Throughout the summer, I stuffed myself with salads, taking advantage of the rich selection of seasonal vegetables: crunchy carrots, green cucumbers, thick-fleshed peppers, juicy tomatoes. However, slowly I realized that to keep things simple, I only use olive oil and lemon, which gets boring after a while. So I searched for some ingredients to give more personality and flavor to my salads, and I decided to share the results.
The ingredients should be mixed in a blender cup or with a hand blender.
Carrot – ginger dressing: blend 2 peeled carrots, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, a pinch of salt, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Dijon mustard – poppy seed dressing: mix 200 ml Greek yogurt, 50 ml apple cider vinegar, 50 ml sunflower oil, add 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, the same amount of poppy seeds and finely chopped onion, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Blue cheese dressing is recommended for those who enjoy strong flavors, and it should be added to neutral-tasting vegetables: 100 g blue cheese, 2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
Sweet almond dressing, for those with a sweet tooth: 3 tablespoons of almond butter and the same amount of hot water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, 1 tablespoon coarsely crushed mustard seeds and the same amount of honey, ½ teaspoon grated garlic, and salt to taste.
Thai peanut dressing: an exotic version, made with 3 tablespoons of peanut butter and 3 tablespoons of hot water, 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, and the same amounts of honey and soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, the juice of 1 lime, salt, and a pinch of ground chili.
Avocado dressing: the flesh of 2 (not yet browned) avocadoes, 1 clove garlic, salt, pepper, the juice of half a lemon, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon cream.
Curcuma salad: 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1.5 tablespoon honey and 1.5 tablespoon almond butter, 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt and 2-3 tablespoons water, 1 clove garlic, salt, 1 teaspoon ground red pepper or chili and 1 teaspoon turmeric.
Enjoy your salad with a new sauce every day of the week!