You’re hard-pressed to find a decent Paleo salad dressing. They either contain sugar/high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogentated/partially-hydrogenated oils and/or vegetable oils! These are not desirable foods, so what’s a Paleo eater to do?!?!
Salad dressings are very easy to make! Mix and match till you find what you like best! The basics of dressings are:
- oil(s),
- vinegar/acid (citrus juice, vinegar, etc.)
- herbs
- spices
- fruit/veggies, sometimes (avocado, tomato, carrots, apples, pears, etc.)
You can make them fresh each time or make a bottle to last awhile! The choice is yours! Check out these recipes…
From The Paleo Diet, by Loren Cordain
Spinach Salad Dressing
- 3 Tbsp. dry mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 c. burgundy wine
- 1 c. fresh tomatoes, pureed
- 2 c. flaxseed oil (or olive oil)
- 1 c. lemon juice
- Combine all ingredients in a blender. Pour into a cruet and shake well before each use. Makes 5 cups.
Colorado Spinach Salad Dressing
- 1/3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (a.k.a. throw a peeled orange in a blender for until smooth)
- 1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 tsp. minced fresh terragon
- 1/3 c. olive oil
- 1/3 c. flaxseed oil (can substitute with more olive oil)
- Combine orange juice with lemon juice and mix well. Add pepper and tarragon and stir. Pour mixture into a cruet, add the oils, and shake vigorously to blend. Makes 1 cup.
Omega-3 Tomato Dressing
- 1 c. fresh tomatoes
- 1/2 c. flaxseed oil
- 1/3 c. lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 onion, chopped
- Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
From The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Mark Sisson:
Basic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 c. vinegar – red wine, sherry, or balsamic
- 1 Tbsp. chopped shallot (or red onion or garlic)
- 1 tsp. mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2-3/4 c. oil (olive, macadamian, avocado, walnut)
- Whisk together first five ingredients by hand, then slowly add oil and continue whisking until blended OR Puree first five ingredients in a food processor then slowly add oil in a steady stream. Tightly covered in a fridge, it will keep for several weeks. Shake well before use as oil and vinegar will separate. Makes 1 cup.
Coconut Almond Dressing
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 2 tsp. almond butter
- 1/4 c. coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. mint, finely chopped
- 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Pinch of sea salt
- Mix lime juice and 2 tsp. of warm water with almond butter until almond butter has a slightly runnier consistency. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Add additional salt, herbs, or red pepper flakes to taste. Makes 1/2 cup.
The following are various recipes from www.paleofood.com
Dressing for Yard Salad ----------------------- 1 Tbsp raw honey 1/3 cup lemon juice fresh ground pepper, to taste 1 tsp minced fresh tarragon 2/3 cup olive oil Dissolve honey in lemon juice. Add pepper and tarragon, and stir, and then add olive oil in a cruet. Shake vigorously to blend. You only need a few Tablespoonfuls for the salad, so save the rest of the dressing for later use. Adapted from _Jack's Skillet_, by Jack Butler Parsley Dressing ---------------- 3 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp onion powder 2 Tbsp chopped parsley Beat well the first 3 ingredients. Add the chopped parsley. Good on lettuce wedges. Adapted from: Ten Talents Cookbook by Frank and Rosalie Hurd Salad Dressing -------------- I mix lemon juice and olive oil (about equal parts, but you can adjust to your own taste) with salt, garlic, green onions, and herbs (oregano, basil, and thyme) no particular amounts, just what feels right, and then I taste and adjust. From: Anne Mears on Yeast-L list Salad Dressing -------------- 1/4 cup basil flavored olive oil * 1 clove garlic diced 1/4 tsp superfine ground mustard 1/4 tsp oregano fresh sqeezed lemon juice (1/4 small lemon) salt and pepper to taste shake well. * available from Censorzio Foods 800 288 1089 (we buy it at a local store and haven't tried mail order) You can probably improve on this recipe, we're still experimenting with it. From: Darice Sweet. Posted to Yeast-L list. Honey Mustard Dressing ---------------------- 1/2 C spring water 1/2 C olive oil 1 t mustard powder 1 pinch of white pepper* 1/8 t garlic powder 2 T honey *Add up to 1/8 t white pepper for a peppercorn dressing, all other ingredients stay the same I was thinking that a creamy dressing could be made out of this by adding a cooked, and then cooled egg yoke and blending it all up. I haven't tried the creamy version yet tho. From: Patti Vincent Lime, Oil and Garlic Dressing ----------------------------- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a little more if needed 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots 1/3 cup lime (or lemon) juice, plus extra, if needed 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra, if needed Freshly ground black pepper In a small bowl, whisk the salt, garlic, and shallots with the lime juice. until the salt is dissolved. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Taste. Season with pepper and a little more salt, if needed, and add more lime juice or oil, if needed. Makes 1 1/3 cups From: _French Food American Accent_ by Debra Ponzek via Kay in RFC Herb Dressing ------------- Chop together very fine: 2 stalks celery and leaves 2 small green onions + tops 4 sprigs parsley Add: 1 tsp. paprika 1/4 tsp. dried basil 1/8 tsp. marjoram or rosemary Add to above: 1 cup olive oil 2/3 cup lemon juice Shake vigorously in tightly covered jar until well blended. Allow to stand in refrigerator until flavors are blended. From: Ten Talents Cookbook by Frank and Rosalie Hurd Ceaser Salad Dressing Recipe ---------------------------- 1 raw or coddled egg 3 tbsp lemon juice garlic 1 cup olive oil 2 oz tin anchovies with capers packed in olive oil Blend first three ingredients. Slowly drizzle in oil, blending continuously. Blend until dressing thickens. Add entire contents anchovies tin, blend. From: Kathleen <Yoeschucho[at]AOL.COM> on PaleoFood List Ranch Dressing -------------- 1 C paleo mayo 1 C coconut milk 1 t dried dill 1/2 t garlic powder Pepper to taste Mix all together. Better if refrigerated for one hour before serving but not necessary. Should be noted that this tastes just like regular dressing, no coconut taste at all. Great as a salad dressing or dip for raw veggies. From: Patti Vincent Salad Dressing -------------- 4 large raw carrots 1 cup raisins 1 T orange juice lettuce Using a hand grinder (like you would grind meat with) put through and grind the carrots and raisins. Add 1 T orange juice to finished mixture and mix with lettuce. From: a child's cookbook from 1931 Paleo Salad Dressing -------------------- Tahini garlic chopped parsley lemon juice salt, etc. to taste Mix. From: Kim Tedrow on the PaleoFood list What dressings do you like the most? What is your go-to??? Comment below!