Vegan 1000 Island Dressing
- 1/2 cup unsweetened alternative milk (more to thin)
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 10-15 dill pickle chips (more or less to taste)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp date sugar (or 1-2 pitted dates)
- 1/4 cucumber, peeled
- 1/4 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/4 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1-3 radishes, finely chopped
Directions:
- In a medium sized bowl, heat two cups of water in a microwave until steaming. Place the raw cashews into the steaming water and allow to sit for 10-20 minutes. Drain.
- In a blender combine the soaked and drained cashews, alternative milk, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, pickles, onion powder, garlic powder, tomato paste, date sugar, and the 1/4 peeled cucumber. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Add more dill pickles for more zing, and add more alternative milk to acquire the consistency you desire.
- Scoop the blended dressing into a medium sized bowl. Add the finely chopped vegetables and stir well. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the fridge.
Amy's Notes: I adapted this recipe from the 1000 Island dressing found in Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat to Live. I've been loving this salad dressing all week, so I decided to make a large batch (what the recipe above will make). I would suggest that you make half of the recipe before you make the larger one. Soaking the cashews in hot water softens them up a bit to blend better in the blender. You can also replace the cashews with 1/2 cup of cashew butter.
One of my old SAD (Standard American Diet) favorites used to be a big savory Rueban with sauerkraut, rye bread, and corned beef. Oh, and of course, dripping with 1000 Island. I think I feel a Vegan Rueban recipe coming soon... :)
What salad dressings are your favorite? Are there any salad dressings you used to love that you'd like to try to "Nutritarian-ize"?
I hope you do have a vegan reuben recipe coming soon! I loved those also!! Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteDid a test run of the recipe the other day... all I can say is "Wow, Vreuban, where have you been all my nutritarian life?" Recipe and pictures coming very soon, I promise!
DeleteI think I am just about as excited as you are about this 1000 Island dressing recipe! Pre-vegan/ETL I loved pretty much all types of salad dressings but of course now I make my own which are so much healthier, not to mention of course WAY better tasting. Balsamic is my favorite but I'm actually not too fond of Dr. Fuhrman's version, are you? Maybe it's too sweet for me? I am going to try to tweak it to my liking…
ReplyDeleteOnes I've found recently are from Oh She Glows.
This dill and chive dressing was to die for!
I replaced the oil with a “scant” Tbsp of veganaise (healthwise not too much better though) but I’m guessing you could use plain soy yogurt or silken tofu instead. I also left out the salt. I did include the 1/2 tsp of maple syrup but I think you could most likely leave it out.
http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/24/asparagus-and-potato-salad/
I also tried this lightened up tahini-lemon dressing (without salt and water instead of oil) but it tasted too much like straight-up tahini to me. I’m thinking next time I’d add scallions or more garlic to give it more “punch.” If you try it and have any other suggestions please share!
http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/12/lightened-up-protein-power-goddess-bowl/
Anyway, I'm sooooo glad you posted a dressing recipe and I can't wait to try it. Thank you Amy! Keep the dressings coming!!!
It's funny how much more I prefer homemade dressings to store bought ones now. If I even try eating pre-E2L dressings, I dislike them for their oily tastes or for being way too salty. I have never been too big of fan of Balsamic-based dressings unless they are on the fruitier side, so maybe I would like Dr. F's (I haven't tried it yet). Maybe I'll make it next time I'm in need of a dressing and I'll let you know what I think. That is the best thing about homemade dressings: you get to tweak them to your particular tastes!
DeleteI'll have to check out Oh She Glows for her dressings sometime soon as well. If I were to make that dill chive dressing I might replace the oil with some hummus I already had made. I'm really not too big of fan of fako-vegan foods like soy yogurt, mostly because they are a bit pricy, or hard to find, so I just don't have them on stock.
That Tahini lemon dressing looks yummy, but the oil would have to be avoided. I know that I love the aroma of fresh herbs, so I would probably try adding some basil or some cilantro to that dressing to dress it up a bit more. If you try something like that let me know what you think and if it's worth making a batch.
Oh the wonderful world of vegan dressings! I can't get enough of them!- Amy
Growing up in the South, it has to be ranch!
ReplyDeleteI bet you most Americans' favorite salad dressing is good ole ranch! I know it was the first dressing I ever actually liked when I was a kid. If you'd like to try a healthier version of this classic I have my Vegan Ranch Dressing I have it featured in my blog roll on June 15th. -Amy
DeleteI will get the ingredients I need to make this and let you know how it stacks up to the one I use currently. The current one had veganaise which I am not fond of using. Yours looks much healthier.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear how it goes for you. I know that I like to avoid using processed foods such as veganaise, actually I've never tried it, but I'm wondering which recipe might have the better fat content, both quality and quantity. I'd love to know if the taste compares of course too! -Amy
Deletethis is amazing! i need to try this :))
ReplyDeleteHope the recipe worked out well for you! It is definitely one of my favorites! Thanks so much for reading- Amy
DeleteJust made this dressing today and it is good, not like the 1000 island dressing Im use to, but I know I can get use to it and id is so much better for my family. It did have that creamy texture I have been craving since starting my E2L adventure.
ReplyDeleteI know that these thicker, creamier dressings definitely help me get down more greens than I would otherwise! Good health and good luck to you and your family! Thanks for reading.
DeleteJust made this and I'm definitely a fan!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed! This dressing takes a bit more effort in chopping veggies, but it is worth it! It has always been a family favorite for me. Thanks for reading!
DeleteThis sounds sooooo good. I will try it very soon. The only thing I think I will do different, is add fresh dill instead of the chips, as I have a hard time finding pickles that don't contain artificial yellow coloring in them
ReplyDelete:-/ Thank you so much for sharing!
I know this is a super old post, but this salad dressing hit the spot today! Love it!
ReplyDelete