Beet Salad (Dairy-Free, Oil-Free)

One creamy, heart-healthy dressing-beets for blood flow and walnuts for healthy cholesterol.

Creamy, garlicky, and bright with lemon, this oil-free Beet Salad Dressing combines sweet cooked beets, buttery walnuts (or sunflower seeds), and savory miso. Its vibrant pink color makes even a simple salad feel special. Drizzle it over sprouts, toss it with crunchy cabbage, or spoon it over roasted vegetables and grain bowls.

Beet salad dressing and broccoli sprouts.

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🔍 Quick Look: Beet Salad Dressing
👩🏽‍⚕️ Dietitian's Note
👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
🌱 Substitutions
📝 How to Make Beet Salad Dressing
✔️ Storage & Meal Prep
🫙 More Healthy Dressings
🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
🥗 What to Serve with Beet Salad Dressing
👩🏽‍🍳 Made this recipe?
⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
Beet Salad Dressing Recipe
🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
💬 Comments

🔍 Quick Look: Beet Salad Dressing

⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🎛️ Cook Time: 0 minutes
👥 Servings: Makes 6 servings
📊 Calories: ~145 kcal
👩🏽‍🍳 Flavor Profile: Creamy and nutty, with bright lemon, mellow beet sweetness, a garlicky kick, and savory depth from miso.
💪🏼 Nutrition: 4 grams of protein. Approximately 1.8 grams of plant-based omega-3s (ALA) per serving.
⭐ Difficulty: Easy-just soak, blend, and drizzle.

👩🏽‍⚕️ Dietitian's Note

Plant-based omega-3s: Each serving provides approximately 1.8 grams of ALA omega-3s from walnuts when the recipe is divided into six servings. Walnuts also provide unsaturated fats, fiber, and polyphenols.

Heart health: Regular walnut consumption can help lower LDL cholesterol as part of a heart-healthy eating pattern. This dressing is an easy, flavorful way to include them in your meals.

Beets and nitric oxide: Beets contain dietary nitrates, which your body can convert into nitric oxide-a compound that helps blood vessels relax and supports blood flow. Studies showing blood-pressure benefits typically use larger amounts of beets or concentrated beet juice, so this dressing contributes to nitrate intake without providing a studied therapeutic dose.

Colorful plant compounds: Beets get their vibrant color from betalains, pigments with antioxidant activity. Walnuts contribute additional antioxidant compounds, making this dressing a delicious way to add more plant variety.

Get more from your salad: The fats in walnuts help your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients, including carotenoids, from the vegetables you eat with the dressing. Lemon juice also contributes vitamin C, which helps with the absorption of plant-based iron.

Why You'll Love This Recipe:

This Beet Salad Dressing is flavorful enough to transform a simple bowl of beans, grains, or vegetables. Plus, it's:

Creamy without added oil: Walnuts blend into a rich, satisfying base.
Full of flavor: Lemon, garlic, and miso balance the sweetness of the beet.
Easy to make: Use a countertop blender or an immersion blender.
Meal-prep friendly: Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Versatile: Make it pourable for salads or thicker for dipping.

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.

Walnuts, miso, lemon, garlic, and beets.

Raw walnuts: Give this oil-free beet salad dressing its creamy texture and mild, nutty flavor. Soak until softened for easier blending.
Cooked beet: Adds natural sweetness and vibrant color. Plain steamed, boiled, or roasted beet works well.
Lemon juice: Adds brightness and balances the richness of the walnuts.
Garlic: Gives the dressing a savory kick.
White miso: Adds umami and saltiness, bringing the flavors together.
Water: Helps the ingredients blend and thins the dressing to your desired consistency.

See the printable recipe card below for quantities.

🌱 Substitutions

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.

Cooked beet: Use plain, ready-cooked, vacuum-packed beets for convenience. Pickled beets will change the flavor.
Walnuts: Choose cashews instead, or sunflower seeds for nut-free.
Lemon juice: Substitute lime juice or orange juice, for a different citrus flavor.
Garlic: Start with one small clove for a milder dressing.
White miso: Substitute chickpea miso as desired.
Gluten-free: Choose certified gluten-free miso if needed.

📝 How to Make Beet Salad Dressing

The complete recipe with exact amounts is below. These additional tips will help you get the best results.

Walnuts soaking in hot water in a glass bowl.

Soften the walnuts: Soak in the refrigerator until softened, then rinse and drain. This is especially helpful when using an immersion blender.

Beets, lemon juice, miso, soaked walnuts, and garlic in a glass jar.

Use cooked beet: It blends more easily than raw beet and gives the dressing a smoother texture. Boil and drain it to reduce soluble oxalates, which can bind minerals such as calcium.

Blending beets, lemon juice, soaked walnuts, garlic, and miso with an immersion blender in a jar.

Blender tip: An immersion blender works, too. Blend the ingredients in a tall, narrow container until smooth, then add more water as needed to make the dressing pourable. Scrape down the container. This helps incorporate any remaining walnut pieces.

Blended beet salad dressing in a glass jar.

Adjust the consistency: Leave it thicker for a dip or add water gradually for drizzling. For a colorful vegetable dip, use a little less water or blend to a thicker consistency.

Dress just before serving: Keep the dressing separate from sprouts and delicate salad greens until ready to eat.

Serving suggestions: This beet salad dressing pairs well with broccoli sprouts, mixed greens, shredded cabbage and carrots, lentil and chickpea salads, roasted cauliflower and sweet potatoes, quinoa bowls and crunchy vegetables.

✔️ Storage & Meal Prep

Refrigerate this oil-free beet salad dressing in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Stir before using and add a splash of water if it has thickened.

For meal prep, portion it into small containers and store separately from your salad ingredients. Add just before serving.

🫙 More Healthy Dressings

This Creamy Lime Miso Dressing is bright, tangy, and deeply savory, with just enough sweetness to balance the lime.

This Creamy Oil-Free Pumpkin Seed Dressing is about to become a staple. Instead of relying on oil, this recipe gets its silky texture from soaked pumpkin seeds and tahini.

My Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing is rich, tangy, savory, and packed with umami flavor.

This Harissa Dressing doubles as a healthy sauce and is ready in minutes. It's bold, tangy, and smoky with just the right heat.

5-Minute Creamy Tahini Dressing is made with wholesome ingredients-oil-free and perfect for meal prep.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Does this dressing have a strong beet flavor?

The beet adds sweetness and a mild earthy flavor. Lemon, garlic, and miso balance it, while walnuts give the dressing a rich, nutty base.

Can I use raw beet?

Cooked beet works best here because it blends more easily and gives the dressing a smoother texture and sweeter flavor.

Do I need to soak the walnuts?

Soaking helps the walnuts blend into a creamy dressing. It is particularly useful if you are using an immersion blender or a less powerful countertop blender.

Can I make this beet salad dressing nut-free?

Yes! Use soaked raw sunflower seeds instead of walnuts in an equal amount. Blend thoroughly for a creamy texture and adjust the water, lemon juice, and miso to taste.