My Plant-Based Family

Eating Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet recipes, On a Budget.

Salads & Wraps

Sweet & Tangy Salad Dressing (oil-free)

by 47 Comments

A sweet and tangy salad dressing is the secret to getting my kids (and myself) to eat mounds of greens. This recipe is oil-free, simple and versatile for a variety of uses.

I make this salad dressing with pantry staples so it’s inexpensive and lasts a long time. Did I mention it’s oil-free, gluten-free and vegan? This is a recipe you can feel good about serving and eating.

Easy Tangy Salad Dressing

When I say this dressing is easy, I mean it! Just throw everything in a blender for a few seconds, and it comes out perfect every time. You can’t mess it up.

Of course you can add the sweet and tangy dressing to a traditional green salad, but don’t be afraid to get creative. It is a great addition to wraps, noodles and grain salads too.

Best Tangy Dressing

As the name suggests, the flavors in this dressing are both sweet and tangy. You can adjust the ingredients to suit individual preferences, but my family loves the balance of the original recipe.

Balancing the opposing flavors also makes it easier to accommodate all kinds of dishes from salads to grains to noodles. It truly goes with everything!

How to Make Sweet & Tangy Salad Dressing

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/8 tsp dried paprika
  • 1/4 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 oz water
  • 1/4 tsp xantham gum

Instructions

Add all ingredients and blend in a blender for a few seconds. Allow the dressing to rest before using to give it time to thicken. Told you it was easy!

Serving Suggestions

I love this dressing on a big salad or a wrap. It is also fantastic in noodle or grain salads. My boys (2 and 4) LOVE it. They beg for salad and salad dressing. It also makes a great dip for cut up veggies.

Storage

Store any leftovers in the jar or another airtight container and refrigerate.

The spices settle at the bottom of the jar, so shake before pouring and serving again.

More Plant Based Salad Dressings

If you like this sweet and tangy salad dressing, you’ll love these recipes too:

Yield: 1/2 cup

Sweet & Tangy Salad Dressing

Sweet & Tangy Salad Dressing

This plant based, sweet and tangy salad dressing will have everyone eating their veggies.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Additional Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/8 tsp dried paprika
  • 1/4 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 oz water
  • 1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Instructions

    1. Add all ingredients and blend in a blender for a few seconds.
    2. Allow the dressing to rest before using to give it time to thicken. 

Notes

  • Serve on a bed of greens, wrap, noodle or grain salad.
  • Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container.

Did you make this recipe?

We'd love to see it! Tag us and use #MyPlantBasedFamily!

© Holly Yzquierdo

 

CHICKpea Salad…Two Ways

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fruity chickpea salad

I have a few friends who have been dying to get their hands on these recipes. I’ll warn you this isn’t one of my typical healthy recipes and it isn’t low in fat. It uses vegan mayo which isn’t an ingredient I typically use or encourage others to use. I made these for a party; they are party food, not everyday food! I repeat, these are not healthy, you can’t eat as much as you want, you’ll get sick or fat.

I hope that wasn’t too mean. Since most of the recipes I present are whole food, plant-based, and no added oil I didn’t want to mislead anyone but I’m gearing up for the Super Bowl and attempting to make some of my favorite party foods a little more accessible to my new lifestyle.

Veggie Chickpea salad wrap

Veggie CHICKpea Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1/4 cup diced onion (optional)
  • 1/2 cup vegan mayo
  • dash of black salt, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and nutritional yeast

Chickpea Salad

Do

  1. Chop chickpeas in a food processor until they are course, this takes 15 to 30 seconds depending on your processor. Then place in a mixing bowl.
  2. Shred carrot and celery in food processor then add to the chickpeas.
  3. Add mayo and spices and gently stir until combined.

Serve

I served these in lettuce wraps, but they would be great as sandwiches or on crackers too. It keeps well for a few days and travels well with an icepack to keep it cold.

Fruity Chickpea salad in wrap

Fruity CHICKpea Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup grapes, cut in half
  • 1 apple, diced (I used granny smith)
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (OPTIONAL)
  • 1/2 cup vegan mayo (or for a twist use vegan yogurt)
  • dash  of black salt
  • dash of onion powder

Do

  1. Chop chickpeas in a food processor until they are course, this takes 15 to 30 seconds depending on your processor. Then place in a mixing bowl.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently until everything is combined.

Serve

I served these in lettuce wraps too but it would be amazing on top of a bed of greens. I also tried the yogurt version and put it in fillo shells for a fun and delicious dessert. You could also eat this in a sandwich or on crackers, it’s very versatile.

You could make your own vegan mayo for a healthier version.

For more inspiration check out my PARTY FOOD board on Pinterest! Or check out my Faux Tuna Salad Recipe! I think you like it.

How would you enjoy these, on a salad, sandwich, or as part of a wrap?

I submitted this recipe to the Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck!

 

Vegan Tuna Salad

by 14 Comments

I grew up eating Tuna Fish, yeah, that’s what we called it. Several times throughout the year it would be Tuna Fish time. My mom made it in a giant Tupperwear bowl, the same one she used for Potato Salad, and take it to family get togethers. Of course, we don’t eat tuna but I still like the flavor, we make our Vegan Tuna Salad no, formerly known as Not So “Tuna” Salad.

Vegan Tuna Salad

I have realized that Tuna Salad and Chicken Salad recipes greatly differ by region, kind of like Chili. So while I will share the way I made it this is in no way the right way. I think it has a lot of potential as a template.

When you make it, feel free to try other veggies to mix things up a bit.

Vegan Tuna Salad

Vegan Tuna Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can drained)
  • 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
  • 3 tbsp Vegan Mayo
  • 1/4 tsp dill (you could add more)
  • 1 tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (you can substitute soy sauce or omit, just adjust other seasonings)
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • a few shakes of ground mustard ( you could use prepared mustard instead)
  • water
  • dried seaweed (I used Sushi Nori brand)

Do

  1. Put all of these ingredients in a food processor with 1/4 cup of water.
  2. Process ingredients adding more water if necessary to get the right consistency. Don’t over process or it will be “paste like” it needs to be a little chunky.
  3. Chill until ready to eat.

Serve

This made a little more than 2 cups so double the recipe for a large family. We ate this on sprouted grain bread, my husband had toast. I also like it on crackers or with a pita. It could be eaten atop a mixed green salad as well. If you like celery in your tuna salad add it, I’m not a fan of raw celery so I omited it. I like lots of onion so I’ll add it next time. I was planning on adding a pickle but we were out. A splash of lemon juice would be a nice touch as well.

The Sushi Nori dried seaweed gives this the fishy flavor. If you’d rather have a “chicken” salad just omit the seaweed.

Yield: 4 servings

Vegan Tuna Salad

Vegan Tuna Salad

This easy vegan Tuna Salad recipe is great on sandwiches, salads, wraps or with crackers.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can drained)
  • 1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
  • 3 tbsp Vegan Mayo
  • 1/4 tsp dill (you could add more)
  • 1 tsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (you can substitute soy sauce or omit, just adjust other seasonings)
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • a few shakes of ground mustard ( you could use prepared mustard instead)
  • water
  • dried seaweed (I used Sushi Nori brand)

Instructions

  1. Put all of these ingredients in a food processor with 1/4 cup of water.
  2. Process ingredients adding more water if necessary to get the right consistency. Don’t over process or it will be “paste like” it needs to be a little chunky.
  3. Chill until ready to eat.

Did you make this recipe?

We'd love to see it! Tag us and use #MyPlantBasedFamily!

© Holly Yzquierdo
Category: Recipes

Many moons ago I would make a delicious spicy chicken salad. It was simply shredded chicken, mayo and a can of drained rotel. I’d like to incorporate the rotel into this recipe as well.

Vegan Tuna Salad

What would you add to give this recipe your favorite “tuna” salad flavor?