7 oil-free vegan salad dressing recipes that are easy, healthy, and made with very basic ingredients. Liven up any salad with one of these amazing sauces without all the guilt.
Vegan salad dressings are easy to find at pretty much any grocery store these days. But, one that is worthy of your salad and doesn’t contain all the crap? Well, that’s another story.
The vast majority of vegan commercial salad dressings may even say “plant-based” on the label. But, that term has a much different meaning nowadays and it gets thrown around quite a bit.
When most people decide to switch over to a vegan diet they are immediately bombarded by the vegan replacement foods that are now available. There’s vegan cheese, vegan meat, vegan gummy bears, and yes, vegan salad dressings. And, while it is encouraging to the strides we should rejoice with caution.
The majority of these foods are NOT healthy. In fact, most are no better than their foods that contain animal products. And for some, that may be ok because their goal might not be optimum health.
But, if your desire is to fight chronic diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. you need to follow a healthy whole food plant-based diet championed by my heroes Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. John McDougall, and others.
So, what does that mean? It means cooking more at home and making things like homemade salad dressing. But relax, I’ve done all the hard work for you. So, if you’re ready, let’s get started!
Ingredients You Will Need For Oil-Free Dressings
Here are a few things that I always keep on my hand for making healthy salad dressings…
- maple syrup
- balsamic vinegar
- apple cider vinegar
- orange juice
- yellow, brown, or Dijon mustard
- lime juice and lemon juice (fresh lemon juice is best imo)
- raw cashews: great when you want to make a creamy dressing like ranch and a great source of healthy fats
- onion powder and garlic powder
- any of your favorite dry or fresh herbs
- nut butter
- and a little water from time to time
Oil-Free Salad Dressing Recipes
Vegan dressings and sauces that are not only oil-free but actually good may feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack. But, not any longer.
If you have some very simple ingredients along with a food processor or a blender you can make a delicious dressing to cover all those healthy leafy greens.
Ready, let’s do it!
1. Oil-Free Salad Dressing
This delicious dressing is perfect when you are wanting a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. All you need are 3 ingredients and you can make it in less than 2 minutes! It’s tangy with a hint of sweetness and it’s absolutely delicious. Pour it over a simple bed of greens to serve alongside your favorite pasta dish.
2. Vegan French Dressing
This vegan french dressing is so easy to whip up, rich and creamy, and absolutely delicious. All it takes is one bowl, 7 simple ingredients, and 5 minutes. There’s so much flavor in this popular sauce, you and everyone else will have a hard time believing it’s actually healthy.
3. Vegan Thousand Island Dressing
This has to be one of my favorite salad dressings of all time. Who doesn’t remember making a salad as a kid with nothing but lettuce and a ton of Thousand Island Salad dressing? Yeah, you feel me.
And, what about the time you discovered Big Mac sauce was the same thing you’d been puttin’ on your lettuce? It was like the heavens parting and giving you revelation.
Vegan Thousand Island is such a versatile dressing. It’s perfect for salads, sandwiches, veggie burgers, and anything else you can imagine.
4. Vegan Ranch Dressing
If you like thick and creamy salad dressing this Vegan Ranch Dressing recipe is perfect! And, it shows that dairy products are not necessary…at all! It’s the perfect dip for fresh veggies, salad dressing, or sandwich spread. Try it on a baked potato instead of sour cream. AMAZING! It’s completely plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, and soy-free. Whole food plant based!
5. Garlicky Lemon Tahini Dressing
This super simple Garlicky Lemon Tahini Dressing is bright and electric when it comes to flavor. And, it’s great over any of your favorite salad greens. It has become our salad dressing of choice. It’s such an easy recipe you won’t believe how good it is. It makes a great dipping sauce too;)
6. Vegan Honey Mustard Dressing
Yes, I know honey is not vegan and that’s why there is no honey in this recipe. It’s sweet, tangy, oil-free, fat-free, and delicious! Perfect on salads, sandwiches, to use as a great dipping sauce.
7. Easy Vegan Peanut Sauce
The Asian-inspired Peanut Dressing is delicious and super easy to make. It’s perfect for salads, veggie spring rolls, and your favorite Buddha Bowl. All you need is five minutes and five ingredients to make this delicious sauce.
I love pouring this over a chilled raw salad, hearty whole grains, or traditional green salad then sprinkled with sesame seeds. It’s also great on top of cooked sweet potato. AMAZING!
There you have it! 7 oil-free plant-based dressings with no added oil or other processed ingredients. See, you can make your own dressing.
I’ve saved a couple of these for future use, but your Southwest Tahini dressing is my all time favorite dressing, I use it several times a week.
Aww, that’s so great! Thanks for reaching out.
I wish you had a cookbook. I would be first in line to buy it! Love, love, love your recipes!
Thank you so much!!!
Fonda, I totally agree with you! As a displaced southerner (now in Portland, OR,) I appreciate the tastes of home that I find in these recipes.