The salads are for the summer , or at least we want much more in this time, when their fresh ingredients seem to go much better. Many times we focus on preparing healthy salads , either as complete dishes or to accompany our meals, and we look for low-calorie ingredients with good nutrients to get healthy and complete recipes.
However, when choosing the dressings that accompany those salads, we tend to lift our hands a little more: we use commercial dressings (which do not stop being ultra-processed products), which are very practical, but whose nutritional composition is not as good as we might expect, with a large amount of added sugar or salt.
To give a little more flavor to our summer salads we propose five healthy home-made dressings that we can prepare ourselves : they will give an original point to your dishes and you will control all the ingredients.
Extra virgin olive oil, garlic and parsley
We start with a classic of the seasonings, but that never fails in our kitchens. It is important that we choose an olive oil of good quality and with good taste , which also will make a good contribution of healthy fats to our plate.
To prepare this dressing you only need to mix the well-chopped parsley and a clove of garlic in the oil bottle. There are people who leave the whole tooth in the bottle, while others prefer to chop it beforehand so that it mixes better. We can prepare a good amount of dressing and store it in a glass bottle to be used in different dishes (not only goes well with salads: try it for fish).
French Vinaigrette
One of my favorites when it comes to seasoning salads, as it gives them that acidic taste of vinegar with a little tip of the sweetness of honey.
To prepare it, we start with the basic recipe of the traditional vinaigrette : three parts of extra virgin olive oil for one of vinegar, and a pinch of salt to taste. We beat well so that an emulsion is formed and we already have the base with which to work. Then add a little mustard and a little honey to get the French version of the vinaigrette; we return to beat well so that the ingredients are integrated and voila! Ready to season.
Yogurt sauce with cucumber
A very fresh sauce ideal for the summer months, very simple to prepare and that can give body to our salads, is what we can prepare based on yogurt and cucumber. It is the traditional recipe of Greek tzatziki , which is delicious if prepared properly.
We only need a cucumber, a Greek yogurt (without sweetening), half a lemon, a clove of garlic (optional), olive oil, salt and pepper. The key is to let the cucumber drain all the water well after peeling and scratching: let it rest for at least ten minutes, otherwise the sauce will be watered down, and ideally it should have some consistency. Once scratched and rested, mix well the cucumber with yogurt and the juice of half a lemon, add the chopped garlic (I do not usually put it) and season with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.
If you get a good consistency, this sauce is ideal to dip with vegetable crudités .
Cream of avocado and dill
Another dressing with body and that can be delicious, in addition to providing healthy fats for our body through the avocado , and a touch of special taste thanks to dill.
We only need the pulp of an avocado, the juice of half a lemon, a pinch of dill to taste (they sell it in herbal shops, in leaf or minced) and a little salt to correct the flavor. We put all the ingredients in a blender and beat until we get a cream consistency . The lemon juice will make this seasoning hold us at least a couple of days if we keep it covered and in the fridge.
Yogurt, chives and mint sauce
A more yogurt-based sauce, to achieve a creamy consistency that gives body to our salad.
The preparation is very simple: we will need a Greek yogurt (again, without sweetening or sweetening), chopped chives and a handful of mint leaves. Put all the ingredients in a blender and add a little olive oil until you find the right consistency.
With these dressings you can control the raw material at the same time you flavor your salads. This summer, forget about the processed and try new dressings to liven up your dishes.
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