Looking for an oil-free vegan salad dressing? Try this magical applesauce vinaigrette recipe. Easy, vegan, gluten-free, and healthy!
Cooking and baking are sometimes described as science… but I like to think of it more like magic. Because sometimes an idea unfolds and is realized in food form with a way that is almost mysterious, yet very exciting!
This week this magic happened with an idea for an oil-free salad dressing. I actually had this concept for a fat-free vinaigrette years ago, when I was writing Vive le Vegan.
I toyed with it, but left it behind at the time. As recipe developers, we sometimes do this. Either the notion becomes further developed down the road as our cooking evolves, or it never materialized.
Why Applesauce?
The idea that was with me for years and manifested this week is… wait for it… using applesauce in an oil-free salad dressing.
Sounds a little strange at first, right? But, think about the qualities of applesauce.
It has viscosity and moisture (the very things that help replace fat in baking) so why not aid a vinaigrette as well?
Initially the combination didn’t quite come together for me in terms of flavor balance.
After a few rounds of testing this week – ta-dah! The magic happened.
The applesauce blends and helps emulsify the other ingredients so that you have a thicker, more rich and full-bodied textured dressing.
Magical Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp mild miso ex: chickpea miso or brown rice miso
- 3/4 – 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup or more to sweeten to taste if desired
- 1/4 tsp rounded sea salt (or more to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Using an immersion blender and deep cup (if using a blender, you may need to double the batch for enough blending volume), combine all ingredients, whizzing through until very smooth.
- Taste, and if you’d like a little sweeter add another teaspoon or so of maple syrup.
- Season to taste with additional salt and pepper as well.
- If you’d like a thinner dressing, simply add a couple of teaspoons of water and blend through again.
What are your favorite vinaigrette and salad dressing ingredients?
Note: This oil-free salad dressing recipe is now in Plant-Powered Families.
Update: My OIL-FREE salad dressings now here!
Michelle says
My new favorite dressing! It was perfect the way it is and the second time I modified it slightly, added a tbsp of hemp seeds and used my Vitamix to give it a little thicker creaminess and added protein. Great recipe! Thank you! Definitely a keeper!
Dreena Burton says
Ooh love your add of the hemp seeds! Thanks for the great review, Michelle
kathryn says
Dreena…. We have had difficulty finding a whole food plant based/oil free/cashew free salad dressings we enjoy. I recently discovered this recipe but was tentative about the addition of applesauce and cinnamon so I made a single batch. But WoW…it is beyond delicious…spot on texture and hits every flavor note in perfect harmony. My hubby says it’s lip-licking delicious. I’m starting another double batch immediately…we want to have this on hand always…. thank you!!!
Dreena Burton says
Well, superb! So very happy to hear that, Kathryn. Bonus when it goes over well with family members. You might enjoy my oil-free dressing collection, as it’s all nut-free (or has nut-free options), with the exception of one recipe. Here’s the link: http://bit.ly/2fIUmTO Hope you continue to enjoy the magical dressing!
Jenni says
I love this dressing and make it weekly! I usually make a double batch with maple, cinnamon and cumin for just a single batch—and I love it. Love that it’s oil free and healthy. I also use no sugar added applesauce. Yummies!!!
Dreena says
So happy you are loving it and using it regularly – thanks Jenni!
Patti says
One of the only vegan dressing recipes I like! Thanks so much for sharing.
Nina says
I love this recipe, especially since it’s oil free. It’s so hard to find oil free dressings in the store. Thank you for your tasty, low fat dressing recipes!
Dreena says
Thanks so much, Nina. xx