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!
Teresa G says
This sounds amazing and i can’t wait to try it but… excuse me for sounding dumb, but a Vitamix would count as an immersion blender right?
Dreena says
Teresa, an immersion blender is sometimes called a stick blender, this type of thing: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_17?url=search-alias%3Dappliances&field-keywords=immersion+blender&sprefix=immersion+blender%2Cstripbooks%2C218
I use it a lot for salad dressings and sauces, b/c mine fits perfectly in a jar and it’s also handy when you aren’t blending a large volume. If you do this in a vitamix (which would be totally fine!) you might need to double the recipe to get enough liquid to get moving in the jar. Here is a clip I did using my immersion blender so you can get the idea of how I use it in a jar/deep cup. 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVpPfPegQTY
Carla says
Dreena, watched your video with the immersion blender. Thanks because I did not even know what it was. Will buy one from BBB this weekend. I have several salsa jars I think they will be a perfect fit also. Thanks again for sharing.
Dreena says
Oh cool! I sometimes assume that the term is well-known, you’ve reminded me that it’s not always (just to me as I’m a bit of a food geek). 😉 You’re welcome Carla, and I think you’ll get good use with it… my very fave tool for pureeing soups!
Andy says
That sounds great – my 2 favorite basalmics are a pomagranite infused and a white pear infused basalmic – that way I don’t add any extra sugar. They are amazing!
Dreena says
Wow, I bet those have beautiful flavor Andy, I’m especially intrigued by the white pear one…
Emma says
Dreena- I believe you are a genius.
Allissa says
My family has been plant based for about 6 months now. We bought Plant Powered Families in hopes of making things exciting for my kids on our new journey. So far,so GREAT!
Tried this dressing today. I only had soybean miso and it still worked out beautifully!!!!!!!! I think my husband’s huge work salads are getting boring. I can’t wait for him to try this when he gets home.
I’m imagining this with roasted veggies!!!!!
Darlene Atwell says
Wow, that looks so…. good. Do you think I could replace the maple syrup with raw honey?
Love your site :)!
Dreena says
Hi Darlene, yes, I think it would work fine. I haven’t tested it with honey, but in this quantity the sub should be fine (you may want more/less to taste).
Michelle Keown says
Can’t wait to try this! It sounds delish!
Thank you!