Store bought salad dressings are a convenient way to add flavor to your salads without having to make them from scratch. However, many of these store-bought dressings contain chemicals, preservatives, and coloring that can be potentially harmful if consumed in large amounts over time.
You make an insanely healthy organic salad loaded with vitamins and nutrients and then toss it in a salad dressing full of chemicals or preservatives. How much sense does that make?
Why not treat yourself better and make your own salad dressing. Here are some two homemade salad dressing recipes I found on the web that are quick and easy, delicious, AND healthy.
HOMEMADE CILANTRO SALAD DRESSING
Cilantro has many great benefits such as removing heavy metals from the body, detoxing the body, lowering cholesterol, reducing blood sugar, and cilantro is great for the skin and hair. Here’s a great recipe for cilantro salad dressing.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (can substitute with vegan Parmesan cheese)
- 2 Tbsp. cashew nuts*
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2–3 Tbsp. water
- salt and pepper, to taste
*The original recipe called for pine nuts. Pine nuts are difficult to find and are also very expensive. I substituted cashews for the pine nuts. if you soak the cashews over night or boil for a few minutes, they will be easier to blend and come out creamier.
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add in with salt and pepper to taste and pulse a couple more times. You can serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
This recipe makes about 3/4 cups of dressing. If you refrigerate, the oil in the dressing may gel so before serving, bring to room temperature and stir. Pour and enjoy.
Recipe inspired by Littlebroken.com
HOMEMADE ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING
To my surprise, my favorite store-bought Italian dressing is made with soybean oil. I’m allergic to soy and all its byproducts. It makes my joints swell, mimicking arthritis. Soy products can also wreak havoc with hormones as it mocks estrogen. So needless to say, I was happy to find a homemade alternative.
This recipe for Italian salad dressing is made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but make sure you’re buying the real deal. Sometimes Olive Oils are blended with other oils so buy a brand you trust. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed variety of olive oils and is often considered to be the healthiest type of olive oil.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a lot of great health benefits such as reducing inflammation and lowering blood pressure. You can also substitute with another healthy oil of your choice such as grapeseed or avocado. I’ve tried making the recipe below with Avocado Oil and did notice any difference in taste.
All the additional herbs in the recipe below have their own individual benefits, too numerous to list here.
Here’s the recipe. Of course, the higher quality of your ingredients, the better your salad dressing will taste.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 TBSP white vinegar
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (or your owl of choice)
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp of garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp of honey (optional)
This recipe inspired by Wellness Mama’s Italian Dressing
The honey is optional if you’re used to a little sweetness in your dressings. Honey is a great natural sweetener. If you choose to add the honey, whisk your dressing to make sure the honey blends in. Otherwise shaking vigorously for a few seconds will blend everything together.
You can save time by pre-packaging your dry ingredients and storing them in sandwich bags and add your wet ingredients when ready to serve.
By making your own salad dressing you reap all the wonderful benefits of the olive oil and herbs without extra chemicals.
Let marinade for 30 minutes before serving. Shake well before serving. Serves two medium salads or one salad lover salad.
Your homemade salad dressing will last seven days in the refrigerator. The olive may solidify when cold, just let it sit room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Resources
https://www.littlebroken.com/homemade-cilantro-dressing/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-benefits-of-olive-oil