These Healthy Salad Dressing recipes are delicious with a variety of salads, veggie bowls, or baked tofu. Just 5 minutes to make, these easy dressings include nut-free and oil-free options. Plus, they are gluten-free and vegan. Meal prep one, two, or three of these dressings, and I am sure you will eat more salads!
For anyone who wants to eat more vegetables – and enjoy them – I recommend making a healthy salad dressing at home. It will be more nutritious than any bottled dressing you will find at the store. There are no gums, preservatives, or refined sugars in these healthy homemade dressings. But that’s not all – they taste better, too. Plus, they are loaded with nutrients, and easy to make.
Transform a simple salad into an even more wholesome dish with these creamy and flavorful salad dressings in just 5 minutes. Meal prep one, two, or all three of these salad dressings and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
You will also love these healthy Vegan Green Sauce Recipes. These healthy dressings were inspired by this creamy tahini Balsamic Vinaigrette, and this 5-minute Lemon Herb Tahini dressing on my site.
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📖 How to Make Healthy Salad Dressings
For the full Healthy Salad Dressings recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
🥕 Carrot Ginger Dressing
Ingredients: Carrots, ginger, mellow or white miso, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, olive oil, and lime juice.
Step 1. Add the carrot, ginger, miso, toasted sesame oil, olive oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and lime juice to the canister of a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Season to taste.
🥬 Creamy Green Goddess Dressing
Ingredients: Raw cashews, lemon juice, garlic, coconut aminos (or tamari), basil, chives, and cilantro (or parsley).
Step 1. Add the soaked raw cashews, lemon juice, chives, basil, cilantro, garlic, coconut aminos, and water to the canister of a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Season to taste.
Creamy Nut-Free Dressing
Ingredients: Toasted sunflower seeds, white or mellow miso, lemon juice, and garlic.
Step 1. Add the sunflower seeds, miso, lemon juice, garlic, and water to the canister of a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Season to taste.
🫙 Substitutions
- Green Goddess - use parsley instead of cilantro, add 1 tablespoon of dried basil instead of fresh, and/or substitute the cashews with sunflower seeds (unsoaked) for nut-free
- Carrot Ginger - omit the miso, use sesame oil instead of toasted sesame oil as needed
Try my version of the Japanese Sesame dressing! It's so good. For more healthy dressings, sauces, and dips, visit my Vegan Condiment Recipes page.
💡 Expert Tips
- Storage: Refrigerate these Healthy Salad Dressings in a bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 10 days.
- For serving: Serve your healthy dressing with a salad of your choice, baked tofu, or one of these roasted veggie bowls.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQ
Oils rich in monounsaturated fat, phytochemicals, and alpha-linolenic acid are best for making a healthy salad dressing. These include extra-virgin olive, canola, flaxseed, walnut, hemp, avocado, and almond oils.
For a healthier salad, Avoid deep-fried toppings such as crunchy noodles, wontons, and tortilla strips. These are like eating chips.
Read the ingredients list carefully. Choose a dressing moderate in calories, and low in sugar, sodium, and saturated fats. Look for clean non-GMO ingredients, and one without additives and preservatives.
🍽 Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Salad Dressings (5 Minutes)
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Ingredients
Carrot Ginger Dressing
- 2 large carrots peeled and roughly chopped (about 1 cup of 1-inch pieces)
- 1 ½ tablespoons grated ginger (about 1 ½-inch piece, peeled)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or to taste
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil (optional but recommended)
- 1 tablespoon mellow miso (optional but recommended)
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice or to taste
- Salt to taste
Green Goddess Dressing
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
- ¼ cup packed cilantro or parsley
- ¼ cup packed fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh chives
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon coconut aminos or tamari
- ⅓ cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Creamy Nut-Free Dressing
- ½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon mellow or white miso
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¾ cup water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Carrot Ginger: Blend carrots, ginger, maple syrup, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, miso rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Adjust lime juice, maple syrup, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Creamy Green Goddess: Blend drained cashews, cilantro, basil, chives, lemon garlic, coconut aminos, and water until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Creamy Nut-Free: Blend toasted sunflower seeds, garlic, crushed red pepper (if using), miso, lemon juice, and water until smooth. Add salt to taste.
Notes
-
- For nut-free Creamy Green Goddess: Use unsoaked toasted sunflower seeds instead of cashews.
- Storage: Refrigerate Healthy Salad Dressings in a bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid for up to 10 days.
- For serving: Serve with a salad of our choice, baked tofu, or roasted veggie bowls.
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Marianne
I never leave comments, but I made the carrot dressing for my family this evening and everyone loved it. It was very well-balanced and fresh. Great way to sneak more veggies into the meal!
Nisha Melvani, RDN
Thank you so much for commenting. I appreciate it. I'm so glad you enjoyed this one! Sneaking in more veggies!
Toni
So inspired and inspiring. Keep it up!
Nisha Melvani, RDN
Thank you so much! Appreciate the kind words:)
Majikalmaiden
Thank you! 3 delicious recipes!🤗
Nisha Melvani, RDN
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you:)
gabrielle
Just made the green goddess… so easy and really amazing. Thank you for always coming through with accessible, tasty, healthy plant based recipes 💜
Nisha Melvani, RDN
Thank you for commenting. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Have a great weekend.
Sharon
These salads are so beautiful I’m in the process of getting some ingredients from my grocery store.
Nisha Melvani, RDN
Yayyy enjoy:)
Ana Salas
Thank you!!!!