The Everything Salad Book (4 page)

Replacing fatty oils with healthy and tasty chicken broth helps ensure this salad dressing offers full flavor without the extra calories.

1. Whisk together the broth, vinegar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix well.
   

2. Whisk chives, dill, Italian seasonings, and black pepper into the dressing. Mix well. Pour dressing into a lidded container and chill in fridge. Shake well before each use.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........3

Fat:..........0 g

Protein:..........0 g

Sodium:..........46 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........1 g

Walnut oil must be fresh and properly stored. Taste the oil before adding to ensure that it has not gone bad. Refrigerate after opening.

Mix together the olive oil and walnut oil. Whisk together the shallot, vinegar, and salt and pepper in a separate bowl. While whisking, add the combined oil slowly at a drizzle. Adjust the seasoning to taste. Will keep for 1–2 weeks refrigerated. Whisk before using if separated.

PER SERVING

Calories:..........208

Fat:..........23 g

Protein:..........0 g

Sodium:..........49 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........1 g

Cucumber not only gives this light dressing a delicate flavor, it provides body, reducing the amount of oil needed in the recipe.

1. Add the cucumber, vinegar, parsley, cilantro, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and dill to a food processor or small blender. Process mixture until silky smooth.
   

2. Pour the olive oil into the processor. Process for 15 seconds, or until oil is thoroughly mixed in.
   

3. Pour the dressing into a bottle and cover tightly with a lid. Shake well before each use and store in fridge.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........63

Fat:..........6.5 g

Protein:..........0 g

Sodium:..........1 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........1 g

The easiest way to remove the seeds from a cucumber is to slice it in half lengthwise. Using a melon scoop or small spoon, you just scoop out the seeds from the middle of each half. Once the seeds are gone, you're free to slice and dice the cucumber as needed.

You can mix mayonnaise with a fair amount of water without losing the creamy texture. The water makes the dressing go farther and reduces the overall calories.

1. Whisk the mayonnaise and water together in a medium mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.
   

2. Stir the chives and garlic powder into the dressing. Mix well and pour into a lidded container. Store in fridge and shake well before each use.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........51

Fat:..........4 g

Protein:..........0 g

Sodium:..........24 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........4 g

This recipe is all about bite, so don't get stingy with the horseradish.

1. Whisk the mayonnaise, water, and horseradish together in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well.
   

2. Stir honey, parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder into the bowl. Mix well and pour dressing into a lidded container. Store in fridge and shake well before each use.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........80

Fat:..........7.5 g

Protein:..........0 g

Sodium:..........175 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........2.5 g

The sunflower oil in this recipe is low in trans-fats, saturated fats, and cholesterol, just like olive oil.

1. Combine the water, agave nectar, lemon zest, ginger root, salt, onion powder, ground ginger, black pepper, and paprika in a glass bottle. Twist the lid on the bottle and shake to mix well.
   

2. Add lemon juice and oil to the bottle. Secure the lid and shake until thoroughly mixed. Store in fridge and shake well before each use.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........57

Fat:..........6 g

Protein:..........0 g

Sodium:..........0 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........1 g

Agave nectar is usually located right next to the honey on grocery shelves. The powerful nectar is extremely sweet, so you can use less of it than you would honey or maple syrup. It also has a low glycemic index, which means it doesn't overwhelm your system and cause a jump in blood sugar.

A great dressing for a summer salad that can include any fruits such as strawberries or mandarin oranges.

Combine all the ingredients in a medium-sized nonreactive bowl and whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Remix just before serving. Refrigerate any unused portion and bring to room temperature before serving. Shake well before each use.

PER SERVING

Calories:..........188

Fat:..........20 g

Protein:..........1 g

Sodium:..........52 mg

Fiber:..........1 g

Carbohydrate:..........2 g

Cilantro, also known as coriander leaf, is the leaves of the coriander plant. The pungent leaves of the fast-growing plant look somewhat like parsley, as the two plants are related. Cilantro is common in both Asian and South American dishes. A boom of cilantro use in high-end restaurants during the 1990s led some people to rejoice and others to start “anti-cilantro” clubs.

This light and spicy salad dressing is not only healthy, the tofu gives it an extra punch of protein. However, tofu can spoil, so the dressing only keeps for one week.

1. Place the tofu, soy sauce, wasabi paste, garlic paste, and mustard seed in a blender. Add half of the vinegar and half the oil to the blender. Blend on low until mixture is smooth.
   

2. Slowly feed the remaining vinegar and oil into the blender. Blend on low until thoroughly mixed. Pour dressing into a lidded bottle and refrigerate until needed. Shake dressing well before each use.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........23

Fat:..........2 g

Protein:..........1 g

Sodium:..........49 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........0 g

Garlic paste is a combination of mashed garlic and liquid. It's a popular culinary shortcut because it makes it easy to blend the garlic with other ingredients. To make your own, crush and mince 4 raw or roasted garlic cloves. Mix the garlic with 1 tablespoon of warm water, mashing any large garlic chunks until the paste is smooth. Store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

This dressing adds a kick of Southwest flavor to any salad without adding unwanted fat and calories.

1. Combine tofu, cilantro, lime juice, water, lime zest, onion powder, red pepper sauce, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend on low until smooth.
   

2. Keep the blender on low and slowly feed the oil into the mixture. Blend until thoroughly mixed. Pour mixture into a lidded bottle and store in refrigerator. Shake well before use. Discard dressing after one week.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........25

Fat:..........2.5 g

Protein:..........0.5 g

Sodium:..........8 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........0 g

Tofu is a light and almost flavorless substance made of bean curd. The upside to the light taste is that it takes on the flavors of anything with which it's mixed. It's important to use a soft silken tofu for the salad dressing, as it will mix well and provide a creamy texture. Using a hard tofu in the dressing will result in poor mixing and a curded texture.

Homemade vinaigrettes just taste better than the store-bought varieties. This is the basic version.

Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, and mustard in a container or jar with cover and shake vigorously to combine. Add the oil and shake until emulsified. Use immediately or refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before using.

PER SERVING

Calories:..........166

Fat:..........18g

Protein:..........0 g

Sodium:..........148 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........1 g

An Asian combination of flavors fuses with all-American mayonnaise for a twist on the usual ranch dressing.

Combine all ingredients except chives in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy. Stir in chives by hand. Pour dressing into a bottle and chill in refrigerator until needed.

PER SERVING

Calories:..........58

Fat:..........5g

Protein:..........1 g

Sodium:..........226 mg

Fiber:..........0 g

Carbohydrate:..........3 g