S.T.A.R.T. Making Healthy Salads and Dressings

Use only organic ingredients

Green Apple Salad Dressing

1 green apple, cored (Granny Smith)

1/2 cup filtered water

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 to 4 cloves garlic

1 to 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

Herbamare or sea salt, to taste

Place all ingredients into a blender or Vita-Mix and blend until very smooth and creamy. Add salt to taste and blend again.

Thai Sauce

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

1 large or 2 medium shallots, sliced

1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Thai chili powder or ground cayenne (Phase 3)

3 tablespoons maple syrup or a little less agave, to taste

Saute sliced shallot in coconut oil until near translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients, heat through and serve right away. Serve this over Quinoa with mung bean sprouts, sliced green onions, and cilantro.

Pesto Sauce

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 bunch basil, rinsed

1/8 cup olive oil

1/8 cup water or more to smooth it out

3-6 cloves fresh garlic

Process in a food processor until smooth. Serve it over spiralized raw zucchini. It would also work over a cooked whole grain. Sprinkle with sprouted lentils if desired.

Simple Salad Dressing

This dressing will keep in the refrigerator in a sealed jar for about 2 weeks.

3/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

the juice of one small lemon

6 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons fresh herbs

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and seasonings if necessary. Store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator.

Raw Creamy Herb Sunflower Dressing/Dip

This creamy ranch-style dressing is perfect to top any type of green salad.  Use less water and can be a creamy dip for carrot and celery sticks. Begin soaking the seeds 5 hours before using.

Breastfeeding moms or those who cannot tolerate citrus, replace the lemon with about 3 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar and omit the garlic.

Creamy Herb Sunflower Dressing

Use dried herbs or whatever fresh herbs are growing in the garden. Snipped chives are particularly delicious, as well as fresh marjoram. Reduce the water and create a luscious, white, creamy dip perfect for any crispy veggie.

1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 to 6 hours

1/2 to 1 cup water

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 to 2 teaspoons dried basil

1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme

small handful fresh parsley

Place the sunflower seeds in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 4 to 6 hours then drain and rinse. Place into a Vita-Mix or blender with the water (less for a dip, more for a dressing), lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and peppercorns. Blend on high for one minute or until very creamy and smooth. Then add the herbs and blend on a lower speed until combined but not completely pureed.

Pour into a glass mason jar, cover, and store in your refrigerator until ready to serve. The salad pictured here is made from greens, raw carrots, roasted beets, sprouts, and hemp seeds. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Pear and Hazelnut Salad with Creamy Cranberry Dressing (from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook)

Serve this salad when cranberries, pears, and hazelnuts are in season in autumn. It is also delicious served at a festive holiday meal.

Serves 4 to 6

Salad:

1 head red leaf lettuce, rinsed and torn into pieces

1 firm ripe pear, cored and sliced thin

½ small red onion, sliced into thin rounds

1 cup raw hazelnuts, roasted

½ cup crumbled organic feta cheese, optional

Dressing:

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup fresh cranberries

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 to 4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon orange zest

½ teaspoon sea salt or Herbamare

Place all of the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl.

To make the dressing, heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the 2 teaspoons olive oil and sliced shallots. Sauté shallots for 3 to 5 minutes or until soft. Add fresh cranberries and continue to sauté until the cranberries are soft and have “popped.”

Place shallot and cranberry mixture into a blender with the orange juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange zest, and sea salt. Blend on high until creamy. Add a few tablespoons of water for a thinner consistency and blend again.

Drizzle dressing over salad and serve immediately. Extra dressing can be stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

Asian Chicken Salad Recipe

This salad is a nutritious combination of thinly sliced dark leafy greens, crunchy almonds, carrots, and chicken. You could use sliced almonds in place of the slivered. Try adding daikon radish, chopped cilantro, and sliced green onions too! A great way to thinly slice the greens is to stack them on top of each other then roll them. Take a sharp knife and cut into thin slices. Another name for this cutting method is called chiffonade.

Salad:

6 to 8 cups thinly sliced greens (kale, collards, savoy cabbage, bok choy)

2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 large carrots, julienned

1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted

sesame seeds for garnish

Dressing:

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons coconut vinegar (or brown rice vinegar)

3 tablespoons coconut aminos (or wheat-free tamari)

2 to 3 teaspoons honey

1 clove garlic

one 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

Toss all of the ingredients for the salad into a large bowl if serving immediately. If you want to stretch the salad over a few days place all ingredients into separate containers and store in the fridge. Use what you would like for each serving.

To make the dressing, place all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until combined. Pour dressing over salad, toss and serve. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Thyme-Dijon Vinaigrette:

 In a screw-top jar, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup white or regular balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme, 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Cover and shake well to mix.

Chill until ready to serve.

Makes 2/3 cup.


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