Vegan Buttermilk Salad Dressing

By blum099

If you don’t mind a sweeter dressing, replace the oil with orange juice or other fruit juice.
Try replacing the oil with vegetable broth plus one of the thickeners below.
Replace the oil with water, but double the herbs and spices and add a thickener.
Add a thickener. Some people add xanthan or guar gum, which can be tricky to use, but I prefer using ground flax seeds or chia seeds, both of which form a gel when combined with liquids. Chia seeds have the advantage of not needing to be ground first, and their lighter flavor and appearance (if you use the white chia) make them better for dressings. And both are great sources of Omega 3 fatty acids. Start with a teaspoon per cup of dressing, blend well (with a blender, if you like), and allow to stand until thickened. Add more if necessary to achieve the thickness you desire.
Add dijon or coarse-ground mustard. A couple of teaspoons per cup of dressing will add zing without being overwhelming.
Add a little nutritional yeast for a richer, more savory flavor.
Blending in just a small amount of higher-fat ingredients such as nuts, olives, or avocado can give flavor and body to your dressing without a lot of fat–as long as you don’t overdo it.
Be careful with raw garlic, which can easily overpower your dressing if you use too much of it. Naturally dehydrated granulated garlic or garlic powder is a good alternative for infusing a dressing with garlic flavor with less risk of “garlic burn.”

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened soy yogurt
• 1/2 cup plain soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 – 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (start with 1 tbsp. and add more to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt-free seasoning blend such as Mrs. Dash or Mr. Spice House
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 small clove garlic
• 1 green olive
• 1/2 teaspoon chia seed (optional, for thickness)
• salt (to taste)

Details

Adapted from blog.fatfreevegan.com

Preparation

Step 1

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add salt and additional seasonings to taste. Chill until ready to serve. Stir before serving.

Servings: 4 (about 3 tablespoons per serving)

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 26 calories, 9 calories from fat, 1.1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 17.5mg sodium, 73.5mg potassium, 2.7g carbohydrates, 1.3g fiber, <1g sugar, 1.8g protein, 0.4 points.