Weeknight Cooking

Easy, Creamy Vegan Salad Dressing

by:
June  5, 2021
4.3
7 Ratings
Photo by Ty Mecham. Food Stylist: Anna Billingskog. Prop Stylist: Brooke Deonarine.
  • Prep time 2 minutes
  • Makes 4 side salads
Author Notes

This is my family's go-to salad dressing, starring a special ingredient that adds creaminess and holds everything else together: nutritional yeast. —Ori Zohar

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Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (apple cider works, too)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard (Dijon or whole-grain are my favorites)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 pinch your favorite spices (such as black lime, sumac, garlic powder, ground ginger, and smoked paprika)
  • Your favorite salad greens, chopped vegetables, nuts, cheeses, and grains
Directions
  1. Add all ingredients into a glass or small bowl. Use a fork to vigorously mix until ingredients are well incorporated and the mixture is a uniform, creamy consistency. (Another option is to put all the ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake it like a Polaroid.)
  2. Tip: Dress the salad right before serving and give it a light toss with tongs. If you have heavier components in your salad (tomatoes, nuts, cheese, grains), then dress the greens first, toss, then add the toppings. Otherwise, all of those toppings will end up at the bottom of your bowl.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Recipe by: Ori Zohar

Ori Zohar is a social entrepreneur and the co-founder of Burlap & Barrel, the world's first comprehensive, single-origin spice company. Burlap & Barrel creates equitable global supply chains by working directly with farmers to cut out intermediaries and deliver exceptionally flavorful spices. The company has been featured in Epicurious, Bon Appetit, Saveur, and Fast Company, as well as in the kitchens of restaurants from Eleven Madison Park and Blue Hill to sweetgreen and Chop't to home cooks across the country.

9 Reviews

L May 24, 2022
The combination of ingredients did not work.
BoldNHungry April 3, 2022
Comes together quickly. I added the mustard and the lemon to a small jar and shook it vigorously until the mustard was well blended, then added everything else to make it smooth and creamy. I preferred it with finely ground white pepper and reduced the amount to 1/4 tsp. Lovely on a salad of arugula/tomato/grated carrot and angel hair cabbage!
dom August 20, 2021
this is legitimately the best salad dressing i have ever tasted. thank you so much for sharing the recipe. using nooch in dressing?! genius! seriously, i swooned after trying this.
Green T. June 5, 2021
This was fantastic thank you! I subbed half the oil with water and got tired and sweaty using my teeny pepper grinder so mine had half the pepper called for. Still amazing.
Rosewilder August 29, 2020
Is the pepper amount correct?
Ori Z. June 7, 2021
Pepper is always a matter of taste, and I like a loooooot of it! If you're skeptical, start with half and see how it tastes!
Patti F. August 19, 2020
This is EXCELLENT! Really full of flavor. So glad I came across this recipe. It’s my new go to dressing.
Di M. August 18, 2020
Tried this one today and it was delicious! Thank you, I’ll certainly be making it again.
Emma L. January 19, 2020
Yum! Need a jar of this in my fridge ASAP.