A salad bowl is only as good as the dressing is. I think having one or two go-to salad dressing recipes is a true game changer. Even the most boring salad can taste absolutely delicious with a good dressing. This green quinoa summer salad is my current favorite.
This salad recipe is simple to make and nourishing. All it needs is a good dressing. In this article I’m sharing my 3 favorite salad dressings (for any salad). And I will also share how I make a good oil-free and low salt dressing that will make any salad taste absolutely delicious.
As you may have noticed, I LOVE to buy my non-perishable products at iHerb. iHerb offers an amazing amount of products I normally use for my dressing recipes, such as nuts, seeds, nut butters, soy sauce, tamari and miso paste.
Why iHerb?
I am a loyal customer at iHerb because I can find everything I need at one place from the comfort of my home knowing that I will have the best possible service and a wide variety of products to choose from. Also, after all these years I am still surprised how fast their delivery is!
A few other reasons why I love iHerb is that they carry over 30,000 natural products and they ship to over 150 countries. And like I said before, they ship fast!
Also, all iHerb orders are shipped from climate-controlled distribution centers to ensure the quality of their products and everything arrives well no matter where they ship to.
If you have a question iHerb offers customer service 24 hours a day / 7 days a week in 10 different languages. That’s what’s so cool about iHerb! No matter where you live you can get the products you love and the service. You can read all about the shipping methods to your country via this link. I think their shipping is fast and very well priced.
For this recipe I placed an order with a few other products (scroll down for a mini grocery haul). I love the quality they offer in products such as the Artisana nut butters, their miso paste, hemp hearts, and organic cashew nuts. It’s so convenient to get all my high-quality products in one place.
iHerb always treats their customers well. You will get a discount off your iHerb order by shopping via THIS LINK.
I have bundled all the products that I’ve used for my dressing recipes plus a few other products in this cart for you here on iHerb so you don’t have to search for all the ingredients I will mention.
Quinoa Summer Salad
This green quinoa summer salad is one to remember for all summers to come. I think a salad is best when it’s simple, yet still containing all the good nourishing ingredients, such as beans, greens and a small amount of fats.
This salad hits the spot. The crunchy fresh spinach pairs well with the sweet corn and the beans. The onion gives it a little kick and juicy cherry tomatoes are a must during summer.
3 Salad Dressings – Fresh / Spicy / Umami
These dressing recipes not only make this quinoa summer salad delicious, it actually goes well with almost all salad recipes.
Some days I crave a more creamy fresh dressing with dill and other days I appreciate the umami flavors in a miso dressing.
Seriously, salads don’t have to be boring. You just need to know how to make a good dressing.
Cashew Dill Dressing
Of all three dressing recipes, this is the one I make the most often. The cashew dill dressing is creamy, fresh and has a great garlicky taste (I love garlic). With a subtle hint of sweetness. Delicious! I easily overdo it with this dressing and add a double portion to my salad.
Spicy Almond Dressing
If I crave a creamy dressing with a little punch I make this spicy almond dressing. The almond butter makes it creamy and the hemp hearts give this dressing a nice ”earthy” flavor. This dressing is easily customizable. Feel free to add more pepper or sriracha if this version is too mild for you.
Miso Dressing
For a dressing with more umami flavors and more acidity I make a miso dressing. This is the strongest dressing in terms of flavor, and an absolute game changer for a simple salad recipe.
How To Make A Good Dressing
If you look at the dressing recipes you will notice there are some flavors that I like to use to make a dressing a success and to balance all flavors.
For a good dressing I first think about what kind of fat I want to use. You could use oil, but I rather go for a nut- or seed butter, whole seeds and nuts or an avocado.
Then I am adding in an acid ingredient, such as lemon juice or a vinegar.
Up next I add a liquid and a sweetener. A liquid can be as simple as water, but also a plant-based milk is a good option. For sweeteners you can add anything you like, such as dates, raisins, or maple syrup.
Finally, I like to think in terms of flavor. Do I want to add spice and heat or more umami flavors? More herbs? Fresh or dried herbs?
I like to add a very mild mustard to my dressing recipes for flavor, but also for a creamy texture.
One last tip. Dressing recipes made without oil (but with a nut- or seed butter instead) will thicken up in the fridge. So if you prefer a thinner dressing add a bit more liquid.
My iHerb Grocery Haul
I thought it would be nice to share my last order at iHerb with you. I ordered the ingredients for my dressing recipes, but also Dandy Blend. If you follow me on Instagram you know I love my daily Dandy drink.
I also ordered a jar of raw coconut butter. Since I don’t cook or bake with oils at home this is a great alternative. It acts like an oil, but since it is the whole coconut shredded (and not just the extracted oil), it remains a whole food. As you can tell, I’m quite a fan of the Artisana brand that iHerb is offering. Their products are organic and raw. Their nut- and seed butters are the best! As a treat I also wanted to try the raw cacao bliss butter this time.
PB2 is powdered peanut butter without oil. I like to add this to quick dressings (for flavor and to thicken it up), but it is also great in smoothies and you can actually make peanut butter out of it by mixing it with a bit of water. I can only find such a great variety of peanut butter powders at iHerb, they have for example also the organic one.
Discount Offer for iHerb Customers
Don’t forget your discount friends! New and returning customers will get a discount off their iHerb order with no minimum order by shopping via THIS LINK.
If you give this salad with a dressing a try, I’d love to know. Leave a comment below, share it on Facebook or take a picture and tag it #thegreencreator on Instagram! I’d love to see your salad bowls!
Want to save this recipe for later? Pin the recipe to your Pinterest boards:
Green Quinoa Summer Salad
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
- Category: salad
- Cuisine: vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This green quinoa summer salad is simple to make and nourishing, and all it needs is a good dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 (small) red onion, diced
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- ½ cup cooked corn
- ½ cup (frozen) green peas
- ½ cup cooked black beans
Instructions
For the quinoa I’m using one part uncooked quinoa (e.g. 1 cup quinoa) and 2 parts water (e.g. 2 cups water).
Rinse the quinoa under running water. I use a fine mesh colander for this. Drain well.
Add the rinsed quinoa and water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts to heat up reduce the heat to medium to simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed the water, This can take about 10 minutes for a small amount of quinoa.
Remove the saucepan from heat, cover, and let the quinoa sit covered for 5 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork.
For a quick version I am using cooked beans and corn from a glass jar and make sure to rinse them very well.
Peel and cut the onion in small chunks.
Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes.
Wash the fresh spinach and place in a large bowl. Add in all the other ingredients and toss to combine.
Drizzle with a dressing and serve.
Notes
This salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days without a dressing mixed into the salad.
Cashew Dill Dressing
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 1
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 1x
- Category: dressing
- Method: blender
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This cashew dill dressing is creamy, fresh and has a great garlicky taste with a subtle hint of sweetness.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp mild Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dill
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 pitted Medjool dates
- ½ to ¼ cup plant based milk (such as soy milk)
Instructions
Blitz everything up in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
Notes
This dressing keeps in a jar (covered) in the fridge for about one week. If it separates, just stir to combine. If it gets too thick add a bit of water or plant-based milk and stir.
Spicy Almond Dressing
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 1
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 1x
- Category: dressing
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Spicy Almond Dressing has a little punch. The almond butter makes it creamy and the hemp hearts give this dressing a nice ”earthy” flavor. This dressing is easily customizable. Feel free to add more pepper or sriracha if this version is too mild for you.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw almond butter
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp mild Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 1 pitted Medjool date
- 1/4 tsp (white) pepper
- ¼ cup plant based milk (such as soy milk)
- ½ tsp ginger powder
Instructions
Blitz everything up in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
Notes
This dressing keeps (covered) in a jar in the fridge for about one week. If it separates, just stir to combine. If it gets too thick add a bit of water or plant-based milk and stir.
Miso Dressing
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 1
- Total Time: 6 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 1x
- Category: dressing
- Method: blender
- Diet: Vegan
Description
For a dressing with more umami flavors and more acidity this miso dressing is one to try and love.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup peanut butter or cashew butter
- 1 tsp flax seeds
- 2 tbs water
- 2 tbs rice vinegar
- 1 Brazil nut
- 1/2 tsp mild Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp miso paste
- ½ inch fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or date syrup
- 3 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium) or tamari
- ½ tsp dried lemongrass
Instructions
Blitz everything up in a blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
Notes
This dressing keeps covered in a jar in the fridge for about one week. If it separates, just stir to combine. If it gets too thick add a bit of water or plant-based milk and stir.
