The question I get asked most by people who are just beginning to follow an oil-free diet is “If you don’t use oil, what do you put on your salad?” Frankly, getting used to salads without olive oil can be difficult, though I do believe you can train your taste buds to enjoy salads without oil if you add enough flavor to them. It’s not enough just to remove the oil from any old salad dressing; you have to replace it with a liquid that will dilute the power of the vinegar in the dressing, add some body so that the dressing isn’t watery, and add flavor. Here are a few of my tips for making fat-free but tasty vegan salad dressing.
Tips for converting an oily dressing into an oil-free one:
- If you don’t mind a sweeter dressing, replace the oil with orange juice or other fruit juice.
- Replace the oil with aquafaba–the broth from a can or pot of chickpeas.
- Try replacing the oil with vegetable broth plus one of the thickeners below.
- Replace the oil with water, but double the herbs and spices and add a thickener.
- Add a thickener. Some people add xanthan or guar gum, which can be tricky to use, but I prefer using ground flax seeds or chia seeds, both of which form a gel when combined with liquids. Chia seeds have the advantage of not needing to be ground first, and their lighter flavor and appearance (if you use the white chia) make them better for dressings. And both are great sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. Start with a teaspoon per cup of dressing, blend well (with a blender, if you like), and allow to stand until thickened. Add more if necessary to achieve the thickness you desire.
- Add dijon or coarse-ground mustard. A couple of teaspoons per cup of dressing will add zing without being overwhelming.
- Add a little nutritional yeast for a richer, more savory flavor.
- Blending in just a small amount of higher-fat ingredients such as nuts, olives, or avocado can give flavor and body to your dressing without a lot of fat–as long as you don’t overdo it.
- Be careful with raw garlic, which can easily overpower your dressing if you use too much of it. Naturally dehydrated granulated garlic or garlic powder is a good alternative for infusing a dressing with garlic flavor with less risk of “garlic burn.”
Susan’s Lite Goddess Dressing
- Fresh is best for herbs, but if you’re using dried, allow time for the leaves to rehydrate and the flavors to blend. Most fat-free dressings will taste better after chilling for a while.
- Experiment with different vinegars: balsamic, red wine, and white wine are standard, but fruit-flavored vinegars such as raspberry, fig, or blood orange can add a different dimension to your usual salad dressing.
- It’s surprisingly easy to make a creamy dressing low-fat. Just substitute silken tofu for mayonnaise and vegan yogurt instead of buttermilk. You can also make your own soy buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of soymilk and let stand until curdled.
- If you absolutely cannot stand oil-free dressing, try reducing the amount of oil a little at a time, using some of the replacements suggested here.
- There’s evidence that some fat helps your body absorb the nutrients in salad. Rather than use oil, which has been stripped of all nutrients but fat, I recommend adding nuts, seeds, or avocado to your salad.
What are your tips for making oil-free dressings? Let me know in the comments.
Here’s an easy, creamy dressing that I threw together in just a few minutes. I used a salt-free seasoning, Mr. Spice House, as a short-cut to avoid having to measure many different herbs. You can use any combination of herbs you like, adding more to taste as you go. Though the percentage of calories from fat in this recipe is what I would call higher-fat (over 15%), notice that the overall number of grams of fat is low (about 1) and a serving is 3 tablespoons, instead of the 2 tablespoons that most bottled dressings call a serving–great for those of use who like a lot of dressing on our salads!
Ridiculously Easy Vegan Buttermilk Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened soy yogurt or other non-dairy yogurt
- 1/2 cup plain soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
- 1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (start with 1 tbsp. and add more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend such as Mrs. Dash or Mr. Spice House
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small clove garlic
- 1 green olive
- 1/2 teaspoon chia seed (optional, for thickness)
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add salt and additional seasonings to taste. Chill until ready to serve. Stir before serving.
Nutritional info is approximate.
More Salad Dressings:
- Smoked Paprika Dressing
- Lite Goddess Dressing
- Orange-Sesame Dressing
- Salad Dressings at Fatfree Vegan Recipes
On another note:
I try to keep this blog focused on food, but recently I got the chance to talk about myself with Nikki Jong at menuism.com. Check out the interview.
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Debbie stevenson
I use 2 heaping tbsp of no tahini hummus
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar white
And 1/2 tsp mustard mixed
Melissa
This is a great post! I love Balsamic Vinegar and used to just use that straight on salads until I realized it was a bit too harsh. I’m not really too set on using olive oil anyway to cut the sharpness of it. Do you think that citrus would go well and still cut away some of the bitterness?
Jennifer
Thanks Susan! I love all of these ideas! My favorite salad dressing is to buy a fresh tomato or mango Pico de Gallo salsa (think chunky) and add that to the top of my salad, then drizzle a little seasoned rice vinegar on, with salt & pepper to taste. I almost always put fresh raw corn in my salads, and the starch mixed with the tomatoes and vinegar is so lovely! This was my standard lunch all summer!
http://passthepotatoesblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/red-leaf-lettuce-with-roasted-corn-pico.html
Jenny Wright
This is exactly what I’ve been searching for to make my lovely winter salads with. It looks divine! I shall be making this for my lunch tomorrow!
JL Goes Vegan
Oh, that dressing looks lovely! Just the kind of dressing I like! Thank you!
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary)
Putting this recipe in my ‘make me’ pile! I really, really like buttermilk dressing, but this recipe sounds so much more healthful. Thanks for another great one Susan!! I’m all about the oil based dressingings, so this woul be a nice change.
Shannon
Thank you for posting this.
Molly
I’m a total cheat when it comes to dressings – I use the Walden Farms brand products religiously. Love them! However, Susan, your Smoked Paprika dressing that went with the asparagus recipe is awesome! I’ve made it several times.
Laloofah
What a great post – I love some of your ideas and those of your readers!
We enjoy just freshly-squeezed lemon juice and tamari on our salads. No body, but lots of flavor… and we put so much “schtuff” on our salads (lots of herbs and various veggies, dulse leaf, black olives, hemp, chia and pumpkin seeds, and a few nuts of one variety or another – and some avocado now and then) that we’ve never missed the texture or taste of oil. Now and then I’ll use Walnut Dressing instead, but my husband always prefers the lemon juice and tamari. That will likely change when he finds out about your Smoked Paprika dressing though! 🙂
Laloofah
P.S. I enjoyed reading menuism’s interview with you! I’d missed seeing it mentioned on my earlier bleary-eyed insomniac visit. 🙂
SusanV
Thanks! I tacked it on at the end and wasn’t sure if anyone would see it. Glad it caught your eye!
Laloofah
Me too!
Margaret
Great post. I will be linking to it!! I’ve been making low-fat salad dressing with chia seeds for years. For more information about chia seeds, and some recipe ideas, check out my website: http://www.chiativity.org
Joanne
Very interesting dressing recipe. I’m such a salad queen, I’ll have to try it.
It might be worthwhile to note, that a little olive oil doesn’t hurt. Our bodies need healthy oil/fats to transport the nutrients from the healthy foods we eat, such as salad greens. People should fear healthy fats. They keep our joint, bones, bodies in general healthy.
SusanV
Healthy fat, yes, but olive oil is not a healthy fat. As I mention in my post , you can get all the fat you need by adding whole foods like nuts and seeds to your salad, not processed oils.
Tom
My favorite salad dressing is from Rip Esselstyns book.
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T dijon mustard
1 T maple syrup or agave
splash of water, perhaps some pepper.
I like my own fruit vinegrette.
I use any fruit.. peaches, raspberries, blueberries etc etc….. some red wine vinegar or raspberry vinegar, a small shallot, dash of maple syrup and some pepper.. Vitamix it up. and its awesome! 🙂
VEGirl
ohhh.. that looks great! Sounds yummy over potables (I am a spud freak! LOL).
VEGirl
Nitram
Does anyone know where to get unsweetened soy yogurt? Every “plain” soy yogurt that I find is sweetened. Drives me crazy!
Suzi
Apple Valley has plain unsweetened soy yogurt in Mishiwaka Indiana and in Berrien springs, Grand Rapids, Battle creek in Michigan
Jill
That dressing looks delish! Just proves iit can be done, with just a little creativity!
jd
Thanks for all of the great dressing tips! Your buttermilk version looks delish!
whatiwore
Wow, this does indeed look easy! I’m excited to try this.
moonwatcher
Hi Susan,
Thanks for this great post about salad dressing options. It reminded me of your smoked paprika dressing, which, at the time I could not try, since I didn’t have anyy of that magic stuff. Now I do!
Right now I’ve been alternating between your Lite Goddess Dressing (since I still have fresh parsley and green onion tops in the garden), and a version of an Asian Dressing I found on the PCRM web site with their “Asian Persuasion” coleslow recipes. I mention it for those who like ginger. It’s mostly seasoned rice vinegar, apple juice concentrate, tamari or say sauce (to be gluten free I use tamari), grated ginger, and garlic. (I use shallot due to sensitivity to garlic.)
To your point about raw garlic being too strong, a nice substitute is a little bit of fresh shallot. It’s milder, sweeter, and goes well with any fruit and mustard, too.
Another standard Essylstyn recipe I tweaked in that direction is seasoned rice vinegar, a little dijon mustard and then I use minced shallot instead of garlic, and about a teaspoon of raspberry fruit spread or jam.
I look forward to trying this buttermilk dressing. To add a green olive seems inspired to me.
Happy salad eating to all of us!
xo
moonwatcher
Robert
Hi Susan: As you said above, some oils are good–especially hemp oil and flax oil. These oils are high in omega-3s and 6s. Hemp has the ideal omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids. Flaxseed oil has the highest ratio 3s to 6s (5:1 ratio). Here’s a recipe from Brendan Brazier’s “Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide” that I like. You can play with this by adding lime or lemon juice or a dusting of cayenne pepper.
Cucumber Dill Dressing
4 cloves garlic
2 cucumbers, peeled
1/2 cup hemp oil
4 tsp dried dill/4 tbsp fresh)
black pepper & sea salt to taste
Blend all ingredients together in a Vita-Mix or other high speed blender.
Christine
Hi Susan! I am excited to make more of my own dressings, and this looks like a yummy place to start 🙂 What would you substitute for the soy yogurt if you have a soy sensitivity? I think So Delicious makes a plain coconut milk yogurt, do you think that would work? Sometimes I think those yogurts taste too “coconutty” but that’s because I don’t like coconuts 🙂
SusanV
I haven’t tasted a plain coconut yogurt, so I don’t know. I’m inclined to think it would be too sweet as well as coconutty. I’ve used blended white beans in dressings to thicken them up, and I think it tastes pretty good, though more gritty than with tofu. You could give it a try and see what you think.
SusanG
Hi Susan,
Thanks so much for this post! Figuring out how to do salad dressings has been one of my biggest hindrances for not being more fully compliant on ETL. Right now I’m working my way through some commercial, high fat vegan dressings that are delicious, but….
LizLivingVegan
I’ve been looking for a good vegan salad dressing. This looks like a great place to start! I bet the combinations/options are endless!
kay greenwalt
http://www.kozlowskifarms.com/
Oh, my gosh, the BEST oil free salad dressings ever!!! I love their honey mustard and their raspberry poppy seed the best!
Kay
JoethekitchenContractor
I’m sure you mentioned it somewhere but I cant find it but how long does this salad dressing keep?
SusanV
I wouldn’t keep it longer than a week because it starts to look unappealing after then. I haven’t tasted it, though, so I can’t say how it would affect you!
Tracey
I am supremely lazy, and I like a shot of sweet and tangy with my salad, so I usually just put a dollop of sweet pickle relish on it. It has the tangy “vinegar” taste so I feel like I’m not just eating lettuce, but there’s also the sweetness AND it’s very convenient. One other nice thing is that sweet relish is available at most salad bars, so you don’t have to go without just because you’re at a non-vegan eatery!
April from Kitchen Blender Reviews
Hi Susan: Thanks for so many great tips on fat-free salad dressings. I am not a big salad eater, mainly because it’s the dressing that makes it for me! And, I won’t buy dairy or oil based dressings. 🙂 So, I like my greens cooked or blended.
I will have to try this buttermilk dressing and a salad for dinner. Maybe this will get me motivated to plan my meals around my salad.
Clare
Thank you! These are the first truly creative ideas for low-fat salad dressing that I have seen in ages. I hope I can find the chia seeds–what a great way to incorporate extra omega-3’s.
Laina
Hi Susan,
I don’t have green olives and don’t want to purchase a jar for just one recipe. What would you substitute? Miso maybe? Black olive? A dill pickle slice?
Also, if I can’t find plain soy yogurt would you substitute tofu?
Thanks so much!
SusanV
Laina, all of those substitutes for the green olive sound good–just pick the one you like best. And I think you can use silken tofu instead of the yogurt, maybe with a little extra lemon juice added. Hope you enjoy it!
Nikki
This looks great, but I have trouble with soy. Is there anyway to make this recipe soy free and vegan? Thanks
Katelyn
while it is no fatfree, it is oil free. my favorite dressing is tahini mixed with lemon juice and some tamari with water added to thin it out. Sometimes I add garlic powder and chili powder.
Allana
do you have the measurements for each ingredient?
Bianca
I’ve been using Konjac powder for a thickener. no calories… Just need a very small amount and a blender. It’s magic
Diane Robuck
Dear Susan,
I am so glad I found your site. Tomorrow I will go to have a heart cath. I had a heart attack in 2010 at age 60. I have researched vegan for years off and on. My husband, married daughter and son in law and myself have committed to six months. Actually my husband and I will probably be on for life(hopefully a long one).
Your site is interesting, your photography is great, and I can’t hardly wait to get started on your recipes. I was glad to see you live in Mississippi and in Jackson! I have been to Terry many times over the years and have friends there. We live in Jemison, Alabama.
I just wanted to say “hi” and let you know I have enjoyed what I have seen and would love to correspond some time with you. Thank you again.
Kindly,
Diane Robuck
Susan Voisin
Hi Diane, I will be thinking of you and hoping that your procedure tomorrow goes well. Good luck on your new vegan diet. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Susan
Diane Robuck
Thank you Susan. It was more serious than we expected. The front artery of my heart(in a man it is considered the “widow maker”) was 95% blocked. It shook up the doctor who wasn’t expecting it and neither was I! Anyway my husband is definitely on his band box now:). So keep the vegan coming! Also would you let me know where the page is that had your pantry and freezer inventory? Thank you……….Kindly, Diane
Susan Voisin
I’m so glad that they caught it in time! I hope your recovery is going smoothly.
The pantry post is right here: https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2012/01/ridiculously-easy-vegetable-gumbo-and-cooking-from-your-pantry-and-freezer.html Just let me know if there’s anything else you need.
Margi
I enjoy plain lemon juice over my salad but you can also blend it with an avacado for extra taste and any combo of herbs.
My favorite though is a nice homemade salsa poured over my salad. Love it.
For the non-vegans..try fat free cottage cheese seasoned the way you like.