Sweet and Tangy Vinaigrette Dresses Up Summer’s Bounty
Bright, crisp, and full of character, this creamy vinaigrette salad dressing is a refreshing addition to this summer’s fresh garden bounty!
Originally known as “Colonel’s Lady Salad Dressing” this organic parsley herb vinaigrette dressing recipe was my favorite growing up. I’m not sure where my mom found the recipe, and I have no idea what the name has to do with anything, but I just couldn’t get enough of the unique blend of sweet, tangy, parsley goodness!
I recently wrote my mom for the recipe and now I get to enjoy my slightly modified version over the season’s greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and especially avocado halves! I love the way the tangy dressing is mellowed out by the creamy avocado.
The Real Truth About Store-bought Salad Dressings
One of the first changes I made in my real-food journey was to start making my own salad dressings. Eating more leafy greens and fresh vegetables is an important step to a healthier diet, but unfortunately with this usually comes very unhealthy store-bought salad dressings.
Most bottled dressings are made primarily of highly processed vegetable oil (unusually GMO soybean oil), which causes inflammation of the arteries, and are loaded with preservatives, artificial flavorings, stabilizers, sweeteners, and thickeners.
There is virtually no nutritional value in store-bought dressings and in some cases, it would even be better to not eat the salad at all than to load it with such harmful ingredients!
An Organic Parsley Herb Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe
Homemade salad dressings are very easy to throw together and usually only call for a couple of ingredients. Olive oil and some kind of vinegar or lemon juice are usually the main players. And making some wise choices in what ingredients you use in your dressing can create a salad dressing that is not only good for you but a nutritional boost in itself.
Extra virgin olive oil, raw honey, and fresh herbs are a must. Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice is good, as is a high-quality vinegar. Using unpasteurized raw apple cider vinegar is an easy way to increase the probiotics you’re consuming, something we all need to work on in our antibiotic, antibacterial, pesticide-overwhelmed country. These acidic ingredients also aid digestion which increases the nutrients your body is absorbing from the salad as well as the rest of the meal.
This dressing goes well with salad greens, cob-style salad with chicken, and my personal favorite, in avocado halves. I’m kind of in love with avocado, which is no secret since I started putting it in desserts. In avocado halves, it makes a perfect light appetizer. Enjoy!
Easy Parsley Herb Vinaigrette with Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Prep Time: 5 mins- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: About 3/4 cup
Prep Time:
Yield:
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey, preferably raw
- 1/4 cup firmly packed chopped fresh parsley
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves, or 1 T. fresh
- 1/4 t. black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend till very smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Serve in avocado halves or over salad greens of your choice.
Share Your Thoughts
What’s your favorite homemade salad dressing recipe?
About Melodie Kejr
Melodie Kejr from Sweet Basil 'n Spice currently lives in South Carolina with her husband Kevin and one-year-old boy. Faith, family, missions, photography, food preparation, and studying nutrition are her biggest passions. Melodie has a unique perspective on life due to her upbringing in West Africa and years as a missionary in Liberia. She grew up without the fast paced life of her peers and enjoyed raising animals, sewing, riding bikes, hiking in the rain forest, and trying to make American tasting foods with limited local ingredients. When she is not getting her one-year-old out of trouble, Melodie spends most of her time experimenting in the kitchen. She loves taking real food concepts to recreate meals that appeal to the average American tastes as well as coming up with the most frugal way to eat a traditional foods diet.
Hey! I just made this, and only had fresh basil, no oregano, and it was delicious, thank you! My first homemade salad dressing was a success! Thank you!
Luv this easy and nutritious Parsley Herb Vinaigrette!!!! Keep the greatness coming!
★★★★★