Candida Diet Salad Dressing Recipes: Delicious and Healthy Options

For individuals following a Candida diet, finding suitable salad dressings can be a challenge. Many store-bought dressings contain ingredients that are off-limits, such as sugars, unhealthy oils, and artificial additives. Making your own salad dressings is a simple and effective way to control your ingredients and ensure that your dressings are Candida-friendly, sugar-free, dairy-free, and free of undesirable additives.

Why Make Your Own Salad Dressing?

Making your own salad dressings lets you be in control of what you eat. It allows you to add flavor to your foods while still keeping them healthy. I never consume store bought salad dressings because they are full of salt, refined oils, sugars, artificial sweeteners, low-quality vinegars and all sorts of other ingredients that I cannot even pronounce.

• Control Over Ingredients: You have the power to avoid unhealthy oils, sugars, artificial sweeteners, low-quality vinegars, and other undesirable additives.
• Healthier Options: Homemade dressings can be Candida-free, sugar-free, salt-free or low-salt, and dairy-free.
• Customizable Flavors: Tailor the taste to your preferences, experimenting with herbs, spices, and other flavorings.
• Freshness: Homemade dressings are often fresher and more flavorful than store-bought alternatives.

Key Ingredients for Candida-Friendly Dressings

• Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil (use sparingly due to its strong flavor).
• Acids: Apple cider vinegar (with the mother), lemon juice, lime juice, distilled white vinegar (lower histamine option).
• Herbs and Spices: Garlic, onion, dill, mint, tarragon, ginger, mustard powder, paprika, sea salt, black pepper.
• Other Flavor Enhancers: Coconut aminos, stevia or monk fruit (optional, for sweetness), tahini or nut/seed butters (in moderation).
• Thickeners: Psyllium (optional, for thickening).

Candida Diet Salad Dressing Recipes

Here are some delicious and easy-to-make Candida diet salad dressing recipes:

Creamy Dill Dressing

This dressing is candida diet friendly, paleo, AIP, gluten-free, dairy free, low carb/keto, low oxalate, low lectin and elimination diet friendly. There is nothing quite like the flavor of fresh dill!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Dill, packed
• 3/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds, soaked
• Juice of 2 Lemons
• 1 Clove of Garlic
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients, except oil, in blender.
2. Slowly adding in olive oil.
3. Blend until creamy.

Substitutions:

• Fresh dill substitutions: Fresh dill is not always in stock in grocery stores, but this recipe would work great with all other fresh herbs. You can also swap it out for freeze-dried dill.
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice substitutions: Instead of fresh squeezed lemon juice, you can also use white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar etc. You can also use a mixture of lemon juice and your choice of vinegar.
• Fresh shallot substitutions: Fresh shallot in this recipe really gives it a creamy texture when blended, but you can also use 1 teaspoon of onion powder.
• Extra-virgin olive oil substitutions: Extra-virgin olive oil is fantastic in salad dressings, but it can be a bit stronger in flavor. If you want a more mild taste, you can also use walnut oil, almond oil, canola oil or any other vegetable oil.
• Make this recipe lower histamine: Instead of using fresh squeezed lemon juice, use distilled white vinegar which is generally thought to be lower in histamine.

Lemon Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds or Tahini
• 1/2 - 2/3 cup Lemon Juice
• 1 Clove Garlic
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender, until creamy.
2. Try dressing on wraps or as a dip.

Greek Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• 1/3 cup Lemon Juice
• 2 tbs. Mint, minced
• 2 Cloves Garlic, mashed and minced
• 1/4 tsp. Paprika
• Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Whisk everything together in a bowl.
2. Let sit for at least one hour.

Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing with Tahini and Chickpeas

Here’s an easy and quick oil-free vegan salad dressing with tahini and chickpeas that effortlessly makes your meals complete. It gives this on-spot freshness and richness to your abundant or simple salads. P.S. As this vegan salad dressing so well demonstrates, you don’t need oils to go with your Buddha bowls or simple salad with steamed veggies. Instead you can use nut and seed butters for richness and good fats, legumes for thickness, herbs and spices for flavour and water to thin it out.

Read also: Breakfast on the Candida Diet

Ingredients:

• 8 tbsps. water
• 6 tbsps. lemon juice
• 6 tbsps. tahini
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. whole mustard seeds
• 1¼ tsp. psyllium
• ½ tsp. stevia
• Black salt to taste (max ¼ tsp.)

Substitutions:

• If you don’t have tahini, use any nut or seed butter, e.g. peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, almond butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter.
• Stevia can be substituted with any other preferred sweetener, if you’re not on Candida diet, e.g. maple syrup or agave syrup.
• You can use white beans instead of chickpeas not to mess with the colour of the dressing. However, I don’t recommend it, if you’re on Candida diet or struggling with blood sugar fluctuations as big white beans have higher glycemic load.
• Instead of whole mustard seeds, feel free to use about ¼ tsp. of good quality organic mustard.
• This dressing can also be made without yogurt. Just add a bit less liquid.
• Should you have taste for it, substitute garlic powder with fresh garlic clove.
• Make this vegan salad dressing lower in fat by adding less tahini or ditching it altogether.
• You can use juice of one lime instead of lemon.
• I use psyllium because it thickens the dressing, so that I can add more liquid and therefore have bigger quantity, i.e. more servings with the same amount of tahini.

Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing

Creamy and tangy, this Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing adds a burst of flavour to salads and dishes. In a small blender, combine the avocado, lime juice, fresh garlic, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, salt and a little water. Blend in small bursts until the mixture is smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Ingredients:

• Avocado
• Lime Juice
• Fresh Garlic
• Parsley
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt
• Water

Directions:

1. In a small blender, combine the avocado, lime juice, fresh garlic, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, salt and a little water.
2. Blend in small bursts until the mixture is smooth.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Substitutions:

• You can use lemon juice instead of lime for a slightly different citrus flavour.

Note: This Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing is entirely vegan and dairy-free.

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing

Say hello to the best raw apple cider vinegar dressing! This dressing takes less than 5 minutes to make and taste a thousand times better than a store bought salad dressing. The Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother contains a huge amount of health benefits as well so next time you need something new try this apple cider vinegar dressing from scratch.

Ingredients:

• Apple cider vinegar - When shopping for apple cider vinegar, make sure to get the one that says with the mother. That’s the one that still has all the health benefits.
• Olive oil- Get the best tasting olive oil!
• Dijon mustard- The mustard will give the perfect tang and creaminess to this homemade healthy dressing.
• salt
• pepper- If at all possible, crack your black peppercorns freshly. Those would have a lot more flavor compared to the pepper that is already cracked.
• garlic- Use fresh garlic clove. Grating it will give you so much flavor as well as health benefits.

Directions:

1. You can either add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until everything is well mixed together.
2. Add all the ingredients to a mason jar, close tightly with a lid, and shake until well emulsified.

Note: This dressing is pretty sour because that’s how my sister likes it. But if you don’t want it to be too sour you can use 1/3 cup of olive oil instead of just 1/4 cup. That will help balance out the acidity of this homemade salad dressing!

Mustard Tarragon Dressing

Packed full of healthy nutrients and low in carbohydrates, this recipe uses only ingredients that are safe for a Candida diet. It’s a perfect dish to eat during the early phases of the diet. You can eat it alone as a salad, or pair it with some wild salmon or grilled steak. Radish has the added advantage of having antifungal properties too. One of the keys to following the Candida diet successfully is to find innovative, tasty ways to eat vegetables. This might be difficult or easy, depending on your diet up to this point. Salad dressings like this, which are far healthier than sugary, store-bought dressings, will make any selection of vegetables tasty and appetizing.

Read also: Popcorn on a Candida Cleanse

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1 Tbsp. shallot, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, finely minced (or 1 tsp. dry tarragon)
• 3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. To prepare the dressing, put all the dressing ingredients into a jar, put a lid on the jar and shake well. You can refrigerate the unused portion.

Coconut Balsamic Vinaigrette

While good extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice make a nice vinaigrette, sometimes your salad begs for more. Our Coconut Balsamic Vinaigrette is a full bodied vinaigrette for salads made with heartier, earthier vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 1 Tbsp. mustard powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small sprig of fresh rosemary

Directions:

1. Put the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, finely minced garlic and mustard powder into a container with a lid.
2. Put the lid on the container and shake well. Gently toss to coat.
3. Sprinkle the salad with toasted, sliced almonds, and serve.

Asian-Inspired Dressing

This retro, Asian-inspired salad gets a healthy makeover with the addition of crispy fried shallots instead of noodles. It’s a brilliant way to use leftover chicken or turkey, and it contains a number of ingredients to improve your digestion and gut health. This salad contains antifungal foods like shallot, onion, and garlic. It incorporates healthy fats like olive oil, a good dose of protein from the chicken or turkey, and very few carbohydrates. The dressing is lightly sweetened with stevia, but this is optional.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. coconut aminos
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1/4 tsp. powdered stevia
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. To make the dressing, add olive oil, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar, coconut aminos, garlic powder, onion powder, powdered ginger, powdered stevia, salt and pepper to taste into a small bowl.
2. Whisk to combine, set dressing aside.

Tips for Making and Storing Homemade Dressings

• Use High-Quality Ingredients: The flavor of your dressing will only be as good as the ingredients you use. Opt for high-quality olive oil, fresh herbs, and flavorful vinegars.
• Taste and Adjust: Taste your dressing as you go and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
• Emulsify Properly: To create a stable emulsion, slowly drizzle the oil into the other ingredients while whisking or blending continuously.
• Storage: Store homemade dressings in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
• Batch Cooking: This vegan salad dressing recipe is perfect for batch cooking - if you have a big family, make a double of this recipe and store in fridge in properly sealed containers or mason jars. However, I don’t recommend making any foods for more than 3-4 days ahead as moulds can develop really fast. It’d always be the best to eat freshly made food or alternatively cool and freeze any leftovers. The latter being said, consider making half of this recipe, if you’re going to eat the dressing by yourself.

Incorporating Dressings into Your Candida Diet

Salads are a staple on the Candida diet, and there are so many ways to brighten them up with tasty, flavorful salad dressings. One of the keys to following the Candida diet successfully is to find innovative, tasty ways to eat vegetables. This might be difficult or easy, depending on your diet up to this point. Salad dressings like this, which are far healthier than sugary, store-bought dressings, will make any selection of vegetables tasty and appetizing.

Read also: Best Bread for Candida

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