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!
Kaitlyn says
This was awesome! Thanks for the great recipe! Do you think I could substitute raspberry vinegar to make raspberry vinegrette?
Dreena says
You’re welcome Kaitlyn. 🙂 And, I think the raspberry vinegar would be a delicious substitute! Definitely a recipe you can play with, and you might want to use some raspberry, some balsamic, etc. Have fun!
Lisa Jachimiec says
I love to use an over ripe pear with balsamic. I used to hate having fruit get overly ripe but now things like over ripe bananas, pears and the like are sought after commodities.
Wendy Sailor says
Sounds good, always looking for good dressing. 🙂 Do you ever use chia gel? I like to use that in dressings.
Dreena says
Thank you Wendy! Chia is brilliant for dressings and so many things from baking to desserts and smoothies! Sometimes takes a little experimentation to get the proportions right, as too little can be ineffective and too much can be too ‘gloopy’! But, I love chia and use it a lot – great suggestion. 🙂
Audrey says
What a brilliant idea! I’m going to have to try this.
Christine S says
This looks so good. I will try it today. A big THANK-YOU to you!