After reading one of our recent blog posts, several of our clients have been asking what dressing we suggest using on mason jar salads. Nobody wants to eat a naked salad. With a few simple ingredients to dress them up, raw veggies can become very appealing. If you’re on a paleo or therapeutic diet you might be missing the creamy salad dressings from your past life. With some simple switches, such as replacing dairy with coconut milk, these sauces can become a part of your diet again!
For many years, there’s been one big obstacle to making creamy dressings – the lack of a good mayonnaise. Most store mayonnaise is made from canola oil – yuk! Recently with the growth of the paleo movement, better alternatives have become available. I’m a big fan of the Primal Kitchen Mayo, made with avocado oil: http://www.primalkitchen.com/products/mayo/. I get mine at the local Whole Foods.
It’s also easy to make your own mayonnaise. The ranch recipe below has a link to a simple paleo mayonnaise. If you do go this route, be sure to use pastured eggs.
We love to use homemade Caesar and ranch on heartier greens such as kale and chard. These creamy dressings can be made in bigger batches and used throughout the week. They’re also fun to dip carrot sticks and plantain chips into– great lunchbox fare!
We love the ranch recipe from Nom Nom Paleo featured here: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/127040982773/paleo-lunchboxes-2015-part-2-paleo-ranch
If you’re in the mood for a lighter dressing, our go to is The Rawtarians raw garlic dressing http://www.therawtarian.com/simple-raw-garlic-salad-dressing. This recipe is delicious atop lighter greens such as spinach and spring mixes. Lemon and garlic combine to make a zesty, flavorful punch that’s appealing to most palates.
If you’re really in a pinch, don’t forget about the simplest salad dressing of all time: olive oil and apple cider vinegar! A slightly more fancy but delicious version is to combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard for some zest. A great way to dress up any salad.
If you’re looking for delicious, oil-free dressing ideas, I recommend Dr. Fuhrman’s books and website. His dressings are very nutrient dense and plant based. Here’s a simple recipe for an almond/balsamic vinaigrette: https://www.drfuhrman.com/lifestyle/recipes/1522
Here’s a dairy and gluten free Caesar salad recipe we use often. This paleo recipe uses olives instead of croutons for that savory crunch. If you eat cheese, some shredded parmesan is always a great addition.
Paleo Caesar salad
Two romaine hearts
One cup olives
One cup shredded parmesan (optional)
Dressing:
Two soft-boiled eggs
1-2 cloves garlic (depending on your taste)
4 anchovies
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Dash of apple cider vinegar
Salt to taste
Equipment:
Food processor
In a small sauce pan, bring about an inch of water to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Gently put in eggs and set a timer for four minutes. Remove from pan and let cool.
Meanwhile, separate the leaves from romaine hearts and wash well. Put through salad spinner to dry. Tear up leaves into small pieces and place into large salad bowl, along with olives.
In a food processor, combine all the dressing ingredients and process until a creamy dressing forms. Add more olive oil and salt as necessary. Pour into salad bowl, mix well and serve.
