Awesome Olive Oil Based Salad Dressings

Olive oil was known as ‘liquid gold’ in ancient times. It is the Mediterranean region’s gift to the world. Owing to its numerous health benefits, olive oil is considered one of the world’s healthiest foods.

No matter how many different ingredients you add in a salad dressing, a mere tablespoon of olive oil can tie it all together.

To celebrate the wonder that is olive oil, here are some delicious salad dressing recipes.

  1. Classic Vinaigrette:

Whisk 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in ½ cup olive oil.

  1. Mediterranean:

Make Classic Vinaigrette. Mash in ½ cup crumbled feta, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1 diced tomato.

  1. Roasted Garlic:

Slice the top off 1 head garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in aluminum foil and roast at 200 degrees centigrade until tender – about 35 minutes. Cool, and then squeeze out the cloves. Make Classic Vinaigrette in a blender, adding the roasted garlic and 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan.healthy-vegetable-salad-with-olive-oil-dressing

  1. Spicy Honey-Mustard:

Whisk 2 teaspoons each honey and Dijon/stone-ground mustard, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and ½ teaspoon each of lime zest and kosher salt. Gradually whisk in ¼ cup each of olive oil and vegetable oil, and then add 2 teaspoons chopped thyme and 1 tablespoon of minced jalapeno.

  1. French Dressing:

Blend ¼ cup each olive oil and water, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons each tomato paste, ketchup and brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon each paprika and salt in a blender.

  1. Watermelon-Mint:

Purée 2 cups cubed seeded watermelon, 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, 1/3 cup each olive oil and vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a blender. Add ½ cup torn mint; pulse to combine.

  1. Creamy Vegan:

Pulse 2 teaspoons each Dijon mustard and cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ cup olive oil and ½ cup soft tofu in a blender until smooth. Stir in ½ cup mixed chopped spring onions and parsley.

Get creative and make your own recipes for salad dressings.