Zesty Lemon Vinaigrette

I love the combination of crisp greens and crunchy vegetables! Salads are great, and I really do enjoy them, but unless you venture beyond the basics – lettuce, tomato, cucumber, carrot – they will bore you to death! Some of my favorite salad ingredients include: artichokes, hearts of palm, leftover roasted veggies (just chuck them in), kalamata olives, arugula, pumpkin seeds, goat cheese, avocado, and fresh herbs like basil and parsley. And then there’s the dressing…

I am baffled when I hear people tell me that they are using “calorie-free” “sugar-free” and even still “fat free” dressings! I am even more baffled when I hear others tell me that they don’t even add dressing on their salad! (Are you kidding me?)

Here are 3 reasons why you need to add fat on a salad:

1. Fat enhances the absorption of the nutrients in your vegetables. This means that without any olive oil, butter, or avocado your body won’t be able to unlock the beta-carotene benefits in those carrots, or the zeaxanthin in that leafy kale, or the lycopene in those cute little grape tomatoes. In addition to these antioxidants, vegetables contain fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, and K…again, you need fat to make these nutrients available to the body.
2. Plain vegetables are low in calories and will not keep you full. Feeling satisfied after meals is super important to staying on track, and a bowl of plain steamed vegetables and an undressed salad will not keep your hunger at bay for too long. Think about how much more satisfied you feel when you roast vegetables in olive oil, or when you saute those greens in coconut oil, or when you dip carrots into hummus, or when you drizzle a little butter on your steamed broccoli. Fat offers something called Satiety – it’s that feeling of fullness or satisfaction that we all want to experience after completing a meal.
3. Low-fat, fat-free, sugar-free, and calorie-free dressings are full of crap! There, I said it! Have you ever read the ingredients on that bottle of fat-free or calorie-free Ranch dressing? Corn syrup, cellulose gel, sucralose (aka Splenda), carrageenan, propylene glycol aginate, modified food starch…are you kidding me? There is nothing better than using real and recognizable ingredients to make something wholesome and truly satisfying.

This recipe is truly a great way to perk up those leafy greens. You can make it ahead and just keep it stored in your fridge. It really puts commercial dressings to shame! Nothing beats a home dressing! I hope you enjoy this vinaigrette as much as I do!

Zesty Lemon Vinaigrette

Andrea Hill

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of two lemons
• 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove crushed or minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric - for an anti-inflammatory kick and some love for your liver!
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Combine all ingredients in a glass jar with a lid.
• Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover the jar and shake well to mix; store in the fridge.

Notes

This recipe would work nicely with limes if you prefer.