Everyone should have at least one salad dressing recipe up their sleeve. Salads are great because they can be satisfying and delicious and just the perfect thing to have on a hot summer day. But when you add bottled dressing to a beautiful salad where care was taken with each yummy ingredient? Might as well not bother, in my opinion!
I had played around with the idea of a creamy dressing that did not use mayo, eggs or dairy for a while now. Many creamy vegan recipes use blended presoaked cashews when a cream-type sauce is needed. Soaking cashews ensures a dreamy blended final product that is also much more easily digested than when using unsoaked cashews And though you can count on cashew-cream recipes having a nearly perfect velvety texture, there were times I thought the flavor of the cashew came through a little strongly in the dish, even when using presoaked nuts.
The day I finally got around to putting my idea to the test, of course all of my cashews were gone so it was macadamia nuts to the rescue! Compared to cashews and almonds, macadamia nuts offer a higher fat content and are a still good source of essential nutrients. Higher fat content always means a yummier food, right?
Below, I give a basic guideline for a creamy dressing, three additional variations. All variations are delicious and quick to make. The dressing is very pourable after it is made but if a room-temperature dressing is not your thing, pop it the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. Please note that the dressing will thicken up considerably once chilled - stir in a little water, a few drops at a time until the desired consistency is reached. A thicker dressing makes a perfect dip for vegetables, though!
I use a high-speed Vita-Mix blender so I add whole black peppercorns directly into my blender jar before whirring the remaining ingredients together. If you are using a standard blender, use ground black pepper or you may end up with black pepper chunks in the salad.
Creamiest Salad Dressing, #1
- 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (I used these from Costco)
- 1/2 cup organic olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon whole peppercorns (or 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper)
Place all of the ingredients in a blender jar, cover and blend at high-speed until a smooth. This takes about 15 seconds in my Vita-Mix. If using a standard blender, leave it running for at least 1 minute before checking the consistency of the dressing (after turning the machine off first, of course!).
Creamy Italian Dressing, #2:
Increase the apple cider vinegar to 1 1/2 tablespoons, and add 1/4 teaspoon each of the following (along with the basic ingredients): dried oregano, dried basil and dried basil. Blend as directed.
Creamy Lemon Garlic and Chive Dressing (pictured above), #3:
Omit the apple cider vinegar and substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice. Increase the garlic cloves to 2-3, or to taste and add to the blender jar, along with the basic ingredients. Blend as directed. Stir in about 4 tablespoons of snipped fresh chives before serving.
Creamy Herbes de Provence Dressing, #4:
Add 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (storebought or homemade) to the blender jar, along with the basic ingredients. Blend as directed.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in a covered glass jar or container. Use within a few days.
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