1) Add all ingredients to a blender. Puree until smooth. Taste, and adjust with additional seasonings as desired. For a thinner texture, add a couple teaspoons of water and puree again. Drizzle on salad, or transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate for up to 5-6 days. Guys!! I feel so behind getting new recipes out for you! Behind on posts in general.
Sometimes I have these grand visions for my work. They roll out so seamlessly in my mind… such as:
- post every week – at least once a week
- start my “weegans” blog (yes, I have the domain)
- create a new e-book
- redesign this blog
- more t-shirt designs
So many ideas, not enough of me to go around.
Since September I’ve been focused on one large project (I’ve mentioned it before, and will share details when I can). Last week, I finalized and submitted all recipes for this project. Ahhhh. Relief! Until the editing process begins, that is.
Yet I have at least a couple of months, and I shall enjoy them! I plan to take a brief blogging break this summer to hang out with the kids without any pressure to deliver blog content or be on social media.
Also, I want to take a couple of weeks to actually tackle one of those grand plans: that oil-free salad dressings e-book. It’s actually been on my mind for some time. I have all the recipes just about ready and need to deliver to my testing squad.
Ultimately, I want to bring you an ebook with a range of healthy salad dressings. Not just creamy, nut-based dressings but also nut-free sauces and vinaigrettes.
Many oil-free sauces and dressings are cashew or nut-based. This ebook will deliver other options so that those of you with nut allergies – or those wanting low-fat vegan recipes – will also have plenty of options.
Update: OIL-FREE salad dressings ebook now available!
Until I get that book in your hands (er, on your laptop), I have this Creamy Orange Salad Dressing for you to play with. I’ve had this dressing in my recipe folder for a while, as I had hoped to include it in Plant-Powered Families. This one happens to be nut-based, but I promise (promise!) that the ebook has many nut-free options.
Prepping this Creamy Orange Salad Dressing is a cinch. It has a short ingredient list, and requires just a couple minutes of blending. Just get your cashews soaked in advance, and you’ll be good to go! The orange juice really lifts this dressing recipe. Sometimes cashew-based sauces, while delicious, can feel a little heavy. The infusion of citrus elevates the flavors and lightens the dressing profile. I think you’ll enjoy it!
x Dreena
Creamy Orange Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup soaked cashews see note
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2-3 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1-2 tsp water (if needed to thin)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender.
- Puree until smooth.
- Taste, and adjust with additional seasonings as desired.
- For a thinner texture, add a couple teaspoons of water and puree again.
- Drizzle on salad, or transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate for up to 5-6 days.
Notes
- Cashews Note: I soak cashews in advance, in batches, as they take about 4 hours to soak through. But, once you have a large batch soaked, you can store them in the fridge - or better - the freezer. They can be used straight from the freezer in recipes!
- Ideas: For adults, try this dressing massaged into a kale salad with avocado, mandarin segments, sliced green onions, and cubed avocado. Also, drizzle it over cooked quinoa or add a little fresh ginger and toss into rice noodles.
Did you try it? Like it? Please share your feedback or other recipe discussion!
Like this dressing? Also try these:
Judy says
I love this dressing – like a creamsicle in salad dressing form! I also tried it on roasted asparagus (with a little fresh tarragon sprinkled on top) and it was out of this world delicious. Thanks for the great recipe.
Judie says
This is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best salad dressings I’ve even had!
Dreena Burton says
How lovely to read, thank you Julie!
Tammy says
First, I must thank you for showing me I could use cashews like this… so many ideas now.
I have made this dressing a couple times now and just made a batch this morning. I made it exactly as described the first couple times and there is no reason to change a thing!
This morning, I got a little creative and added some of the fresh squeezed orange juice pulp to the blender (I use a high speed one) and about a 1/4 tsp of dried ginger. I added about 5 – 7 additional cashews. This time around I also thinned it quite a bit with water. TASTEY!
Although I have only used this dressing on green salads, I plan to try it on some of your other suggestions too.
Thank you for this recipe.
Dreena says
Hi Tammy, well thank YOU so much for this kind review and for sharing your inspired twist – I love that idea!