No Oil Salad Dressings

The other day I walked over to Whole Foods Market on my lunch to pick up a few items for dinner.  On the way over I was making a list of the items in my head and I was hoping to find a decent tasting salad dressing that didn’t contain oil.

As I walked into the produce section there before me was selection of salad dressings and the right on the label were the words “NO OIL.” I was so excited! This was the first time that I had seen them and knew I had to try them. Yes they were good! I was so impressed that I had to share them. 

Whole Foods has started an initiative called “Health Starts Here” which offers nutritious options in various departments of the store.  Look for items with the following label.

I bought two of the No Oil Dressings and am very happy with both both. Give them a try! 

For those of you who want to make your own “NO OIL” salad dressings I have included some recipes below.  Enjoy!

No-oil Balsamic Dressing

2 cups boiling water 3 tablespoons packed chopped pitted dates 1 cup balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons reduced sodium Tamari or soy sauce 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 clove garlic, minced. Soak dates in water until soft, about 15 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of water. Drain dates. Puree dates, reserved water, and remaining ingredients.

(Makes about 1 ¾ cups)

Orange Avocado Dressing

3 green onions, roughly chopped 1/2 avocado, peeled and pitted 1/2 cup orange juice 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Puree green onions, avocado, juice, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor until smooth. (Makes about ¾ cup)

Low-fat Creamy “Caesar” Dressing

2/3 cup (about 5 ounces) firm silken tofu 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 tablespoons light soy or chickpea miso 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 cloves garlic Ground black pepper, to taste. Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. (Makes about 1 cup)

Carrot Ginger Dressing

1 carrot, grated 2 tablespoons mirin 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon prepared mustard 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root. Put all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. (Makes about 1 cup)