T ake your dressing on the side? Never!
At least, there’s never a need when you make your own healthy versions.
The trouble with traditional salad dressings is that they are an easy way turn a perfectly healthy salad into a calorie-dense, fat-laden disaster. Bottled dressings can have anywhere from 8 to 20 grams of fat per serving.
Of course, there are some decent commercial low-fat dressings, but more often than not they are loaded with sugar and contain gobs of sodium. Plus, it’s hard to beat the taste of homemade.
The key to making delicious healthy dressings at home is to reduce the oils and other fats (though retain enough to preserve a luscious mouth feel), and bump up the ingredients that contribute texture and flavor.
The oil in dressings serves several functions, including providing a “cling factor, so your acidic and other flavorings don’t end up in a puddle at the bottom of the bowl,” says Food Network personality Alton Brown.
He also notes that the oil softens and balances the acids.
But classic vinaigrettes often use a three- or four-to-one ratio of fat to acid (often oil and vinegar). That can yield at least 10 grams of fat per tablespoon. And who uses just one tablespoon?
Brown says the oil generally can be reduced by as much as 40 percent if the other ingredients are not too acidic.
For example, this honey-lemon tea dressing uses much less oil than traditional recipes, and relies on strongly brewed black tea to stretch the volume and provide a mellow flavor that balances the acidity of the lemon juice.
This dressing also uses Dijon mustard as an emulsifier to make up for the reduced oil. Like oil, mustard is thick enough to bind the other ingredients, and provides additional flavor.
When choosing oils, think about flavors. Extra-virgin olive oil is almost always an excellent choice, but so are nut oils, such as almond, macadamia and hazelnut. They contribute complex, yet subtle flavors that can really complement a salad. Olive and nut oils also are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats.
2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2tablespoons lemon juice
2tablespoons strong black tea
1teaspoon Dijon mustard
2teaspoons honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, tea, mustard and honey. Season with salt and pepper.
Makes about 1/2 cup.
Nutrition information per tablespoon: 49 calories, 5 g total fat (1 g saturated), 0 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 118 mg sodium.
2teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2cup nonfat buttermilk
1/2cup reduced-fat sour cream
1tablespoon honey
2tablespoons orange juice
In a small dry skillet, toast poppy seeds over low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl. Add the buttermilk, sour cream, honey and orange juice. Whisk until smooth.
Makes about 11/4 cups. Nutrition information per tablespoon: 21 calories, 1 g total fat (0 g saturated), 1 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 13 mg sodium.
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