Top 5 Vegetarian Salad Dressings, Quick and Easy

If you prefer to do without dressings with ingredients of animal origin (dairy products, egg) in your salads, you can make your own dressings with healthy and vegetable ingredients.

Many times, we make a mistake when buying prepared salads or eating them in a restaurant because the dressings they carry do not have to be vegan, unless it is clearly specified. Here are five quick and easy recipes to prepare to make your salad truly vegan.

5 VEGAN SALAD DRESSING RECIPES

1. VEGAN SALAD DRESSING WITH TAHINI AND LIME

The dressings with tahini, the sesame paste, are creamy and delicious. They have a slightly sweet taste with a bitter touch, which is perfectly balanced with the fruity taste of lime.

Mix the following ingredients, which will be enough for two or three servings of salad. Place them in a jar with a screw cap and shake vigorously.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cold-pressed sesame or other vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon apple syrup or other liquid sugar alternative
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

A freshly squeezed garlic clove or a little chopped mint will add extra flavor to the dressing, which pairs well with all leaf salads and even couscous or tabbouleh.

2. MAPLE AND MUSTARD SYRUP DRESSING

This dressing combines perfectly with a light arugula salad. With a few sun-dried tomatoes instead of Parmesan, the salad gets an umami flavor that’s just as intense. This dressing can also be prepared in a jar with a screw cap

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons mustard (spicy or medium spicy)
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1/2 garlic clove (optional)
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Elaboration:

1. If you use garlic, peel your teeth and cut them or squeeze them into very small pieces.
2. Put all the ingredients in the jar.
3. Close the bottle and shake vigorously.

If you prepare a larger amount, you can use some right away for the salad and store the rest inside the jar in the fridge. The dressing can be kept refrigerated for up to a week.

3. CLASSIC HERBAL VINAIGRETTE

Use the following ingredients for two or three servings of salad and mix them well in a jar with a screw cap:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of a dried herb mixture or a handful of finely chopped fresh herbs
• 2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or other fruity vinegar
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1-2 teaspoons of the liquid sweetener of your choice

The classic herbal vinaigrette pairs well with all common salads, as well as unusual salad ingredients.

4. THOUSAND-ISLANDS DRESSING

Known as the secret burger sauce of a large American restaurant chain, a fresh dressing from Thousand-Islands also tastes perfect with crispy salads. For two or three servings of vegan salad dressing of this type, you will need:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 small onion
• 2-3 small pickles
• 100 g of tofunesa
• 100 g soy yogurt
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened tomato sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Up to 1 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne pepper (depending on the desired degree of spiciness)
• 1 pinch kala namak (black salt from the Himalayas), for a slight egg flavor
• Salt and pimeinta (optional)

Elaboration:

1. Finely chop the pepper, onion and pickles.
2. Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, tomato sauce and vinegar along with the spices.
3. Add the finely chopped vegetables. Optionally season with salt and pepper.

Thousand Islands dressing is especially suitable as a salad sauce consisting of, for example, chicory, iceberg lettuce or white cabbage.

5. VEGAN CAESAR SAUCE

A vegan Caesar sauce is in no way inferior to the original variant with parmesan and anchovies, which can be perfectly substituted for yeast flakes and capers. It goes especially well with romaine lettuce, croutons (homemade) and chickpeas (toasted).

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons tofunesa (or mix 2 of tofunesa and 2 of soy yogurt)
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 teaspoons unbittered yeast flakes
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons mustard
• 30 ml juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

If you don’t have capers at home or don’t like them, you can replace them with a pinch of vinegar (wine), salt and nori flakes.

Elaboration:

1. Peel and chop the garlic.
2. Put all the ingredients in a processor and puree them until you get a fine dressing.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Vegan Caesar dressing can be served over a wide variety of salad compositions. It pairs well with green lettuce, chickpeas, tofu, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers, but also with falafel, beetroot or steamed kale.

Variant: tofunesa can be replaced by a cashew cream (leave 100 g of cashews soak with 100 ml of water for 4-6 hours and then pass them through the processor).