The Perfect Dressing
What's great about it
A good dressing will turn any salad into a masterpiece. I try to eat at least one large bowl of salad every day. I make lunch my main meal of the day and pile a bowl full of leafy greens and thinly sliced raw seasonal vegetables into my favourite stainless steel mixing bowl - toss through my dressing and enjoy every mouthful. If I'm at work and pressed for time, I grab a couple of bags of freshly washed lettuce leaves, place them into a bowl and then drizzle over some lemon and some extra virgin olive oil that I keep at my work desk. You’re now off to a great start as all you need to do is toss through some protein such as almonds, seeds or a tin of wild salmon.
Ingredients
MY FAVOURITE DRESSING RECIPES
CLASSIC FRENCH DRESSING
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 - 4 tablespoons or 45 - 60 ml cold pressed olive oil - based on your own taste
Black pepper and a little sea salt (optional)
PARSLEY + MINT SALSA VERDE
2 bunches parsley
1 bunch mint
Zest and juice from 1/2 - 1 lemon - depending on taste
1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil
RASPBERRY DRESSING
100 g (1/2 cup) raspberries
2 - 3 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil
POMEGRANATE DRESSING
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
Juice from 1/2 lemon
60 ml cold pressed olive oil
Fresh ground pepper
CAESAR DRESSING
1 cup full cream Greek Style Yoghurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil
AVOCADO MAYONNAISE
1 whole organic / free range egg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
150 ml avocado oil
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 clove crushed garlic
Sea salt and pepper to taste.
CASHEW MAYONNAISE
1/2 cup raw cashew nuts
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 cup cold pressed olive oil
1/2 cup cold water
Pinch sea salt and black pepper
Method
CLASSIC FRENCH DRESSING
Combine vinegar and mustard.
Whisk in the oil until creamy looking.
Season to taste if necessary.
Makes a delicious basic dressing suitable for most salads and vegetables.
Store in a glass screw top jar for up to 2 weeks.
PARSLEY + MINT SALSA VERDE
Combine all the ingredients into a high speed blender like a Vitamix and blend until smooth.
Adjust the consistency and taste by adding more oil or lemon juice if necessary.
Season with a little fresh ground pepper and sea salt.
Store in a glass screw top jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Delicious with green salad leaves or vegetables.
RASPBERRY DRESSING
Smash raspberries with a fork then whisk in the olive oil if you want a rustic home style dressing.
Blend with the oil if you want a smooth dressing.
Enjoy with garden salads.
Delicious with baby spinach and roasted walnuts and a little pomegranate.
Store in a glass screw top jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.
POMEGRANATE DRESSING
Combine all the dressing ingredients until creamy.
Taste and adjust if needed.
Delicious with leafy greens and Mediterranean Style Salads or roasted carrot then topped with Persian or goats feta and dukkah.
Store in a screw top jar in the fridge for up to 7 days.
CAESAR DRESSING
Combine in a bowl and enjoy.
AVOCADO MAYONNAISE
Combine egg, vinegar and mustard into a bowl.
Slowly whisk in the avocado oil until it starts to thicken and emulsify.
Season with a little salt.
CASHEW MAYONNAISE
Blend ingredients until smooth.
Store for 5 days in the fridge.
Notes and Inspiration
A good salad dressing normally consists of 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. Use cold-pressed vegetable, nut or seed oils as they contain heart-healthy fats that can promote good health. Dressings also need a little acidity to add flavour and balance as well as improve digestion. All you need to do is combine your ingredients in a screw top jar and shake until emulsified.
My top cold-pressed oils for salad dressings:
Cold Pressed Olive Oil - the king of oils
Flaxseed Oil
Walnut Oil
Macadamia nut Oil
Avocado oil
My top acid bases for salad dressings:
Balsamic vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Wine vinegar
Lemon juice
Additional Tasty Extras:
Dijon Mustard
Fresh Herbs
Sea Salt
Black Pepper