Sweet Lime Oil-Free Vinaigrette
Tart and sweet, this Sweet Lime Oil-Free Vinaigrette is a wonderful whole food plant-based salad dressing. This delicious oil-free salad dressing might just become your new favorite for salads, bowls, and more. You only need 5 minutes and a few simple ingredients to make this easy fat-free salad dressing.
Equipment
- 1 Blender see Notes section below for no-blender option
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Aquafaba, from a can of no-salt-added garbanzo beans (chickpeas), see Notes section below for substitutions
- ¼ Cup Lime Juice, fresh squeezed is best but bottled will work. Other fruit juices work too, like lemon or orange.
- 2-3 Pitted Medjool Dates, see Notes section below for substitutions
- ½ Teaspoon Minced Garlic, use a very small clove, jarred minced garlic, or ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 Teaspoon White or Yellow Miso Paste, see Notes section below for substitutions
- ⅛ Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Thyme, use any dried herbs you like, such as dried Italian seasoning
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Peppermint Leaf, optional
Instructions
- Blend most of the ingredients: Add the aquafaba, lime juice, pitted Medjool dates, garlic, and miso paste to the blender and blend until smooth (about 45 seconds for me).
- Taste Test: If you started with Medjool dates (or even if you didn't), taste the oil-free vinaigrette. Does it need more sweetness? Add another pitted date. More garlic? Add more of that. Blend until smooth again and move onto step 3.
- Add the seasonings: Add in the fresh cracked black pepper and the dried herbs. Blend on the lowest speed for 3-4 seconds or pulse it in.
- Storage: I like to store this immediately so I can refrigerate it so it's cold for when I'm ready to eat it. Use a blender spatula if you have one to get all the contents out of the blender. As written, this recipe fits perfectly in a mini tulip Weck jar, but you can use any kind of airtight jar or container to store it. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Shake well before use.
Notes
- Aquafaba: This is a unique ingredient since it's a little thicker (and has more body) than water. If you can't find it, you can blend a half cup of water with a tablespoon or two of soaked raw cashews, soaked raw sunflower seeds, raw cashew butter, raw sunflower seed butter, or tahini. (Just using water might not yield the best results.)
- Medjool Dates: I used Medjool dates to sweeten this recipe naturally. Other options include pure maple syrup or date syrup. These options also allow you to make the recipe without a blender.
- Yellow or White Miso Paste:This is to replace the salt in the recipe, but I also love the little hint of umami flavors. Per Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org, the soy in miso has a protective effect so the sodium in miso paste will not affect us negatively. If you're fine eating salt (or if you eat the potassium chloride salt substitute) you can go ahead and use that. If you are totally avoiding added sodium, you can leave it out.
- Make this recipe without a blender: Don't have a blender? No problem. Switch out the Medjool dates for a liquid sweetener such as date syrup or pure maple syrup (start with one tablespoon and add more to taste). Add all ingredients to a jar and either place a lid on and shake really hard or use a mini whisk to whisk it all together.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 tablespoonsCalories: 29.5kcalCarbohydrates: 7.5gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.1gSodium: 24.2mgPotassium: 65.9mgFiber: 0.6gSugar: 6.3gVitamin A: 1.2IUVitamin C: 1.8mgCalcium: 9.5mgIron: 0.2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!