Vegan salad dressing replacers?

i need something to put on my salads besides salsa or a squeeze of lemon juice that's...

1. not processed
2. not oil
3. vegan

hmmmmm

today I mashed up 1/2 an avocado with the juice of half a lemon and it was soooo good on my salad!

what about balsamic vinegar?

tomato juice?

ummm...I'll keep thinkin :P

wow, you would think that would be easier to answer than it is. i thought of some things, and then thought about it and it's pretty hard to come up with something that is not processed, oil or vegan. i tried tamji's suggestion and it was delicious! i also added a little bit of grated garlic too :)

* mashed tofu (seasoned or not)
* bits of pickled/preserved things like olives and sun-dried tomato
* pureed nuts with chili powder (add water for consistency)
* pureed fruit
* pureed (or finely grated) onion with soy sauce
* pureed (or finely grated) carrot with nutmeg
* pureed (or finely grated) radish, turnip, etc

Mashing things (pureeing) up is the way to go.

I love fresh green dressed with a combination of tamari and white balsamic vinegar with a shot of fresh ground black pepper

I know you've tried lemon juice but have you tried squeezing a fresh lime over it? Lovely!

What about those Salad Spritzers?  Those are really good, I got the Balsamic Vineger one with 1 calorie per squirt.

edit: oh wait, you said "not processed".  I didn't read that, sorry.

raisins and dried cranberries will liven up a salad without dressing.  try it!

I use ketchup - readily available, cheap, and not nutritiously horrible. I guess that would count as processed, though.

Refried beans are really good, too. If you mix some soy/rice milk in, and some nutritional yeast, and heat it up... yummm...
Again, I don't know if that counts as processed.

Squeeze a tomato and add italian seasoning.  Strawberries also make a good dressing.  Fold them in wrap then pound them until you get a dressing.  Mix with lime and omg!

Do try the balsamic vinegar. It's great all on its own. Also, fresh herbs, like cilantro or basil. Learn to enjoy salads with no dressing, sometimes just a dash of salt and pepper is all it needs.

This is one of my favorite inventions

Tangy Orange Salad Dressing

ohhhh, clairelaine that tangy dressing looks awesome. i love mustard and i love oranges! i wish i could make this, but on this strict program i'm doing right now fruit juice is out since you're getting all the calories of the fruit without all the fiber.

nuts!

lfrigo i normally eat my salads without dressing and just some black pepper, but i posted this to see if anyone had any ideas for a change of pace.

one word... SALSA.

Oh...Im trying the recipe Tamji posted right now its sooooo good!! :)
Btw Im new here :)

I am definatly going to use it more..

xoxo
lady_daveigh

One of my favorite things to put on a salad is a mix (about half and half) of hummus and salsa.  Most storebought hummus has olive oil it it, but its pretty minimal especially when cut with the salsa.  If you really want to oil you can make it yourself and use water instead of oil to thin it out-- its soo so easy.

Also, not sure if nut butters are out for you, but I love tahini, lemon, garlic powder, salt and pepper, with water to thin it out.

An easy one I use is a mixture of seasoned rice vinegar, dijon mustard, and a clove of crushed garlic.

Vinegar mixed with mustard and a little maple syrup or agave nectar is good too.

If I get bored with acidic salad dressings a good tahini sauce always hits the spot.

Homemade Salsa! :)

Is plain soy yogurt an option for you?  You could try using soy yogurt mixed with soy milk or water to thin it, and season up the result with fresh herbs and spices.

Another idea might be to puree some homemade soup and use a little bit of that for a dressing.

I get the same quandry over salads, and really liked some of the ideas people sent in, i.e., to use nuts/cranberries/olives, etc.

Can't wait to try some of those!

 

hth, Zen

I've enjoyed these, they are 8 to 32 calories per 2 Tablespoon serving

http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj99may/99maysalad .htm

Vegetarian Journal May/June 1999

Flavorful Salad Dressings Without the Oil! by Mary Clifford, RD

Hello, everyone. I put soft tofu, vegetable broth, a little oil & vinegar, salt & pepper, garlic, herbs, and nutritional yeast in a blender. Great, "creamy", dressing. The best thing is to experiment with consistency and seasoning. That's why I didn't include amounts. I made up the recipe. It changes all the time. Enjoy.