Inside: I share 13 great lectin free salad dressings to spice up your salad when you’re bored of olive oil and vinegar.
I’ve been trying to simplify my life these days. In fact, my “one word” that I selected as my focus for 2019 is SIMPLIFY. (You can learn more about the one word project HERE.)
One major way to do that is to simplify my meals. For me, this means embracing intermittent fasting so my breakfast typically entails a hot cup of black coffee or one cup of my favorite herbal tea.
For lunch, I’ve been focusing on salads each day. While I mix up the greens and the veggies, just knowing that I’ve already decided on a salad for lunch has saved me a lot of creative energy. It’s amazing how much more time I have when I’m not scouring the internet for recipes and ideas. It puts my mind at ease to know that I’m just going to have a tasty salad.
Related: Starting a lectin free diet? Here’s a list of recipes to get you started!
In addition to varying textures and greens, one way to keep your salad exciting is by switching up the dressing. I always start with a good quality olive oil as my base. Unfortunately, that’s not always easy to find. A quick google search can show you that many popular brands of olive oil just aren’t pure, and have been mixed with lesser quality oils and fillers.
One brand that I trust (and that Dr. Gundry recommends) is THIS ONE.
To save time, I will often portion out salad greens and veggies into containers for the whole week on Sunday. And to keep the flavors interesting, it’s fun to switch up the salad dressings. I like to make my lectin free salad dressings in bulk, usually in a mason jar like this, so I can shake it up before serving, and will often have 2-3 different options to choose from. If you’re looking for a cuter way to store your dressings, I’ve been eying this cruet lately…it’s so cute!
1. Greek Vinaigrette Dressing
In my pre-Plant Paradox days, I used to love Greek salads. But with tomatoes, cucumbers, and banana peppers as common ingredients, it’s hard to order at most restaurants. I love taking crisp greens and adding a lectin free greek salad dressing to give me the same flavors, without any of the pain!
2. Creamy Cilantro Tahini Sauce
I love the flavors of cilantro and garlic, and the tahini adds a nice creamy texture to this flavorful salad dressing. It would also be delicious as a lectin free dip for fresh crudité like broccoli or celery, or drizzled over roasted cauliflower. Yum!
3. Small Batch Goat Cheese Dressing
If you’re a fan of goat cheese, you’ll love this tangy, creamy dressing. Just combine a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand and in moments you’ll have a small batch of a truly decadent lectin free dressing! This would also be delicious as a lectin free dip for veggies.
4. Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing
Is there any dressing that’s more universally loved than ranch? This vegan recipe uses mayo and a milk substitute. If you are following the Plant Paradox diet, you’ll want to make sure you’re using a compliant mayo and milk (A2 cow’s milk) or milk substitute (almond or coconut milk). This is another great option to use as a delicious lectin free dip with veggies!
5. Five Minute Avocado Cilantro Dressing
Look how light and fluffy this dressing is! I love the flavor of cilantro and avocado together, and this would be SO good drizzled over crisp greens or as a dip for crunchy radishes! The recipe calls for yogurt, and if you are following a Plant Paradox protocol, you can easily swap for either a coconut yogurt or with organic sour cream. The recipe also calls for an optional addition of jalapeno, but please leave that out unless you are in Phase 3 and peel and deseed the pepper first. Alternatively, a little squirt of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne will add a little heat while still keeping you compliant in Phase 2.
7. All Purpose Easy Mustard Keto Salad Dressing
I love the flavor of mustard, and it pairs really nicely with crisp greens like kale or escarole, or drizzled over some grilled fish or shrimp. This recipe includes 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, but if you are following a Plant Paradox protocol, you can easily substitute coconut aminos for the soy sauce to keep the dressing compliant.
8. Parmesan Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
The bright citrusy flavor of lemon pairs so nicely with the nutty flavor of parmesan. This simple dressing is all you need to jazz up a bowl of greens to make the easiest salad ever! If you are following a Plant Paradox protocol, just make sure you’re selecting an imported parmesan, you can tell as it will read “Parmigiano Reggiano” on the label. I can find it easily at my local grocery store and it’s a something I almost always have a block of in my fridge.
9. Original Green Goddess Salad Dressing
Oh, man do I LOVE Green Goddess dressing! It’s my favorite dip for crudité but it’s also delicious drizzled over hearty greens like kale. The recipe uses mayo and sour cream, which are both approved for the Plant Paradox diet as long as you are using compliant versions. You’ll really love this creamy lectin free dressing!
10. Non-Creamy Caesar Dressing
This simple lectin free dressing is much lighter than a traditional creamy Caesar dressing, and does not include anchovies. Perfect to dress crisp greens, or to marinate some shrimp before grilling.
11. Homemade Caesar Dressing
If you’re looking for something a bit more creamy and traditional, this is the recipe for you. I love making kale caesar salads and also grilling heads of romaine and drizzling with dressing.
12. Paleo Easy Thai Peanut Sauce (No Peanuts)
I’m a huge fan of anything with Thai flavors, and peanut style dressing was one of my favorites before starting my Plant Paradox journey. This recipe uses almond butter instead of peanut and is simple to whip up. You’ll notice a few options in the ingredients list, and to keep it Plant Paradox compliant/lectin free, make sure you are using a blanched almond butter. This one is my favorite brand of blanched almond butter. Also, you should substitute coconut milk for the coconut water called for in the recipe to keep it compliant.
13. Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
This gorgeous dressing is just bursting with the bright flavors of lime and cilantro. I think it would pair nicely with a grilled shrimp spinach salad or drizzled over some grilled fish.
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