Food & Nightlife
#Tried&Tested: Five Salad Dressing Recipes That Made Clean Eating Easy Peasy For Me!
“Seriously how do you eat that all the time?” You’d totally get this question in case you happen to be someone who eats healthy, by choice. Well, I am one of those people and I have been thoroughly judged by my brother. For years now he has been majorly revolted by the idea of eating raw. Well, until now when he tried one of my salads recently.
We have both been working from home for almost a year now. And it was in lack of any restaurant food during the lockdown period that he decided to give one of my salads a try. Just one bite and he was converted. It has been two months since then and bhai’s salad routine has been going strong since then.
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Wondering how I changed his mind about salads? Yummy dressings is the name of the game! Seriously, all it takes is a flavourful dressing to take your salad from drab to fab. Over the years, I have played a lot of permutations and combinations and mastered some of these dressings as per my taste. The coolest part? They work on the most basic of salads and all you need is some 4-5 basic ingredients to ace them all. Want to indulge in some healthy eating that also pampers your palette? Try these five salad dressings:
The Tangy Orange Vinaigrette
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This is the perfect salad dressing for sunny days when you look for something refreshing to eat. The tangy taste of orange merges beautifully with the sweet notes of balsamic vinegar to give you an extremely satisfying salad dressing. Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients
- Orange juice (1 Cup)
- Balsamic vinegar (2 tbsp)
- Olive oil (½ tbsp)
- Salt and pepper (As per the taste)
Method
- Blend all the ingredients together in a blender or food processor. You can also do it manually by whisking the mixture vigorously until it becomes smooth.
- This mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.
A Good Old Dahi Mix
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Want to whip up a protein-packed salad? Might we suggest a curd-based salad dressing that is equal parts yummy and healthy? Here’s what you’d need:
Ingredients
- Hung curd (½ cup)
- Garlic cloves (3-4, minced)
- Mint powder/ basil powder (1 tbsp)
- Lemon (1 tbsp)
- Salt and pepper (as per taste)
Method
- Take all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- I do not recommend refrigerating this one.
A Must Try Mustard Dip
This mustard dip is for you in case you seek something apt for a side salad. It’s packed with flavours and has a deliciously creamy flavour. Oh also, you can totally whip up an onion-tomato salad, add this dressing, and use it as a sandwich filling. Tastes yumm! Here’s how to make it:
Ingredients
- Dijon mustard (2-3tbsp)
- Olive oil (tbsp)
- Garlic cloves (2-3, minced)
- Honey (1 tbsp)
- Oregano (1 tbsp)
- Salt and pepper (as per taste)
Method
- Lightly fold all the ingredients together and voila you are good to go!
- This dressing can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Tzatziki With A Twist
While Tzatziki is generally used as a dip, this recipe effectively converts into an amazing dressing. This goes best with salads coarsely chopped salads where you don’t want to waste too much of your energy in fine chopping and shredding. Here’s what to do:
Ingredients
- Cucumber (1 grated and drained)
- Hung curd (½ cup)
- Olive oil (1tbsp)
- Fresh mint (2 tbsp, finely chopped)
- Garlic (2-3 cloves, minced)
- Lemon juice (1tbsp)
- Salt and pepper (As per taste)
Method
- Mix all the ingredients together in a blender and process until smooth.
- You can add a little bit of fresh curd in case the consistency is too thick.
- You can store this dressing in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Some Chimichurri For A Chatpata Twist
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Think salads are too bland? This flavourful dressing would surely change your mind. It goes really well with finely chopped veggies. Feel free to toss in some grapes and pomegranates as well. Here’s what you need to do:
Ingredients
- Balsamic vinegar (2tbsp)
- Olive oil (½ tbsp)
- Coriander (2 cups, chopped)
- Garlic Cloves (2-3 tbsp minced)
- Oregano (1-2 tbsp)
- Salt and pepper (As per taste)
Method
- Mix and softly fold all the ingredients together.
- You can also run it in a grinder in case you like your dressings smooth.
- This dressing can be refrigerated for 2-3 weeks.
Rest assured, you won’t order salads from a mehenga restaurant again!
Featured Image: Unsplash