Making dressings and sauces used to be my biggest challenge, but after lots of experimenting I have come up with a number of healthy and variations. I no longer worry about exact measurements and if I am missing an ingredient, I can usually come up with something else that will work just as well.
🌿 None of these dressings & sauces use oil. That's the most calorie dense ingredient in most store-bought dressings. Oil is very unhealthy.
🌿 I don't use salt, but if you think you need salt, go for it.
🌿 If the recipe is too thick, add a little water.
🌿 With all of these recipes, start by adding a little of all the ingredients, then TASTE to see what you might need more of to get the flavor you like. Be especially careful with the ingredients that have the strongest flavors.
🌿 Most of these will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.
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| photo from Nutriciously |
Honey Mustard:
- yogurt (or other base - see below) - I usually start with 1 cup of my base
- maple syrup (or other sweetener - see below)
- apple cider vinegar (or other acid - see below)
- Dijon mustard - other mustards will work
- garlic powder
Stir Fry Sauce:
- Tamari - or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, Coconut aminos or soy sauce
- maple syrup (or other sweetener - see below)
- apple cider vinegar (or other acid - see below)
- for sweet and sour like flavor - BBQ sauce - or Ketchup
- for Thai Peanut flavor - peanut butter - or almond butter or tahini
Ranch Dressing:
- yogurt (or other base - see below) - I usually start with 1 cup of my base
- maple syrup (or other sweetener - see below)
- apple cider vinegar (or other acid - see below)
- Tamari - or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, Coconut aminos or soy sauce
- Nutritional Yeast
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- more herbs and spices - dill weed or dill seed, pepper, parsley, chives, paprika
- raisins - if using a blender
Spicy Dressing:
- yogurt (or other base - see below) - I usually start with 1 cup of my base
- maple syrup (or other sweetener - see below)
- apple cider vinegar (or other acid - see below)
- Tamari - or Bragg's Liquid Aminos, Coconut aminos or soy sauce
- sriracha - This is what gives it a kick, but be careful!
- Nutritional Yeast
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- sweet pickle relish
Slaw Dressing:
- yogurt (or other base - see below) - I usually start with 1 cup of my base
- maple syrup (or other sweetener - see below)
- apple cider vinegar (or other acid - see below)
"Cheese" Sauce:
The original recipe is HERE. It uses a base of potatoes and carrots. I am experimenting and seeing if I can get an acceptable cheesy flavor without cooking vegetables. Without the carrots, the color may not be as appealing. Some people use cashews as the main base for vegan cheese sauce.
- yogurt
- nutritional yeast
- apple cider vinegar
- smoked paprika
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- ground cumin
- chipotle chili powder, chili powder or cayenne
★ SUBSTITUTIONS ★
BASE (for creamy texture):
🌿 If you use a yogurt base, you most likely won't need to use a blender. You *might* be able to skip a blender with the silken tofu base. The other bases do need to be blended, but it's really not that big of a deal.
- yogurt (plant-based!) - My favorite brand is Kite Hill.
- silken tofu
- zucchini or squash, peeled and steamed
- carrots, peeled and steamed (great for "cheesy" recipes that you want to turn orange)
- potatoes, peeled and cooked (great when you want it to thicken a bit to use as a dip)
- corn, cooked
- white beans, cooked
- sunflower seeds
- cashews - rich and flavorful, great for weight maintenance, but not best for weight loss. Soak the cashews in water for at least 4 hours. Recipes using this base might require a little extra water to reach the right consistency.
SWEETENERS:
- maple syrup
- or agave nectar
- dates - if using a blender
- or honey if not truly vegan
ACIDIC OPTIONS:
- apple cider vinegar - using fresh lemons is best, but bottled will do in a pinch
- lemon juice - fresh squeezed is best. Careful. The lemon flavor can overpower the dressing if you use too much.
- or rice wine vinegar
- or red wine vinegar