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10 Homemade Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes: Quick, Healthy and Foolproof

Today I’m sharing my favorite easy oil-free vegan salad dressing recipes that I’ve been using in my kitchen for years. They are quick to make, don’t require any special kitchen gadgets, and best of all, they call for simple plant-based ingredients you most likely have at home right now.

10 oil-free salad dressing recipes - vegan, gluten-free

Do I need to prove to you that salads are healthy? Most likely, you already know that a variety of fresh, raw vegetables served on a bed of greens is almost always a good idea as a healthy meal or a side dish.

Why ‘almost’? Because it’s often easy to sabotage the healthfulness of your salad by drenching it in oily store-bought dressing that has a laundry list of unpronounceable ingredients.

I’m not even going to talk about shredded cheese, bacon bits and croutons as salad ingredients because here at Vegan Runner Eats we’re all about the healthy vegan stuff.

Interested in learning oil-free cooking techniques? See my post about how to cook with no oil.

So what’s the next logical step for a person who decided to ditch as much processed store-bought junk as possible? Make homemade vegan salad dressings! The abundance of DIY salad dressing recipes on the internet will please even the pickiest eater.

If you do a quick search on Pinterest for homemade vegan salad dressings, you’ll find anything from Italian and balsamic vinaigrette to Ranch and Caesar. But if you’re anything like me (read: looking for the quickest, least labor- or ingredient-intensive recipes), you’ll quickly find a few not very pleasing tendencies in most of homemade vegan dressing recipes:

Most recipes make too much dressing. What if you can’t use up a whole jar of this particular salad dressing flavor within a week? It’s no fun watching a lot of good ingredients go to waste.

A lot of recipes require a good blender, especially if any nuts or seeds are involved. Even if you do have one of those, you still may have less than satisfactory results if you decide to halve the recipe – most regular-sized blenders will laugh at you if you’re trying to make 3 Tbsp of salad dressing.

– If a recipe includes nuts or seeds, it’s going to be loaded with fat. Yes, the fat from seeds and nuts is way healthier than, say, bacon grease (sorry piggies!), but add a generous amount of a fatty dressing to your salad, top it with some avocado slices and an additional handful of slivered almonds or toasted pumpkin seeds, and before you know it, you’ll have another calorie bomb on your table.

How to make healthy and oil-free vegan salad dressings - Vegan Kitchen Simplified Series
A variety of healthy greens will make a great foundation for your salad

So what’s the solution for people who want quick and healthy, oil-free vegan salad dressing recipes that only yield enough for a salad RIGHT NOW, and not a whole jar that will inevitably go to waste a week later?

I’ve got a few solutions just for you, and chances are, you probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen right now!

Quick and Healthy Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes

The formulas below produce salad dressings that allow the flavors of your salad vegetables shine rather than cover them up and make the whole salad taste like the dressing (think balsamic vinaigrette vs ranch).  The measurements are approximate, but will yield enough dressings for one large salad shared by 4 people. Feel free to adjust the proportions to your taste.

To see these recipes in traditional recipe card format, please scroll to the end of this post.

1. CLASSIC BALSAMIC DRESSING. 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1 tsp Dijon mustard + ½ tsp agave/maple syrup + 2 Tbsp water. Whisk together and add to your salad before serving.

2. FRUITY BALSAMIC DRESSING. 2 Tbsp balsamic/apple cider vinegar + 1-2 tsp fruit preserves of your choice + 2 Tbsp water. Whisk and add to your salad.

3. ASIAN-STYLE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING. 1 Tbsp rice vinegar + 1 Tbsp lime juice + 1 tsp agave syrup + dash of turmeric + dash of ground ginger (or ½ tsp fresh grated ginger) + 1 Tbsp chopped fresh scallions (green parts) (optional) + 2 Tbsp water = light Asian-inspired vinaigrette dressing. Whisk and add to your salad.

4. TAHINI GODDESS DRESSING. 1 Tbsp tahini + 1 tsp lemon/lime juice + ½ tsp agave syrup + dash granulated garlic + 2 Tbsp water. Whisk and add to your salad.

5. TANGY HUMMUS DRESSING. 1 Tbsp hummus + 1 tsp lemon/lime juice + ½ to 1 tsp agave/maple syrup + 2 Tbsp water. Whisk and add to your salad before serving.

6. TANGY AVOCADO DRESSING. ¼ – ½ ripe avocado, massaged into the greens of your salad before the rest of the vegetables are added, then topped with a squeeze of lemon/lime juice. Note: this works best on thicker-textured greens like kale.

7. SIMPLE HUMMUS DRESSING. 2 Tbsp of hummus, massaged into the greens the same way as in #6 above, then topped with a squeeze of lemon/lime juice. The same note applies as above.

8. ITALIAN DRESSING. 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar + 1 tsp mustard + ½ tsp agave/maple syrup + dried Italian herbs of choice + 2 Tbsp water. Whisk and allow to rest for 5-10 min before adding to your salad.

9. SALSA AS DRESSING. 2-3 tbsp of your favorite salsa, added directly to your salad before serving.

10. CITRUS LOVE DRESSING. A generous squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice all over your salad right before serving. I find that this method works best on smaller, individually served salads.

Since all of the above dressings are virtually fat-free (except for the tahini-based one, plus some types of hummus will have added fat), I can hear the righteous voices telling me that we need healthy fats in our diets to process all of the vitamins, carotenoids, etc. in the raw salad vegetables.

I’m all for the natural, preferably unprocessed sources of nutrition, so before you pour any oil (a highly processed product) onto your salad in addition to the above mentioned dressings, please consider adding some avocado or raw pumpkin seeds instead.

Or forgo the fatty ingredients altogether – all plants, even kale and apples, have residual amounts of fat in them. I think we can all agree that our society isn’t suffering from the lack of added fats 🙂 .

(Please note that I’m not a professional dietitian, so if you want to find out more about the optimal amount of fat in your diet, you may be better off consulting a specialist.)

Wondering what to put on your salad? Here are a few dietician-approved ideas for healthy salad toppings (I personally would skip the non-vegan ones on this list since I’m a vegan.)

10 oil-free vegan salad dressing recipes for any situation
The more colorful the components of your salad, the healthier it’s going to be

So here are ten foolproof go-to salad dressing formulas that I use myself all the time. In compiling this list, I have to give credit to Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. and his wife Ann, Rip Esselstyn of the Engine 2 Diet, Lindsay Nixon of Happy Herbivore, and Dr. John McDougall and his wife Mary.

Yield: 10 servings

10 Oil-Free Salad Dressing Recipes

10 oil-free salad dressing recipes - vegan, gluten-free

These healthy vegan and oil-free salad dressing recipes are easy and quick to make, don’t require any special kitchen gadgets, and best of all, they call for simple plant-based ingredients you most likely have at home right now. Perfect for plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, egg-free, and gluten-free diets.

Prep Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

CLASSIC BALSAMIC DRESSING:

  • 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp agave/maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp water

FRUITY BALSAMIC DRESSING:

  • 2 Tbsp balsamic OR apple cider vinegar
  • 1-2 tsp fruit preserves of your choice (great with apricot or strawberry preserves)
  • 2 Tbsp water

ASIAN-STYLE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:

  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp agave syrup
  • Dash of turmeric
  • Dash of ground ginger (or 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger)
  • 1 Tbsp chopped fresh scallions (green parts) - optional
  • 2 Tbsp water

TAHINI GODDESS DRESSING:

  • 1 Tbsp tahini
  • 1 tsp lemon OR lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp agave syrup
  • Dash granulated garlic
  • 2 Tbsp water

TANGY HUMMUS DRESSING:

  • 1 Tbsp hummus
  • 1 tsp lemon OR lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp agave OR maple syrup (or more to taste)
  • 2 Tbsp water

TANGY AVOCADO DRESSING:

  • 1/4-1/2 ripe avocado, roughly chopped
  • 1-2 tsp lemon OR lime juice

SIMPLE HUMMUS DRESSING:

  • 2 Tbsp of hummus
  • 1-2 tsp lemon OR lime juice

ITALIAN DRESSING:

  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1/2 tsp agave OR maple syrup
  • Dried Italian herbs of choice
  • 2 Tbsp water

SALSA AS DRESSING:

  • 2-3 tbsp of your favorite salsa

CITRUS LOVE DRESSING:

  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon OR lime juice

Instructions

CLASSIC BALSAMIC DRESSING:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Add to your salad just before serving.

FRUITY BALSAMIC DRESSING:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over your salad just before serving.

ASIAN-STYLE VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:

  1. Whisk all ingredients together and add to your salad.

TAHINI GODDESS DRESSING:

  1. Whisk everything in a small bowl and add to your salad.

TANGY HUMMUS DRESSING:

  1. Whisk and add to your salad before serving.

TANGY AVOCADO DRESSING:

  1. Massage chopped avocado into the greens of your salad before adding any other vegetables. Drizzle with lemon or lime juice. Note: this works best on thicker-textured greens like kale.

SIMPLE HUMMUS DRESSING:

  1. Massage the hummus into the greens of your salad before adding other vegetables. Drizzle with lemon or lime juice. Note: this works best on thicker-textured greens like kale.

ITALIAN DRESSING:

  1. Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. Allow to rest for 5-10 min before adding to your salad.

SALSA AS DRESSING:

  1. Mix the salsa directly into your salad before serving.

CITRUS LOVE DRESSING:

  1. Drizzle lemon or lime juice all over your salad right before serving. Note: this method works best on smaller, individually served salads.



Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

3 Tbsp

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 85Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g

Please note that the provided nutritional information data is approximate: the exact numbers will vary based on the kind of dressing you chose.

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Question for you: What’s your favorite oil free salad dressing recipe? What would you add to my list above? Please leave a comment below for us all to see!

If you’re new to my blog, check out my how-to posts that will help demystify plant-based cooking for you.

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author avatar
Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats
Alina first made a switch to a vegan diet in 2013 to optimize her athletic performance as a marathon runner. Eventually she embraced veganism as a way to be kinder to fellow living beings and the environment. Alina hopes that this blog helps its readers on their path to becoming vegan and making this world a better place.

Marc

Thursday 11th of October 2018

Great and most informative article, Alina. Thank you so very much. I’m dealing with inflammation in my knees (too many marathons) so I’m trying to get away from all oils. And I love my kale salads!! So thank you!!!

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Friday 12th of October 2018

Awesome Marc, hope your knees feel better soon!

Molly

Sunday 17th of December 2017

I use packets of aspartame instead of maple/"agave" syrup, which are loaded with calories. Makes many of these dressings literally 0 calories. I also make an Asian dressing: rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, aspartame.

Pcat

Thursday 22nd of March 2018

Please avoid aspartame... it's bad news!! Try Stevia(100%). Google aspartame health risks

Jodi

Friday 12th of January 2018

aspartame is very unsafe for human consumption and the agave or maple syrup or even a homemade date syrup would be a much more whole foods way to sweeten any food or dressing

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Sunday 17th of December 2017

Sure, if it works for you. My husband breaks out in hives from aspartame, so we stay away from it.

Ana Sue

Friday 24th of November 2017

Sounds good... but hummus is NOT oil free!!

Alina Zavatsky - Vegan Runner Eats

Friday 24th of November 2017

You can make hummus at home without oil ????

Mac Womack

Monday 27th of February 2017

"Please note that I’m not a professional dietician, so if you want to find out more about the optimal amount of fat in your diet, you may be better off consulting a specialist."

Exactly. Everybody seems to know what macronutrient or food type should be eliminated (or consumed in residual amounts) for best health.

Coulinjo

Wednesday 19th of October 2016

Thank you so much! Such a simple recipe that I have used for three days so far - and have not even noticed the lack of oil :)

Alina

Thursday 20th of October 2016

That's great, Coulinjo, glad these recipes worked out well for you!

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