Dressings for Summer
When thinking of a summer diet, nothing complements the warmer days and evenings more than a colourful salad. In my opinion, for a salad to be good, it has to be something substantial. It has to have a great mix of flavours, textures, and a really good dressing. I often get asked in clinics what salad dressings are healthy, so I thought I’d put together a little summary of the do’s and don’ts and some simple, nourishing, homemade recipes for you to try out over the coming months!
Why you should always try to avoid shop bought dressings.
Most store bought salad dressing can undermine the nutritional benefits of a salad and can cause us harm with hidden calories. Most are a combination of highly processed vegetable oils, sugar, sulphites and other damaging and allergenic additives.
For those of you not as motivated to make your own, try out Undivided Food Co’s range of delicious and healthy GOOD OIL salad dressings made with olive oil.
Why homemade dressings can offer both flavour and nutritional benefits.
Homemade dressings can taste incredible and can make a salad or bowl of veg so much more interesting.
The general rule of thumb with any dressing is approximately 3 parts oil to 1 part acid (vinegar or citrus juice) however you can always adjust to suit your own taste.
When served with vegetables, the monounsaturated fats in extra virgin olive, actually enhance the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins found in them. The acid part (vinegar or citrus juice), assists in the digestion of vitamins and minerals. Fresh herbs and spices can add depth of flavour and liven the salad up with a punch of freshness. and phytonutrients.
I like to make my dressing in small jars. It’s a quick and no mess way to make dressings and you can keep them in the fridge for another day.
Lemon Tahini Dressing
2 tbsp of tahini,
juice of half a lemon
pinch of salt
touch of warm water to form a thin and creamy consistency.
French Dressing
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
¼ clove/s garlic -crushed (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Lime and Cumin dressing
1 lime
tbsp extra virgin olive oil
a squeeze of honey
1/2 tsp of cumin
Simple Lemon dressing
6 tbsp olive oil -extra virgin
2 tbsp lemon juice
lemon zest finely grated
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
1. Place all ingredients in a small jar and shake until well combined.
2. Store leftover dressing in an airtight container or jar in the fridge.
Green Tahini dressing
1/3 cup tahini
3/4 cup of room temp water or more for desired consistence
1 small garlic clove, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (or substitute with white vinegar)
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup spinach leaves
1/3 cup parsley leaves and stems, packed
Method
1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Store leftover dressing in an airtight container or jar in the fridge.