Upgrade Your Salad With These 3 Oil-Based Dressings

When you are looking for a light meal or a healthier alternative, you may find yourself reaching for a salad. While that’s a commendable choice, have you thought about what you are putting on top of your salad? If you are dousing it with a creamy dressing that comes with unhealthy fats and high levels of LDL cholesterol, the healthy choice you made earlier may have been in vain.

Read on to find out how you can upgrade your salad with these 3 different types of oil-based dressings!

Garlic Herbal Oil

Do you love garlic? If you find yourself reaching for additional garlic spread or adding garlic to every dish you prepare, this one is for you. Be sure to have the following ingredients ready:

• ¼ cup of white wine vinegar
• ¼ cup of herbal infused oil
• Chopped garlic (4 cloves)
• Pepper and other condiments to taste

There are no elaborate steps required for preparing this dressing. Simply combine and whisk all ingredients, giving it some time to set. And there you have it – it’s ready to douse on your salad!

Ginger & Carrot Infusion

Are you a fan of ginger, carrots or both? Or are you looking to try something a little more unconventional? To make this infusion, you will need to have the following ingredients on hand:

• Ginger, peeled and chopped
• Boiled carrot
• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of herbal infused oil, which you can make in your botanical infuser
• Condiments such as soy sauce, salt and sugar according to taste

The first thing you need to do is boil your carrot until it’s soft enough to mash with a fork. Once that can be done easily, throw in all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. After having an initial taste, feel free to add condiments according to your preferences.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Not only is balsamic vinaigrette a classic, it comes with ingredients that provide plenty of health benefits. These are:

• Balsamic vinegar
• Flaxseed oil (good for heart health)
• Olive oil (brimming with omega-3)
• Maple syrup
• Your choice of herbal infused oil, prepared beforehand by you
• Garnishes to taste, which can include salt, garlic, pepper and sugar

To get started, pour all the ingredients except the oils into a bowl. Whisk until everything is well blended before adding the oils. You can have a taste before adding in the garnishes to your taste.

Although flaxseed oil comes with many benefits for heart health, take note that exposing it to heat will damage the omega-3 fatty acids that can be found and with it, the nutritional benefits.

Storing Your Homemade Dressings

Once you have prepared your herbal infused oil and salad dressings, you will need to get the right storage solutions for them. With an airtight jar or bottle stored under the right conditions, you will be able to upgrade your salads by keeping it fresh for weeks and months ahead!