Dressing – The Vegan Monster

Flower Power Salad Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free)

The Vegan Monster — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 07:24:11 +0000

Summer is almost here, my garden is growing sooo fast! Lots of fresh salad is to be enjoyed. And lately I’m totally into this vegan herbal salad dressing – because all these herbs and flowers are waking up in my garden.
It tastes sooo delicious, it is super easy to make and also sooo pretty to look at. There are so many edible flowers, we should use them more often I think (but leave some for the bees of course)
I already shared this recipe on my Instagram, but I thought it has to be on the blog too. It’s just too yummy. And have I mentioned how easy it is to make?
Please view this recipe as a base for your own creations. it is really versatile and works with different ingredients.

The base of this dressing is:

1/4 cup cashews (or other nuts)
1/4 cup water
OR some plant-based yogurt (I looove Raglan coconut yogurt)
1 to 2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon coconut sugar (or other sweetener)
salt and pepper to taste
a bunch of herbs (my favourites: parsley and dill)
additional options: chopped spring onions and/or minced garlic…

Instructions:

1. If using the nut option, blend cashews with water until smooth (a small bullet blender is best for this).
2. Transfer creamed cashews (or yoghurt) to a dressing jug or serving bowl.
3. Add apple cider vinegar, coconut sugar, salt & pepper to taste and stir well to combine.
4. Then either shortly blend some herbs or chopped them finely and stir into the dressing as well.
5. Store chilled until serving. Use within approx. 3 days of making.
Enjoy!
Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

Pink Ranch Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-free, No Added Oil)

The Vegan Monster — Fri, 12 Jul 2019 06:14:25 +0000

This is one of my favourite vegan salad dressings lately. And ever since I added some beetroot, I love it even more. It has such a lovely colour and takes a salad to the next level.
I’m not a big fan of adding oil to a salad dressing. By using nuts, it’s not fat-free, but it contains healthier fats. And of course this recipe is as always vegan and gluten-free.

What I love so much about this salad dressing, it’s super easy to make. And it lasts a while when chilled. I would recommend to use it within approx. 3 days after making.

This is a basic recipe. You can do lots of variations, combine different sorts of nuts for example. While I have used almonds, you can also use cashews, or macadamias etc. in this yummy vegan salad dressing. Beetroot can be cooked or raw.

Makes approx. 200 ml

1/4 cup (35g) almonds (or any other nut), soak in water for at least 8 hours, rinse and drain
1/2 cup (125ml) water
40g beetroot (or more if you like), cooked or raw
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1 garlic clove
salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in a powerful blender and blend until smooth.

2. Transfer to serving container. Then rinse the blender with a tiny bit of water and add to the dressing.

3. Keep chilled and use within approx. 3 days after making.

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

Super Easy Capsicum Salad Dressing (Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free)

The Vegan Monster — Fri, 31 May 2019 05:13:17 +0000

Recently I’ve been making this capsicum salad dressing as often as I can. It is super easy and you can sneak quite a few veges in if you like. The capsicum adds a delicious flavour.

It works for a classic salad as well as potato or pasta salad, and it also makes a delicious addition to a Buddha bowl.

As always, this recipe for super easy capsicum salad dressing is vegan, gluten-free and without added oil.

Makes approx. 250ml (about 4 portions):

100g red capsicum
1 small carrot (zucchini works well too)
1/2 cup (70g) cashews
1/4 cup (60ml) water
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
salt to taste

freshly chopped spring onion or chives

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients but the spring onions in powerful blender until smooth.

2. Transfer to a serving bowl or mug, add chopped spring onion or chives.

Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

4 Ingredients Salad Dressing (Vegan , Gluten-free)

The Vegan Monster — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 06:54:37 +0000

This is my latest favourite salad dressing! Super easy to make, super versatile!

You can view this recipe as a base to start your own dressing creations with. For example, you can add carrots when blending the nuts. Or you can season it with crushed garlic, balsamic, fresh herbs or chilli. There are so many options!

I love this dressing on all sorts of salads but also as a sauce with hamburgers or stir-fry. Go on, try it and you’ll see why I love it so much!

This recipe calls for cashews, but it also works very well with macadamias.

For one small bowl you’ll need:

1/2 cup cashews (soaked in filtered water for at least 4 hours, then drained)
1/3 water (or more if you like more runny)
1-2 tablespoon mustard
1-2 teaspoon maple syrup

Preparation:

1. Blend the nuts with water to a fine cream. Pour it into a serving can or bottle or…

2. Add mustard and maple syrup ad stir well.

3. Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! And if you remake this recipe, please share the picture with me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook.

Balsamic Cashew Salad Dressing (Vegan)

The Vegan Monster — Sat, 02 Nov 2013 07:04:43 +0000

Since I’ve re-created this old recipe of mine with cashew nut cream instead of soy cream, the lettuce plants in the garden are struggling to keep up with my appetite for fresh salad.

The cashew nut cream adds a little sweetness and the garlic gives it the extra kick and healthy goodness – I just LOVE it!

To make enough dressing for a big bowl of salad you’ll need:

1/4 cup (50g) cashew nuts soaked with 1/2 cup water
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt (not needed if you mince the garlic with a garlic-press)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoon whole grain mustard
3 tablespoon balsamic
5 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lemon

Preparation:

Chop the garlic fine or mince it, then place in a small bowl and sprinkle the salt over it.

Use a teaspoon to mash it up until it becomes a paste.

Add the mustard, balsamic and pepper; stir well to combine.

Then add the olive oil and stir until it is well mixed.

Blend the cashew nuts with the 1/2 cup water until they are a fine cream.

Pour the cashew cream into the small bowl and rinse the blender with a little more water, adding it to the bowl as well.

Add the juice of the 1/2 lemon and give it a final stir before enjoying it with some fresh lettuce.

Enjoy!

Creamy Dill Dressing Cucumber Salad (Vegan, Gluten-free)

The Vegan Monster — Fri, 27 Sep 2013 07:17:22 +0000

It is springtime in New Zealand! And I finally saw NZ grown cucumbers in the shop for an acceptable price.

I missed my favorite cucumber salad so much that I had to go for it. Luckily the seeds for my very own homegrown cucumbers will go into the garden very soon!

For this recipe I once again used raw cashew nuts for the creamy effect – a nice vegan, gluten-free substitute for over-processed soy cream. The raw onion and garlic make it a very healthy salad, too

NOTE: You can use this dressing with lettuce as well. Tastes amazing!

So, to make a salad dressing for one cucumber you’ll need:

1/2 cup (75g) cashew nuts (soaked in filtered water for at least 6 hours and then drained)
1/2 cup water (or more if you like the dressing thinner)
4-5 spring onion greens + 1/4 small onion
OR 3-4 whole spring onions
1 bunch of fresh dill
1 bunch of fresh parsley
1 small garlic clove
salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoon freshly pressed lemon juice
2 tablespoon linseed oil or olive oil (optional)

Preparation

1. Peel and mince the garlic and put into a medium sized bowl.

2. Chop the onions into very fine pieces and the spring onion greens into fine rings (using a scissor instead of a knife works very well here), add to the bowl. Chop the dill and the parsley and add to the rest.

3. Blend the cashews with 1/3 cup water to a fine cream, using a food processor or blender (for me the personal blender works best here). Add to the salad bowl and rinse the blender with some more water. Add salt, pepper, vinegar and lemon juice and stir well to combine.

4. Now you can chop the cucumber. Make sure you cut the cucumber in very thin slices. This will help to get the flavor of the dressing spread nicely.

I always let the salad rest for a while before I add the oil.

And then…Enjoy!