WHOLE 30 | KETO | DAIRY-FREE
I’ve become acutely aware lately, as I make my way through the Whole30 and eat all the vegetables, that many, many bottled salad dressings contain things you don’t necessarily want in your salad. Such as sugar, for example. Or cheese. Or a host of unpronounceable ingredients that end in -ine or -ate. This Creamy Dairy-Free Salad Dressing contains none ‘o dat. Just creamy, bright, bold flavor from wholesome ingredients.
This is essentially a Caesar-style dressing. Caesar is known for its bold flavor and creamy texture, and is generally paired with heaps of parmesan cheese. Which is totally yummy, by the way. But if you’re allergic to or simply avoiding dairy, this dressing provides an option that has the same full-flavored creaminess of the original without any dairy whatsoever.
Red wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice bring a bright, tart contrast to salty anchovies and potent kick of garlic. Nutritional yeast contributes a savory parmesan-like flavor. And the oil and egg yolk work together to wrap it all into in a luscious creamy base. I personally use a raw egg yolk, but if you are concerned about food safety, use a poached or hard-boiled yolk instead. The dressing will be slightly thicker but just as delicious.
And how easy is this? Dump all the ingredients (minus the oil) in a blender. Blend.
There is a tiny bit of technique in adding the olive oil. If you stream it in slowly, rather than dumping it in all at once, it magically creates that velvety, delightfully creamy texture we’re going for, and the dressing won’t separate later. This is called permanent emulsification and I really don’t totally understand why or how it works. But let’s all be glad it does.
We not only pour this on salads, but drizzle it on baked potatoes, use it as a dip for crunchy vegetables, and spread it on sandwiches. The other night I even used it as an impromptu pasta sauce, coating my zoodles in it (Whole30 is hard, y’all. We eat weird things sometimes). But it worked really well, actually, so I count that as a recipe win.
Want more healthy recipes? Check out my Clean Eating section!
Creamy Dairy-Free Salad Dressing
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: none
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
Description
This rich and tangy Creamy Dairy-Free Salad Dressing has a magically luscious texture without a speck of dairy.
Ingredients
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 TB freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp anchovy paste (or 2–3 small canned anchovies)
1 medium clove garlic, crushed or minced
1 egg yolk (raw or hard-boiled)
2 TB nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a blender and mix on low until fully combined.
2. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle the olive oil in until the dressing becomes thick, creamy, and emulsified.
Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
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