I always advocate eating 1-2 salads per day.  If you are like me, I have to have a delicious dressing to go over my salad.  I have numerous dressings, mostly raw, that take minutes to make, are dairy-free and so good you will want to eat salad just to taste the dressing!  The recipes today include Tahini Dressing, Creamy Thousand Island, Asian Dressing, Creamy Sesame Dressing, Raw Peanut Curry Dressing, and Raw Basil Pine Nut Dressing…

These dressings are very versatile.  Most of them could be made with less water/liquid and used as a dip.  They could also be poured over main dishes, sautéed veggies, poured over a wrap, spread onto bread, or stirred into ground up raw nuts and veggies to make a pate. 

TAHINI DRESSING

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame butter)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• A dash of Celtic sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic

Directions:

1. Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender until smooth, adding the water last.
2. Refrigerate in a glass jar.  *Makes about 1 cup

CREAMY THOUSAND ISLAND

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Vegenaise (non-dairy delicious mayo substitute made with grapeseed oil – purple label)
• ½ cup fresh salsa
• 1 Tbsp sweet or dill relish
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp organic catsup

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a jar and shake well.
2. Store in the refrigerator.  *Makes 1 3/4 cups.

*Option: Try mixing equal amounts of Creamy Thousand Island with the Sunflower or Almond dip.  The flavor is amazing!  This combination has been nick-named “The Sauce” in our family.

TRADITIONAL ASIAN DRESSING:

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp raw sesame seeds
•  2 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Vegenaise (non-dairy delicious mayo substitute made with grapeseed oil, purple label – adds creaminess)
• 2 tsp Dijon-style mustard
• 3 Tbsp Nama Shoyu, Tamari or Coconut Aminos
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 Tbsp raw honey
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a jar and shake well.  *Makes about 1 cup.

CREAMY SESAME DRESSING

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Vegenaise (non-dairy delicious mayo substitute made with grapeseed oil – purple label
• 2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, raw or toasted
• 1 Tbsp raw honey
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 Tbsp brown rice vinegar
• ¼ tsp Celtic Sea Or Himalayan Salt
• Black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. 
2. Pour the dressing in a glass jar.
3. Store in the refrigerator.  *Makes 1½ cups.

RAW PEANUT CURRY DRESSING

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup lemon juice                   
• 2 Tbsp raw miso paste
• 3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp curry
• ½ cup filtered water
• Celtic Sea Salt or Nama Shoyu to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2. Pour the dressing into a jar and chill.  *Makes 1½ cups.

BASIL PINE NUT DRESSING

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups pine nuts, ideally soaked for 4-6 hours for easier digestion
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped black, kalamata or green olives (try mixing all of them together)
• 2 tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 10 basil leaves, chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Nama Shoyu, Tamari or Coconut Aminos
• Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all of the ingredients on high for 30 seconds. 
2. Pour the dressing into a jar and refrigerate.  *Makes about 2 1/4 cups.

Related posts:

1. Raw Summer Menu: Raw Corn Chowder, Creamy Coleslaw & Waldorf Salad
2. Sweet Potato Salad
3. Hummus Three Ways
4. The Perfect Summer Salad: Red Quinoa Tabouli
5. Make Delicious Dairy-free Sour Cream 3 Ways!