There’s nothing like a good salad dressing to transform a bowl of veggies into an amazingly satisfying meal.
When I started eating raw food, and began having more salads, I didn’t know what to put on them to make them more interesting.
I was fortunate enough to attend a raw food class with Kemi Nekpavil, and she just rattled off four or five different salad dressings to have on hand, like they were an everyday thing.
Well, they are an everyday thing, but not in a hum-drum kind of way.
In an eat-them-all-the-time kind of way.
Having delicious, easy, healthy salad dressings has completely transformed my relationship with the not-so-humble salad.
Boring no more!
And this Mediterranean salad dressing is one of my favourites.
It’s so quick and easy to make, and it’s perfect for leaving in the fridge, ready to use any time you have a craving for a delicious salad.
And the longer this Mediterranean salad dressing sits waiting for you in the fridge, the more the amazing flavours meld together, creating a melody that dances across your tongue.
The balsamic vinegar. The earthy herbs. The sun-dried tomatoes.
It really works.
And I really love that this salad dressing recipe is oil-free.
I also love that you can use your own freshly dried herbs. (Can you have freshly dried herbs? I do.)
Grow them yourself (or buy them like I did), dry them and then make this amazing concoction with them.
Hmmmm, I think I can feel a herb-planting itch coming on.
See, now I’ve gone and inspired myself.
Will wonders never cease?
And I highly recommend that you find yourself the nicest, bestest quality balsamic vinegar you can, to make this Mediterranean salad dressing.
Why? Because you’re worth it.
I bought this amazing caramelised, golden orange balsamic vinegar, and it’s like summer in a bottle.
I’m no balsamic vinegar expert, and I don’t have the right fancy words to describe the flavour, but it is truly amazing.
The depth and complexity of the flavours can literally leave you speechless.
I’ve had run-of-the-mill balsamic vinegars before, and they were nice, but a good balsamic vinegar can rock your world.
Or at the very least, spice it up a little.
So go spoil yourself. You won’t regret it.
And make sure you always have some of this Mediterranean salad dressing on hand, so you can turn that next bowl of greens into a party for your tastebuds.
Mediterranean Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (125g)
- 1/3 cup agave nectar 60g
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 12-16 med sun-dried tomato halves , thinly sliced (50g)
Method
- Mix the vinegar, agave, rosemary, oregano, salt and pepper in a jar.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and allow to soak for at least an hour or two, preferably overnight.
- Store in the fridge.
- Add a spoonful or two to a salad, plus a few pieces of tomato, and toss to coat.
Preparation
- Before: -
- During: 10 mins
- After: 2 hours (soaking time)
- Need: Jar
Nutrition Information
Tips
- Buy yourself the nicest balsamic vinegar you can find, and try different ones to see which flavours you like best. You’ll be a connoisseur in no time.
- You could probably also use maple syrup or raw honey instead of the agave nectar, although raw honey can get a bit thick after sitting in a cold fridge.
- Fresh rosemary and oregano would be just as lovely in this recipe, I’m sure. (I’ll let you know how it goes once I’ve got my herb garden established.)
- Just stuff as many sun-dried tomatoes into your jar with the dressing mix as you can – the more the yummier!
- Each time you make a salad, just add a few pieces of tomato to your salad, plus a spoonful or two of dressing, and you’ll end up using them at about the same rate.
- A really simple salad to start with would be fresh basil, chopped tomato and red onion. Trust me, it’s delicious.
Have an awesome, salad-filled day!
2 comments
Debbie
Thanks so much for adding the gram measurements! I really appreciate having those! Printing your recipe off now – it looks beautiful!
Nikki
Hi Debbie,
You’re most welcome. Maybe it’s the scientist in me, but I can’t cook any other way, and so I have to convert everything back to volumes when I’m ready to share it. Enjoy :)