Salad sauces without mayonnaise. Diet sauces for salads: when “tasty” does not mean “high in calories”

Hi all. Not only professional chefs, but also amateurs quite rightly believe that the main difficulty in preparing a salad is choice. It depends on it whether you will be pleased with the taste of the culinary masterpiece. The most perfect salad can be ruined by the wrong seasonings.

Sauces and salad dressings – which ones to choose?

Why do chefs attach so much importance to salad dressing? Because salad is always a mixture of chopped but varied components. And the dressing will help the salad become a single whole, it will permeate all the other ingredients, mix with them, and emphasize their taste. That's why we choose the base for our salad dressing so carefully.

The most popular salad dressing is, of course, mayonnaise itself. Factory or homemade - suitable for all salads, except perhaps fruit ones.

Mayonnaise-sour cream sauce

In equal proportions – mayonnaise and sour cream;
Garlic;
Dill greens.

Mix everything. Sour cream can be replaced with bio-yogurt, naturally without additives.

What if you do without mayonnaise? After all, life doesn’t end there; there are a huge number of other options.

Salad dressing - instead of mayonnaise

Conventionally, salad dressings are divided into two groups. The first of them are usually an analogue of vinaigrette sauce - a suspension of vinegar in vegetable oil.

These sauces are very easy to prepare. They are based on a mixture of any vegetable oil, salt, pepper and vinegar. Various dried herbs, honey and garlic, wine, and lemon juice are added to sauces as an alternative to vinegar. It is best to prepare this sauce right before use, otherwise the vinegar and oil will quickly separate and the sauce will lose its appearance.

The second type of salad dressings are thick, dense sauces based on cream, sour cream or yogurt. They are used to season more satisfying salads with fish, meat or poultry.

It is recommended to prepare such sauces a couple of hours before use - they must be well infused. Dressings with yogurt or sour cream are usually flavored with herbs: tarragon, parsley or dill. Crushed or grated garlic would also be appropriate.

Salad dressing with vinegar

For it, take sunflower, olive or nut oil. The basis of the flavor composition of this sauce is vinegar. I do not recommend using table vinegar; it tastes and smells too strong.

Wine vinegar, white and red are more pleasant. White wine vinegar is more delicate; it is added to vegetable salads, flavored with tarragon. Red vinegar is ideal for leafy salads.

Apple cider vinegar has proven itself to be excellent for salads. It is distinguished by a barely noticeable fruity nuance in taste. I think you know that apple cider vinegar is quite an effective remedy for weight loss, especially in the company of fresh fruit.

Vinegar dressing with honey

An excellent solution for salads made from fresh vegetables and poultry.

1 tablespoon each of wine vinegar and flower honey;
10g vegetable oil;
A pinch of salt.

Mix well.

Dressing with vinegar and vegetable oil

2 tablespoons tbsp. vinegar 3%, vegetable oil;
a spoonful of powdered sugar;
ground black pepper;
salt.

Salad dressing with mustard

Simple culinary recipes for salad sauces based on vinegar and oil can be completely different. And a striking example of this is the classic vinaigrette sauce. To prepare it, mix:

6 tablespoons tbsp. vegetable oil;
a little pepper;
a pinch of salt;
3 tablespoons white vinegar;
a teaspoon of mustard (in the classic version, mustard is Dijon).

Italian dressing

For fresh green and vegetable salads.

Orange juice 50ml;
Lemon juice 2 tsp;
Olive oil 3 tbsp;
spoon of mustard;
Salt, ground pepper.

Can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Yogurt salad dressings

The recipes for salad dressings with yoghurt presented here are prepared using the same technology. Chop vegetables and herbs, beat yogurt, mix everything. Do I need to add that I need natural yogurt without additives?

Cheese and yoghurt sauce

olive oil – 1 tbsp;
dill – 1 bunch;
clove of garlic;
100 grams of feta cheese;
yogurt – 150 ml.

Sauce with yoghurt and fresh radishes

300 ml yogurt;
juice of half a lemon;
a bunch of radishes;
medium apple.

Sauce with yogurt and tarragon

300 ml yogurt (natural);
4 sprigs of tarragon;
4-5 sprigs of fresh parsley;
medium-sized shallot;
a pinch of salt;
honey 2 tsp.

Sour cream dressing

Vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice, and if you add a little mustard, you can season it with this sauce.

400 grams of sour cream,
3% vinegar 75ml,
sugar,
a little ground pepper and salt.

Mix vinegar with sugar, salt, pepper, stir well. And before serving, combine with sour cream.

Curd sauce

Similar sauces with cottage cheese can be used for vegetables or, as in salads with chicken breast.

2 tablespoons tbsp. cottage cheese and kefir;
1 spoon tbsp. sour cream and mustard;
1 l tbsp lemon juice;
The same amount of olive oil;
Salt.

The cottage cheese must be passed through a sieve, then ground with mustard and salt. Add kefir, sour cream, olive oil, beat thoroughly. Then pour in lemon juice and beat again.

Experiment by using different foods salad dressings, and your dishes will always delight you with unsurpassed taste and rich aromas.

For me, any salad begins to exist after preparing the dressing. IfThe salad has a good dressing; it can bring out the taste of any ingredients. This is the main violin in salad composition, which is often neglected. And in vain. Nothing can ruin a salad likeunsuccessful refueling,insufficient quantity or absence of it at all.Remember the same one, where on the first try you can feel the distinct taste of the dressing, which cannot be confused with anything else, or - where wine vinegar so successfully emphasizes the taste of tuna and green beans,or where simple ingredients are held together by a wonderful creamy dressing.

I bring to your attention 10 salad dressing recipes, some of which are original, and some are interpretedth me classics. With the help of them and your imagination you can composeCreate a variety of simple and complex unique salads that will complement or main course as a light dinner or lunch.

As for a simple salad likeadditions to the main course, only good is enoughrefueling for herand and saladoh sheetsoh greenand or whatwow kindand cabbage or just a few chopped vegetables mixed together.

When creating your own complex salads, which should act as the main dish,
remember a few rules:

1) Choose a dressing and an appropriate type of salad greens or cabbage to serve as the base of the salad. To bitterm viewFor salad greens (Chicory, Frize salad), sweetish dressings are more suitable for crispym viewWhen it comes to salad greens and cabbage, creamy dressings are more suitable. And the more tender the salad greens, the more liquid they becomewhat kind of gas station should there be;

2) Select the ingredientswhich are well arranged and provide variety in taste and consistency:

- something satisfying: meat, seafood, eggs and/or cheese;

- Something juicy: tomatoes, cucumbers, berries or fruits, caramelized onions, etc.;

- Something crispy: nuts, seeds or croutons, and the like;

- Something savory to taste (not necessarily spicy): aromatic herbs, chili peppers, chopped pickled vegetables, mature cheese, fried bacon, and the like.

3) Dress the salad just before serving to keep vegetables and salad greens fresh and crisp longer.

Well, that's probably all! I look forward to your feedback and impressions of the salads you created!

A moderately liquid salad dressing for Asian dishes. Pairs perfectly with salad greens, cabbage and cucumbers.

2 tbsp. soy sauce

5 tbsp. sesame oil (can be replaced with any vegetable oil)

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 cm fresh ginger root, peeled

1 tbsp. sesame seeds, brown in a dry frying pan

1) Place all ingredients for dressing, except sesame seeds, in a blender bowl. Beat until smooth.

2) Add sesame seeds and mix well.

Classic French salad dressing:

My interpretation of the popular French vinaigrette dressing. Suitable for almost all vegetables and salad greens.

9 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp honey

1 tsp not spicy mustard

1 clove garlic, squeezed

Italian salad dressing:

In fact, salad dressing in Italy is very simple. Oil and balsamic vinegar or lemon juice. This dressing is somewhat more complex and richer in taste in the Italian flavor range. Suitable for any vegetables and salad greens. This dressing would also be a great addition to grilled vegetables.

9 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 clove of garlic

1 sprig basil, leaves only

5 grams Grana Padana or Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Herbal salad dressing:

Expressive flavored dressing. Suitable for any salad greens and most vegetables, especially tomatoes. Perfectly complements the taste of boiled eggs, as an application in salads.

9 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 shallot, finely chopped (can substitute 1/4 small red or white onion)

1 sprig of tarragon or a few sprigs of parsley or a sprig of thyme, leaves only, finely chopped

Mix oil and vinegar until smooth. Add onion and herb of choice and mix well.

Ukrainian (author's favorite) salad dressing::

I came up with this dressing spontaneously, out of love for Ukrainian cuisine and our regional products. Suitable for leafy greens, cabbage and vegetables. Poppy seeds add a special flavor to this dressing.

9 tbsp. unrefined sunflower oil

3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp. poppy seeds, brown in a dry frying pan

Mix oil, honey and vinegar until smooth. Add poppy seeds and mix well.

American coleslaw salad dressing:

A creamy, thick dressing that works best with various types of cabbage and hard vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and the like.

150 grams of mayonnaise

1 tsp not spicy mustard

2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp honey

Place all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Salad dressing with bacon and mold cheese:

Rich in flavor, the dressing goes well with any salad greens and most vegetables, especially cucumbers and tomatoes.

9 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp honey

20 grams blue cheese, crumbled

50 grams of bacon, chopped and browned in a dry frying pan

Creamy salad dressing:

Thick and creamy dressing based on mayonnaise and cream. Suitable for most types of cabbage and firm vegetables. Also great as a dip for fresh vegetables or chips.

80 grams of mayonnaise

80 ml cream 20%

1 tsp not spicy mustard

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1/4 bunch of chives, finely chopped

1 tsp capers, finely chopped

Place all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix until smooth.

Spanish salad dressing:

Not the usual dressing made from the products that are the pride of Spain: almonds, sherry vinegar, oranges and olive oil. The dressing is ideal for bitter types of salad greens and more. Fruit and nut notes will enrich even the simplest salad.

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. sherry vinegar

Juice and chopped zest of 1/2 orange

20 grams peeled almonds

Place all ingredients for dressing in a blender bowl. Beat until smooth.

Thai salad dressing:

Creamy dressing with Thai-Malaysian flavors. Peanut butter adds creaminess and serves as the base for this unusual dressing.

1 tbsp. peanut butter

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sweet and sour hot chili sauce

Place all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix until smooth.

Bon appetit and successful culinary experiments!

A survey conducted by nutritionists left them somewhat confused. Are you too fanatical about watching your figure? Every tenth of those surveyed prefer to eat salads without any dressing.

THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SALAD DRESSINGS!

The long and colorful history of salad dressings dates back to ancient times. More than five thousand years ago in China, various variations of soy sauce were used to dress salads, and two thousand years ago in ancient Babylon, greens and vegetables were mixed and sprinkled with vegetable oil and vinegar before serving.

In Ancient Egypt, salads were seasoned with a mixture of vegetable oil and vinegar, with the obligatory addition of oriental spices. And the most popular sauce in our country, mayonnaise, first appeared on the tables of the French aristocracy about two hundred years ago.

Salad dressings can be divided into two types. The first, most popular for green and vegetable salads, is dressings based on a mixture of vegetable oil and vinegar, for example, vinaigrette dressing.
The second includes all thick dressings such as mayonnaise, cream, sour cream, yogurt and buttermilk dressings. Thick dressings are more often used for salads, which include ingredients such as meat, poultry, fish, and boiled “winter” vegetables.

WHAT SALAD DRESSING SHOULD A STRONGER CHOOSE?

Salad dressing - vegetable oil

Vegetable oil, quickly absorbed into the digestive tract, creates a feeling of peace. As a result, you would eat two to three times less! But only 20% of women add oil to salads.

Salad dressing - sour cream, yogurt, kefir

Sour cream (yogurt, kefir) is good because in addition to fats it contains bifidobacteria, which help digest coarse fiber. This means that by seasoning your salad with a fermented milk product, you can avoid unpleasant bloating and gurgling in your stomach.

Salad dressing - vinegar, lemon juice

One of the most commonly used vinegars when making salad dressings is wine vinegar. Although you can always replace it with lemon juice.

White wine vinegar is much softer and more delicate than red wine vinegar. It is used mainly in fresh vegetable salads. White wine vinegar pairs well with mild oils, such as sunflower oil.

Red wine vinegar, especially long-aged ones, contains quite a lot of acid and therefore goes well with rich nut and olive oils. This vinegar goes great with green leafy vegetables.

VINEGAR SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. vinegar (preferably white wine) or freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp mustard (preferably Dijon)
salt, black pepper

Preparation:

Mix vinegar, mustard and salt in a small container and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Using a whisk, thoroughly whisk the olive oil into the vinegar, adding it in a thin stream. Be careful not to beat too long, otherwise the sauce may thicken. At the very end, add ground black pepper, stir and serve immediately.

LEMON SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:

100 g vegetable oil
juice of 2 lemons
1 head of crushed garlic
1 tbsp. l. mustard powder.

Preparation:

Beat everything in a mixer.

HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE - RECIPE

But mayonnaise, so beloved by us, does not bring any benefit. Only extra calories and flavorings that stimulate the appetite. Either way - homemade mayonnaise.

The easiest way is to prepare mayonnaise in a blender. This method makes it possible to prepare a very tender and airy mayonnaise, which is perfect as a salad dressing.

Ingredients:

1 large egg
1 ¼ cups olive oil
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp. Sahara
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
1 - 2 tsp. lemon juice

Preparation:

All ingredients must be at room temperature. Break the egg into a blender bowl, add mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, a quarter cup of olive oil and beat everything together until the mixture is well mixed. Then pour in another half cup of oil and lemon juice in a thin stream and continue whisking for about another minute. With the remaining half cup of butter, begin adding one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.

MUSTARD SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:

mustard flour 2 tbsp. spoons
wine or apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp. spoon
brown sugar 1 teaspoon
piece of black pepper

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients with water in a Pyrex container and stir until you get a smooth dough. Place the vessel in a pot of boiling water and stir until the dough begins to boil. After 10-15 minutes, remove the vessel with mustard from the boiling water. Homemade mustard can be stored for a very long time.

COOK SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:

cottage cheese 100 g
milk 1 glass
sugar
cumin or mustard

Cooking method:

Grind the cottage cheese with a wooden spoon.
Rub the grainy cottage cheese through a sieve or grind it through a meat grinder, season with spices, add milk, and grind into a homogeneous sour cream mass.
Dilute dry cottage cheese with more milk, and fatty cottage cheese with less milk.

GARLIC SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:

vinegar 3% 100 g
vegetable oil 100 g
mustard 10 g
sugar 10 g
garlic 3 cloves
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cooking method:

Finely chopped garlic is ground with salt, sugar and pepper, mustard is added, diluted with vinegar, combined with vegetable oil and mixed into a homogeneous sour cream mass. Dilute dry cottage cheese with more milk, and fatty cottage cheese with less milk.

PARSLID SALAD DRESSING

Ingredients:

125 g mayonnaise
10 g fresh parsley leaves
60 ml sour cream
1 tbsp. l. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. anchovy paste
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Cooking method:

Mix all ingredients in a mixer until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

ITALIAN SAUCE

Ingredients:

100 ml homemade mayonnaise
2-3 tbsp. l. wine vinegar
2 tbsp. l. low-fat sour cream and vegetable oil
dried oregano (1 tsp), 1 clove garlic (chopped)
herbs and salt

Cooking method:

Mix all ingredients until smooth in a blender.

SALAD DRESSING FOR MEAT-EATERS

Ingredients:

low-fat kefir (100 ml)
50 g homemade mayonnaise
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
clove of garlic (can be replaced with garlic powder)
pinch of salt
parsley, dill and green onions

Cooking method:

Mix all ingredients well with a whisk. You can also marinate meat in this sauce for grilling over coals.

DANDELION SALAD DRESSING

This is an incredibly tasty and very light dressing.

Ingredients:

10 dandelion flowers
2-3 cloves of garlic
20-30 g butter
2 dandelion leaves
1 tsp. mustard (you can use Dijon).

Cooking method:

Soak dandelion leaves and flowers in cold water for a few minutes, rinse and chop together with garlic (use a blender or meat grinder). Add the remaining ingredients to the resulting mass and mix well. The sauce goes well with vegetable dishes and salads.

GREEK SALAD DRESSING TZATSIKI

Served with meat dishes.

Ingredients:

300 ml yogurt
3 tbsp. l. olive oil
1 fresh cucumber
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp. l. white wine vinegar

Cooking method:

Peel the cucumber and grate on a coarse grater. Squeeze the juice, salt the cucumbers, add garlic, vinegar, yogurt and olive oil. Mix everything thoroughly.

Proper nutrition can be tasty and varied, especially if you use a variety of sauces and dressings. The main rule that you must always remember is to use only freshly prepared sauce!

The word “refueling” is perhaps unusual for the Russian ear and in some ways even funny. Meanwhile, this word is used to describe something without which no salad is possible in principle. Salad dressing (I don’t like the word “sauce” in this context at all) can both combine several disparate ingredients into a single whole and ruin a good idea, so the importance of such a task as preparing salad dressing should not be neglected. Alas, or rather, fortunately, there is no universal recipe here: if you open and click on the “Salads” link, you will see for yourself that I offer my own dressing for each of them. Difficult? Nothing of the kind! Salad dressings are akin to a construction set - and after reading these instructions, you will be able to correctly “assemble” a dressing (or, if you prefer, a sauce) for any salad that your imagination suggests.

Introduction to saladology

However, first, as usual, a little introductory.

At first, when preparing the dressing, it is best to start from classic, long-proven proportions. For me, such a classic is the following ratio:

3 tbsp. oil + 1 tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice + +

As a result, you will get a simple vinaigrette dressing that will suit absolutely any salad (not just vinaigrette). If you wish, you can add a little (no more than 1 tbsp) honey or mustard to it, and you will prepare an original dressing specifically for the salad you have prepared. For example, honey is good in dressings where there is ham, aged cheese or other flavored ingredient, mustard is good in salads with neutral-tasting greens (for example, iceberg or lettuce), soy sauce is good in salads with cucumbers, sesame oil and any Asian ingredients , and Worcestershire sauce - in salads with roast beef.

Make it a rule to try any dressing. In a salad, its taste will be balanced by other ingredients, so to understand what you got, it is better to dip a lettuce leaf in the dressing and taste it.

Before dressing the salad, mix all the ingredients again until emulsified - this is especially true if the ready-made dressing has had time to sit for a while. I usually make the salad dressing in a bowl and beat it with a fork until smooth, or you can make the dressing in a small jar - shake a few times and it's ready.

Do not dress the salad if you are not ready to serve it immediately - otherwise it will become very soggy, which is a spectacle. If you need to prepare the salad in advance, place all its ingredients in a bowl, prepare the dressing separately, and mix just before serving.

Most salad dressings will keep in the refrigerator for at least a few days. Hence the conclusion, even two: firstly, you can prepare the dressing “for future use”, and secondly, do not throw away the excess, you will need it later.

Well, now let's move on to talking about the main ingredients of salad dressings.

Main Ingredients

Oil

The basis of most dressings is vegetable (melted butter or rendered fat are used much less frequently, but still not so rare that they are not mentioned). Most often - olive: its soft, bitter taste goes equally well with vegetables, leaves, and everything else that you are used to putting in salads. Sunflower, mustard, pumpkin, sesame and other types of oil are appropriate, but they leave a more “aggressive” imprint on the taste of the dish - decide for yourself whether you need it or not. If, on the contrary, you need a delicate oil with almost no taste, grape seed oil will do. For salads, they usually use extra virgin oil, unrefined - in a word, one that is not suitable for frying, and vice versa.

Vinegar

Vinegar in salad dressings is responsible for the acidity and also for the formation of an emulsion, so that the dressing literally envelops every leaf of your salad. The most commonly used ones are white or red; in addition to them, balsamic (although it will not always paint your salad an unattractive dark color), sherry, cider (very similar to regular apple) and others are suitable, and the use of flavored vinegars allows you to bring the number of possible combinations closer to infinity . Of course, synthetic vinegar is completely unsuitable here.

Juice

The juice of fruits, berries and even vegetables is also appropriate in salad dressings: for example, lemon (or lime) juice can replace vinegar (and I must admit, I like this option better), the juices of other citrus fruits or berries add their own piquant note. Use the rest as an unusual and exotic seasoning. The main thing is not to overdo it: you should hardly add more than 1 teaspoon of juice per serving of dressing, so the juice should initially have an intense and distinct taste. If your wild imagination tells you to add cucumber or celery juice to the dressing, ask her to listen to reason.

Additional Ingredients

Mustard

Mustard is one of the traditional ingredients of salad dressing. Dijon mustard is most often used (that is, not our eye-catching mustard, but the less spicy European one), but in in some cases Grainy or even flavored is appropriate. Makes the dressing a little thicker, adds spiciness and aroma. If you want to start with a classic combination, use 1 teaspoon mustard to 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. After this, you can move on to experiments.

Honey

It is especially good in those salads where the fifth taste () is found - in other words, if your salad contains dried meat, roast beef or mature cheese, it will benefit from honey. Use honey in small quantities, balancing any excess sweetness with lemon juice, and stirring the dressing until smooth.

Sauces

For example, soybean (by the way, goes well with honey), a few drops of which will give the taste of your salad a distinct Asian aroma. By experimenting with other ready-made sauces (Worcestershire being the most obvious, but not the only one), you may find your “secret ingredient” that will enhance the flavor of any dressing.

Yogurt

Yogurt (plain, of course, without additives) is an excellent base for salad dressing. It goes well with vegetables and herbs, and complements the taste of fish, seafood and meat. The slight sourness of yogurt allows you to create a taste different from that given by a dressing based on olive oil - however, if desired, yogurt and oil can be mixed, and this, you see, opens up considerable scope for creativity.

Sour cream

Sour cream, in my opinion, is a little less suitable for salad dressings than yogurt.

And it is used the same way. An exception is a summer salad made from fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden, where sour cream itself is a great dressing.

Finishing touches

Vegetables (and fruits!)

Vegetables can be a component of both the salad itself (which is understandable) and the salad dressing. For example, quite often garlic is added to the dressing - crushed or finely chopped. In addition to (or instead of) it, you can use onion - Yalta or regular red onion, chopped and added to the dressing at the stage of mixing all its components. Other variations on the theme are spicy, seeds and nuts, pear, pomegranate seeds and so on. What stands out are dressings based on vegetables - say, baked eggplant or peppers pureed in a blender.

Green

Chopped fresh herbs will fit harmoniously into any dressing, you can be sure of that. Dill for salads with summer vegetables or fish, for tomatoes, cilantro for Asian-style salads, parsley, chervil and chives for everything. If you don't have fresh herbs, use dried ones, such as oregano.

Egg

Typically, the egg (or its yolk) is used as a starting point for creating mayonnaise and other sauces that are prepared using similar technology (for example, Hollandaise). But in some cases (see classic Caesar salad), the egg itself can play the role of salad dressing. Such are the things.

Spices

Spices are a necessary finishing touch to any dressing. At a minimum, your dressing should be seasoned with salt and black pepper; Among other spices, give preference to those that will not turn your salad into the dominance of a single taste.

Other

If you want to add something to the dressing that is not included in the list above, feel free to add it. For example, finely grated hard cheese like Parmesan, finely chopped bacon or more exotic ingredients may be just the building block that your construction kit is missing. And don't be afraid to experiment: one day, completely unexpectedly, I discovered that the ideal dressing for shrimp salad requires adding a spoonful of heavy cream.

Let your imagination run wild.

Add.

Stir.

Give it a try.

Refuel.

And serve it to the table.

The traditional dressing for modern Russians for all salads, almost without exception, has become mayonnaise and sauces based on it. But this is not only very high in calories, but also not always and not for everyone. In addition, diversity should be present in all spheres of life, even in gastronomy.

Quick recipe

Place all products in a storage container and stir. That’s it, the delicious vegetable salad dressing is ready! When the salad is prepared for one time, you can reduce the amount of ingredients; if there is still sauce left, it is recommended to store it in the cold.

Vegetable salad dressing with olive oil

Ingredients:

65 g olive oil;
30 g wine vinegar;
15 g grain mustard;
salt and ground black pepper.

Calorie content per 100 grams – 720 kcal.

Place the oil and mustard in a container and mix. Season with vinegar and mix. It is recommended to store the finished dressing in the refrigerator.

Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

Ingredients:

45 g olive oil;
15 g balsamic vinegar;
dried oregano;
dried cumin

Cooking time – 5 minutes.

The calorie content of the dish per 100 grams is 600 kcal.

Combine oil and vinegar in a container, season, mix.

Vegetable salad dressing with soy sauce

Ingredients:

30 g olive oil;
60 g soy sauce;
250 g honey;
2 lemons.

Cooking time – 5 minutes.

Calorie content per 100 grams – 140 kcal.

Mix soy sauce with honey, squeeze out lemon juice, and combine with the mixture. Gradually add olive oil, stirring while doing so.

Sauce for dressing vegetable salad based on oil with lemon and garlic

Ingredients:

60 g vegetable oil;
1 lemon;
10 g garlic;
8 g mustard powder.

Cooking time – 5 minutes.

Calorie content per 100 grams – 255 kcal.

Peel the garlic, chop with a crush or cut with a knife, squeeze out lemon juice, add oil. While stirring, add mustard powder.

Honey-lemon dressing with soy sauce and ginger

Ingredients:

20 g honey;
30 g lemon juice;
20 g olive oil;
25 g soy sauce;
15 g ginger root.

Calorie content per 100 grams – 235 kcal.

If necessary, heat the honey a little to make it more fluid. Add lemon juice to it, then add oil and soy sauce. Add peeled and finely chopped ginger last. The sauce is quite spicy. It is advisable to eat it immediately after preparation.

Exquisite spicy sauce for vegetable salads

Ingredients:

200 g ginger root;
20 g garlic;
20 g chili pepper;
200 g lemon juice;
35 g sesame oil;
50 g soy sauce;
90 g olive oil;
30 g balsamic vinegar.

Cooking time – 10 minutes.

Calorie content of 100 grams – 209 kcal.

Grate the peeled ginger and garlic, chop the chili, previously freed from seeds. Pour in sesame oil, then lemon juice, mix with olive oil and soy sauce, adding vinegar last.

Don't be afraid to experiment. According to many world-famous authors of new dishes, the main condition for a good oil-based dressing is that it must be combined with something sour (vinegar, lemon juice) in a 3:1 ratio. Other additions depend on the availability of products, taste preferences and the courage of the cook. And some little secrets will help make cooking even easier and more fun, and the dishes tastier:

If the dressing has been left for some time and not used immediately after preparation, it must be shaken;
Add the dressing to the salad strictly before serving. Hence the conclusion: you should not prepare more salad than will be eaten at one time;
When a new recipe has been tried, it is better to take a sample before adding the dressing to the whole salad: just dip one lettuce leaf and taste it to imagine how the taste of the dressing will reveal itself in the dish;
For storing sauces, it is most convenient to use small glass jars with screw caps, so that you can see whether stirring is necessary before dressing, as well as how much sauce is left;
Fresh dishes are a priori tastier and healthier. That is why it is also not recommended to make vegetable salad dressing for future use; it should be stored for no more than a week;
It is advisable to add bulk ingredients to the dressing last so that no lumps form;
When guests are on the doorstep, you can speed up the cooking process and mix all the ingredients of the dressing in a mixer;
During experimentation, you can add chopped vegetables, herbs and even fruits to the traditional oil-acid mixture in a 3:1 ratio. Sometimes you can diversify the menu with dressings based on yogurt or sour cream; in this case, it is necessary to exclude vinegar and lemon juice from the recipes.

Whatever dressing is chosen, it is important to do everything slowly and with love. It is then that the dish will fully reveal its taste, and the cook will enjoy his favorite, even daily, activity.