn't mixed. Otherwise the oil coats the veggies and the vinegar just slides off. Lemon vinaigrettes are great too and I love doing a sweet balsamic with herbs and heating it up for a warm dressing over salad or veggies.
Here is a good basic recipe for lemon vinargrette: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Salad/LemonVinaig.htm

bcattoes

If you want fat free you could try mixing different flavors of vinegar or citrus juice and mustards. Or just make your own with any variety of spices/herbs, olive oil and vinegar. Just a little balsamic vinegar and/or lemon or lime juice makes a nice simple dressing as well. Or top it with something like cottage cheese or salsa (tho store bought salsas are typically pretty high sodium as well)

JustJennie1

If you use regular salad dressing and you're concerned about the calories etc. just do the fork-dip method. When I go out and have a salad I get dressing on the side and do that and believe me it's enough dressing for each bite.

At home I measure out the appropriate amount.

78brownie_wechanged

I would throw a few strawberries (or another berry...like to try a different fruit), a heaping teaspoon of plain yogurt (Greek will make it very thick), and apple cider vinegar in a food processor.

kevinthenerd

(Hmmmm.... Do I wake the dead on an old thread, or do I start my own?)

My wife and I went to a fancy restaurant for our fifth anniversary, and they used freshly ground black pepper on the salad. I wasn't even tempted to use the dressing. Freshly ground black pepper is now my new favorite salad "dressing".... all by itself.

I eat garden side salads from fast food restaurants. The little packets of pepper are okay, but you need to use a lot of them to get anywhere close to enough pepper. Freshly-ground is best.

My sister has been a black-pepper-head for as long as I can remember. She loves it on rare beef. I wasn't as excited about pepper, but now I feel like pepper was "made" for salad. It works very well.

cuterbee

Oh, some nice ideas here!

queenbea77

LOL, what a day for this post to come up. I brought a salad for lunch and don't you know I forgot my dressing today? I had a bit of tuna leftover from a sandwich in the fridge and was going to put it on my salad but at the last minute decided not to (darn). Oh well, I have some chick peas, cukes, & cherry tomatoes on it so it isn't "that dry". I will definately try some of the great ideas that have been posted.

stecrowe

This kind of resembles ranch dressing
1 cup raw almonds
+ - 1 cup water for your desired thickness
1 clove fof garlic
juice of 1 lemon
spice as desired
Blend up in blender


Another Recipe
1 cup walnuts
+ - 1 cup orange juice for your desired thickness
spice as desired
Blend up in blender

LizardQueen4PointOh

Vinegar, honey, and Mrs. Dash works for me. Might add some cayenne pepper if I'm feeling it. Also vinegar, plain yellow mustard, and honey. I likes my vinegar and honey! :laugh:

jadedone

I know I pasted this somewhere, make your own. It is easy enough.

I typically do 1 part oil, 2 parts acid, 1 or more wild cards, salt and pepper, and maybe a bit of sweetener

wild cards can be herbs, onions, garlic, spices, veggies......
acid can be vinegar or citrus juice

When I have zero time, I just do a quick blend of vinegar and oil (typically olive)
If I have 5 minutes: a little oil, vinegar, dijon mustard, a tiny bit of honey, salt and pepper to taste. Shake it in a little jar. Use red wine vinegar and it is more tart. Balsamic is sweeter. Blend the two together and it is a nice blend. Use apple cider, and use it on a crisp salad with fruit.
If I can wait 20 minutes for my vinaigrette to rest? Add chopped onions or garlic in any of the mixtures above.
If I feel like using a blender: fresh herbs are great. Or you can chop them finely.

I love to use citrus juice too. Lemon, orange, grapefruit are all great. You may need some acid if they seem too sweet.

I keep my pantry stocked with several vinegars and oils at a time for different dressings. Typical: apple cider, red wine, champagne, raspberry and balsamic. Also chili oil, basil oil, lemon oil, different olive oil varieties....all are great.

And if you are really adventurous? Soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, ginger and garlic makes a very good dressing.

You can use sweeteners ranging from honey and agave to mirin and jam. All can make a tasty dressing.

I have 1-2 bottled dressings I like, but it takes me 6 months to finish the bottle, i generally make my own.

jadedone

Forgot to mention....if you like creamy dressings, use greek yogurt. Or tahini.

CyberEd312

I use Wishbone Fat Free Italian, it is 15 calories for 2 tbsp...... and I add a few splashes of Red Wine Vinegar