Healthy homemade salad dressings: Simple recipes, natural flavours

It can change the flavour of even the most straightforward salad, but the list of ingredients in store-bought dressings often leaves much to be desired. These products hide a lot of salt, sugar, preservatives, and artificial additives. Fortunately, there are exciting alternatives that we can easily prepare ourselves. Here are a few ideas.

It is one of the most straightforward and most versatile salad dressings, particularly for salads made of leaves, vegetables, and cheeses. How to prepare it? Add olive oil (45 ml), wine vinegar, red or white (15 ml), Dijon mustard (5 ml), and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly until a uniform emulsion is formed.

Natural yogurt is an excellent base for sauces because it is light and low in calories. The garlic sauce, prepared based on it, goes well with vegetable salads. Mix thick yogurt (250 ml), garlic pressed through a garlic press (2 cloves), lemon juice (5 ml), chopped fresh herbs (dill, parsley), and salt and pepper thoroughly, then chill in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Avocado is a source of healthy fats, vitamins, and other valuable ingredients. A sauce based on this fruit is creamy and flavorful, ideal for salads with chicken or shrimp. Peel a ripe avocado, remove the pit, then blend until smooth with olive oil (30 ml), juice squeezed from half a lime, garlic (1 clove), salt, and pepper. If needed, add a bit of water to achieve the desired consistency.

The perfect combination of sweet and spicy flavour. Great for salads with chicken and as a dressing for vegetable dishes. How to prepare a delicious sauce? Mix honey (30 ml), Dijon mustard (30 ml), olive oil (30 ml), freshly squeezed lemon juice (15 ml), salt, and pepper thoroughly until smooth.

A proposal for fans of oriental flavors. This sauce pairs well with rice noodles, shrimp, or tofu salads. In a bowl, mix sesame tahini paste (30 ml), soy sauce (15 ml), rice vinegar (15 ml), honey (5 ml), garlic pressed through a garlic press (1 clove), and water (30 ml). Add more water to achieve the desired consistency if the sauce is too thick.

It is an American favourite, suitable for any salad, especially potato salad. How to prepare it? Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, and buttermilk (125 ml each) until smooth, then add finely chopped parsley (45 ml), dill and chives (22 ml each), powdered garlic (2.5 ml), onion powder (1.25 ml), apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce (2.5 ml each). Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, then season with fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper, black or coloured. You may also add a bit of freshly squeezed lemon juice. The prepared ranch dressing should chill in the fridge for at least four hours or preferably overnight so all the flavours blend correctly.

The product made by the long evaporation of maple sap can be used to prepare a salad dressing, for example, with cooked fava beans, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and green pepper. Mix maple syrup (15 ml) with high-quality olive oil (30 ml), apple cider vinegar (15 ml), mustard, preferably quite spicy (15 ml), and finally season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

On warm days, we eagerly reach for refreshing fruit salads. How to enhance their taste? By preparing a straightforward yet delicious sauce that pairs well with various ingredients. Just blend freshly squeezed orange juice (250 ml) with cold-pressed flaxseed oil (45 ml) and ground sesame seeds (45 ml).