My 3 Favourite Salad Dressings

I spend a lot of time in my clinics discussing with clients how they can eat more veggies.

Why do I want them to eat more veggies?  Well, very briefly, because they contain some incredibly important nutrients that will keep them (and you) healthy and slow down the ageing process, but they are also incredibly nutrient dense without being calorie dense (i.e. you can eat a lot of them and they won’t cause weight gain)

Want to know my number one tip to help you eat more veggies?

Make them taste really yummy!

Given that it is summer here in Australia and we are experiencing some pretty hot weather, there is never a better time to eat salad.  So here are my 3 current favourite simple, quick and easy dressings to toss with your salads to make them taste delicious!

Plus because many of the phytonutrients in salad are fat soluble, our body needs fat to absorb them. Therefore these dressings will also increase your body’s ability to absorb all of these important nutrients! Besides, a salad without dressing really is just rabbit food!

And here are my top 3 tips when it comes to making your own salad dressings:

1. Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find.  I prefer to use Australian as you can be guaranteed it actually is extra virgin olive oil (quality control is not as strict in many other countries).  Plus you support our local farmers (who we need to look after), it will be fresher as it doesn’t have to travel as far and Australia produces some amazing tasting olive oil.  Farmers markets are one of the best places to source olive oil.  The one I used here is an organic one I found at About Life.
2. Use a recycled jam or honey jar to mix up your dressing – just make sure the lid fits tightly!  This is the easiest way to get the ingredients to mix thoroughly and if you don’t use all the dressing, you can just pop the lid back on and store it in the fridge. Too easy!
3. Make your dressings in bulk. Dressing will last for at least a week if stored in the fridge, so make enough for 3-4 salads, especially if you are eating salads regularly, and you will save yourself lots of time.

Once made, these dressings can be used in multiple ways.

Keep reading below the dressing recipes for the salad recipes in the photographs above…

Kale, Carrot and Sesame Salad

Serves 8

• 1 bunch curly kale, leaves picked and shredded
• 2 large carrots, grated
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 batch of lemon and olive oil dressing (see recipe above)

Mix kale, carrot and dressing together.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds just before serving

 

Spinach and Seeds Salad

Serves 1

• Handful of baby spinach leaves
• 1 teaspoon each of linseeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
• 10 grams feta cheese
• 1/4 batch of balsamic and pomegranate dressing (see recipe above)

Place spinach leaves in serving bowl.  Drizzle with dressing.  Sprinkle with seeds and crumble feta over the top

Note – I also use this dressing for the Fig Rocket and Feta Salad

Spinach and Tahini Slaw

Serves 1

• Handful of baby spinach leaves
• 1 small carrot, julienned or grated
• 1/4 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, pinenuts or pecans, toasted
• 1 heaped tablespoon of tahini dressing (see recipe above)

Add spinach leaves, carrot, red cabbage and tahini dressing to serving bowl.  Mix well to combine.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds, pinenuts or pecans just before serving.

The tahini dressing can also be used on steamed veggies like broccoli or green beans