Paleo Herb Vinaigrette Dressings
A big pet peeve of mine is store bought salad dressings. They are full of bad oils (soy oil, canola oil, and vegetable oils) that can increase inflammation in the body. Here and here are some pieces I wrote about why you should avoid these oils. Yes, even the organic ones have bad oils in them. It’s not too difficult to make your own dressings. If you use fresh herbs your salad will be bursting with flavor, much more so than with these store bought dressings.
I wanted to show you how easy it is to create many different flavors with various herb combinations. In this piece I created four different vinaigrette dressings. Are you a big fan of creamy ranch? Here is a recipe I create last year for a creamy bacon and caramelized onion ranch dressing/dip.
I bought these cool little dressing bottles at AC Moore for like $1 each:
For the dressing bases I used extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut vinegar (for a less acidic dressing), and apple cider vinegar for those who like more of a bite. Either will work! I tend to prefer coconut vinegar, but some people prefer apple cider vinegar.
Ginger Lime Cilantro (and garlic of course):
FYI: This is my favorite, and also makes a great marinade for wild salmon
Mix up and pour into bottle using a small funnel:
- 5 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 3 TBS avocado oil
- 5 TBS coconut vinegar or ACV
- juice from one lime
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1-2 cloves finely minced garlic
- 2-3 TBS fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp pink salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Thyme and Sage:
This is a nice savory dressing that accompanies poultry well.
- 5 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 3 TBS avocado oil
- 5 TBS coconut vinegar or ACV
- juice from one lemon or 3 TBS filtered water for less bite
- 1 TBS fresh chopped thyme
- 1 TBS fresh chopped sage
- 1 tsp pink salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Garlic and Chive:
This was made with fresh garlic and chives from my awesome neighbors!
- 5 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 3 TBS avocado oil
- 5 TBS coconut vinegar or ACV
- juice from one lemon or 3 TBS filtered water for less bite
- 2 cloves garlic finely minsed
- a handful of fresh chives thinly sliced
- 1 tsp pink salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Basil and Oregano:
Fresh parsley is good with this combo as well. This a great Italian medley
- 5 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 3 TBS avocado oil
- 5 TBS coconut vinegar or ACV
- juice from one lemon or 3 TBS filtered water for less bite
- 2 cloves garlic finely minsed
- 1 TBS fresh chopped basil
- 1 TBS fresh chopped oregano
- 1 TBS fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Refrigerate these dressings and use within a couple of weeks. Mix well before pouring! There are endless combinations you can make with all different herbs and seasonings. So play around and have fun making your own creations. Don’t bother with junkie store bought dressings, marinades, or dips. Just make your own! Amazon sells sorts of neat little dressing containers to bring your dressings to go with you.
Hope you found this helpful! Let me know if you try out any of the recipes.
-Enjoy!
About Kathryn Kos, NTP
In June 2014 I became a Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. I see clients both locally in my Ballston Spa location, and offer worldwide phone and Skype appointments. I work with healing digestion, balancing blood sugar, balancing hormones, autoimmune conditions, weight loss, and feeding infants and children. I offer 3, 6, and 9 month packages.
