Salad Dressings - Almond Vinaigrette, Tahini Dill, 1000 Island

Each day we aim to have at least one meal where salad is the main dish.  Our vegan main dish salads consist of greens, grains, beans, cruciferous veggies, nuts and seeds, topped off with homemade oil-free dressing.  These are some of our current favorite things to put in salad. Experiment with different salad ingredients and dressings and find ones that are simple to prepare and have on hand.

Brown rice, lettuce, chickpeas, cabbage, spinach salad

Almond Vinaigrette

Almond Balsamic Vinaigrette

6 cloves garlic
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup raw almonds or 2 tablespoons almond butter
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Preheat oven to 350F. Roast unpeeled garlic in a small baking dish for about 25 minutes or until soft. When cool, remove the skins.  Blend the roasted garlic with the remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender.

Serves 6 - from Eat to Live Cookbook by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Note:  You can roast large quantities of garlic to store in the freezer for making this recipe. I make a double batch of this dressing each week substituting six small dates for 1/4 cup raisins.

Salad with roasted chickpeas and black-eyed peas

Tahini Dill

Tahini Dill Salad Dressing

3/4 cup water
3/4 oz dates (approx. 3)
1 Tablespoon dried dill or 3 Tablespoons fresh
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, including some zest

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until well combined. Enjoy immediately or store in a air-tight container for up to 5-7 days.

Recipe from: Julieanna Hever, The Plant-based Dietitian

Salad topped with shredded cabbage and slice almonds

Tofu Island Dressing - similar to thousand island dressing

1 12 ounce package lite silken tofu
1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1 tablespoon minced onion

1 teaspoon soy sauce

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the tofu and lemon juice in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Place in a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients. Chill for at least two hours before using.

Recipe is from The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook by Dr. John and Mary McDougall.

Note:  I make a single recipe of this dressing once a week using a 16 ounce package of tofu, increasing the onions to 1/3 cup and adding 3 dates.

Thousand Island variation: Try this dressing with corn instead of tofu.

<< Possible Layers for Main Dish Salads >>
(use a large plate or bowl)

Cooked Whole Grains* (warm): brown rice, black rice, quinoa

Greens: romaine, red leaf and green leaf lettuces, spinach, iceberg

Cooked Beans: black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils

Cruciferous Veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, shredded cabbage, chopped kale

Nuts and Seeds: sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds

Other Veggies and fruit: tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers, shredded carrots, cooked potatoes*

Dressing: almond vinaigrette, Tahini Dill, Thousand Island

*If you're trying to lose weight, limit nuts and seeds to 1 to 2 ounces a day.