For us, a salad or vegetable side is all about the dressing! Not only does a delicious dressing make it easy to get our five serves of vegetables in, it’s also a fantastic source of additional nutrients when made with wholefood ingredients.
With just a few fridge and pantry staples, it’s possible to throw together a delicious, nutritious salad dressing in just a minute or two. Any leftover dressing can be stored in a jar in the fridge for up to a week.
We recommend keeping the following everyday ingredients within easy reach:
For healthy fats:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Tahini (sesame seed paste)
- Smooth peanut butter (99-100% peanuts, ideally)
For acidity:
- Fresh lemons and limes
- Red wine vinegar
- Rice wine vinegar
For extra flavour:
- Fresh garlic and ginger
- Honey and/or 100% maple syrup
- Wholegrain and/or Dijon mustard
- Tamari
- Chipotle paste
- Dried chilli flakes
- Salt and pepper
Create salads that truly satisfy with these delicious dressings – we’d love to know what you think!
1. Lemon vinaigrette
A super simple one to start! Add ¼ cup each of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice to a jar. Season with salt and pepper, screw the lid on firmly and shake to combine everything well.
Serving suggestion: Pour over a medley of roasted vegetables, served either warm or cold.
2. Peanut + lime
In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons each of peanut butter and lime juice, two teaspoons each of rice wine vinegar and tamari, one teaspoon of finely-grated ginger, and – if you like – dried chilli flakes, to taste. If needed, add a little water, half a tablespoon at a time, to thin.
Serving suggestion: Toss through an Asian-style slaw or noodle salad, served with marinated tofu or grilled prawns.
3. Tahini + lemon
In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons each of tahini, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Add one crushed garlic clove and a little honey to sweeten, if you like, and stir to combine. Add a little water to thin, if needed.
Serving suggestion: Toss through a salad of blanched green beans and snow peas, finely-sliced radish, cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley and serve with grilled salmon.
4. Red wine vinaigrette
Add ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard and 1 crushed garlic clove to a jar. If you like, add a little honey or maple syrup to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Shake to combine.
Serving suggestion: Serve simply, with Italian-style bitter leaves, like radicchio, endive and rocket.
5. Chipotle + lime
Add ¼ cup natural (plain) yoghurt, the juice of one lime and approximately 1 teaspoon (or to taste) of chipotle paste into a jar. Thin with a little water, if needed.
Serving suggestion: Toss through a Mexican-style salad, made with grilled corn kernels, roasted capsicum, black beans, brown rice, cherry tomatoes and baby spinach.
Written by Caitlin Branch, Student Nutritionist, and Ellie Thompson, Accredited Practising Dietitian.
