I am still going on about salads! I can’t overstate this enough….be creative! You really can’t go wrong. Try these recipes as dressings on your next creation or use them as a dip, seasoning on a sandwich, drizzle on steamed veg…anything to add more flavour to a dish. I have even been known to toss pasta or spatzle in a green dressing. And it is so important to try and avoid all the added preservatives that come with the grocery store brands by making your own recipes! So, this summer, try using these 3 yummy salad dressings as flavour powerhouses in your day to day cooking! 
Buddha dressing
Have you heard the latest go-to word in the foodie world lately? UMAMI. While ‘umami’ is over-used these days, it suits this recipe due to the addition of nutritional flake yeast (grown on molasses and rich in B vitamins). This ingredient is available in natural food stores (generally in the bulk section) and is delicious. I even combine it with engevita yeast and use it on my popcorn. I first had this dressing at a retreat on Cortes Island in BC’s Georgia Strait. Be warned…it is addictive!
- ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- ¼ cup water
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (Bragg’s) or tamari
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp crushed garlic
- 1 ½ cups sunflower or grapeseed oil
Combine the first five ingredients in a high power blender or food processor. Once blended, add the oil in a steady stream while the machine is running. This dressing keeps up to two weeks in a mason jar in the refrigerator.
Japanese dressing
Whenever I go for sushi I always order the green salad because it is topped with this amazing dressing. I finally found a version of this dressing that is my go to when I need my fix.
- 2 carrots washed and roughly chopped (peel them if they are not organic)
- ¼ medium sweet onion or two shallots roughly chopped
- ¼ cup roughly chopped ginger, about the size of two thumbs (peel if it is not organic)
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- Juice of one lime
- 2 tbsp agave or honey
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup grapeseed or sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp chickpea miso paste (you can substitute with sweet white miso paste)
- salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to a high powered blender or food processor and combine until smooth. Store in your refrigerator in a mason jar for up to a week.
Serve on top of mixed greens, cilantro leaves, red onion, carrots (peel them right into your salad), cucumber and shaved daikon (if you want to get creative!) Top with black sesame seeds.
Baja Dressing
I love to add chili peppers to many recipes. They provide background depth to many flavours (especially if you roast them first). The avocado in this recipe creates a really nice creamy dressing. I have also been known to drizzle a dressing such as this over a steamed vegetable (such as leeks) to add some flavour.
- ½ avocado
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ cup avocado or grapeseed oil
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- Handful of cilantro
- 1-2 tbsp agave (to taste)
- 1 jalapeno without the seeds
Toss the above ingredients into a high powered blender or a food processor. Adjust your acid/oil/sweet ratio if necessary. The results are amazing. Pour this dressing over a salad of mixed greens, cilantro leaves, avocado and green onions (or leeks). If you want to add some heft to your salad, add some beans such as adzuki or black beans
The uniting opinion, regardless of who is at our table for dinner, is that they love the salad I serve. Go ahead, get known for your salads too!
xo Jacqui