Best Spiced Salad Dressing Recipes

ROMAINE AND GORGONZOLA SALAD WITH ROASTED GARLIC DRESSING AND SPICED PECANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss oil with garlic in small baking dish. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake until garlic is golden and tender, about 45 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic from skins. Reserve oil.
• Transfer roasted garlic to processor. Add honey, vinegar, cider and mustard and blend well. With processor running, slowly add reserved garlic oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Toss lettuce with 1/2 cup Gorgonzola cheese and enough dressing to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and Spiced Pecans and serve.

SHRIMP, SPICED MANGO, AND AVOCADO SALAD WITH CITRUS DRESSING

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Reserve 2 teaspoons of the marinade. Add the shrimp to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 6.
• Make the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk together the lime juice, mustard, zest, and reserved marinade. While whisking, drizzle in the oils to form a smooth vinaigrette. Set aside.
• Make the salad: Remove the shrimp from the marinade; scrape off any excess marinade from the shrimp.
• Season the shrimp, to taste, with salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, turning once, until just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from the heat.
• In a bowl, toss together the onion, mango and avocado. Dress lightly with some of the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• In a another bowl, lightly toss the lettuce with some of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.
• Mound the salad in the center of a platter and surround with the shrimp. Spoon some of the dressing over the shrimp and serve. (Reserve remaining vinaigrette for another use.)

MOROCCAN-SPICED LEMON DRESSING AND QUINOA-APRICOT -SPINACH SALAD

Steps:

• TO PREPARE THE DRESSING:.
• Whisk lemon juice, yogurt, honey, cumin, cinnamon and ginger in a small bowl until blended.
• Slowly whisk in oil so that the dressing becomes smooth and emulsified.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• TO PREPARE THE SALAD:.
• Toast quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes aromatic and begins to crackle, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly.
• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Add apricots and the quinoa; continue cooking, stirring often, until the quinoa has dried out and turned light golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add water and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes.
• Transfer the quinoa to a medium bowl and toss with 1/3 cup of the Moroccan-Spiced Lemon Dressing. Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Just before serving, add tomatoes and onion to the quinoa; toss to coat. Toss spinach with the remaining 1/3 cup dressing in a large bowl. Divide the spinach among 4 plates. Mound the quinoa salad on the spinach and sprinkle with almonds.
• SERVING SIZE = 2 cups spinach with approximately 1 cup quinoa mixture.
• MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare through Step 3. Cover and refrigerate the quinoa and dressing separately for up to 2 days.
• INGREDIENT NOTE: Quinoa is available in most natural-foods stores and the natural-foods sections of many supermarkets. Toasting this grain before simmering enhances its flavor.
• TO TOAST NUTS: Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

BULGUR SALAD WITH CHICKPEAS, ROASTED PEPPERS, AND SPICED CUMIN DRESSING

Steps:

• 1. Place the bulgur in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and set aside, stirring occasionally, until the bulgur has softened, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the bulgur, shaking the strainer and gently pressing out excess moisture. Return the bulgur to the bowl.
• 2. Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice, honey, cumin, cayenne, and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until the dressing is smooth.
• 3. Add the chickpeas, roasted peppers, and parsley to the bowl with the drained bulgur and stir to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the bulgur mixture and toss to combine.
• 4. Line each individual plate with several lettuce leaves. Mound some bulgur salad over the lettuce and tuck some pita wedges into the salad at several places around the plate. Serve.

INDIAN-SPICED SALAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Place all of the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake until well blended.
• Use the dressing immediately, or refrigerate until ready to use.

PINTO BEAN SALAD WITH SPICED MOLASSES DRESSING

Steps:

• 1. Place tomatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and place in a blender with garlic, molasses, vinegar, oil, mustard, and chipotle, if using. Puree until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides once or twice. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Combine beans, bell pepper, and onion in a large bowl. Toss with dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

ZUCCHINI SALAD WITH AJO BLANCO DRESSING & SPICED NUTS

Steps:

• For the dressing, first soak the bread in water for 5 minutes. Drain the bread, then place in a blender with the almonds, garlic, vinegar, and 1/2 cup of the olive oil. Gradually add the cold water and blend on high for 30 seconds, or until a smooth purée forms. Add salt to taste, then set aside in a bowl until serving time.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• On the stove, heat a ridged grill pan or grill to high, until slightly smoky.
• Coat the cut sides of the zucchini pieces with 1/3 cup of the olive oil. Place them on the ridged grill pan and cook them, turning now and then, until they are branded all over. Place on a baking tray and finish in the oven for another 3-5 minutes-you want to cook them through, but leave a bit of texture and crunch to the zucchini. Once cooked, set aside and keep warm.
• Place the nuts and remaining olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm through until fragrant. Transfer the nuts to a bowl, then season with the paprika and salt to taste.
• To assemble the dish, place the warm zucchini in a large mixing bowl, along with the herbs and nuts, and stir gently to combine. Season with salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper if needed.
• Dollop most of the dressing around the bottom of your serving dish, then arrange the zucchini salad on top. If desired, drizzle some more dressing on top for that creamy, nutty flavor and texture.

SPICED SALAD DRESSING

Steps:

• Put all the ingredients into a blender, blend for 1 minute. Pour into a screw-top jar. This dressing is excellent for fish or vegetable salads, or for mixed greens as a piquant change from the classic French dressing. It may be prepared ahead of time, kept cold in an air-tight jar, and used as desired.

VEGAN ROAST SPICED SQUASH SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Tip the squash and onions onto a large baking sheet and toss with 1 tsp of the oil. Spread out and sprinkle with the paprika, cumin and thyme, then roast for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, cook the quinoa following pack instructions, then drain well (or the base of the salad will be too wet).
• Add the kale to the tray of veg, sprinkle over the seeds and return to the oven for 10 mins.
• For the dressing, mix the tahini and remaining oil with the vinegar, garlic and 2 tbsp water.
• Put the quinoa in a bowl and toss with the lentils or beans. Pile half into a salad bowl and the rest into two lunchboxes or bowls, if you're following the Healthy Diet Plan. Divide the veg on top, then drizzle with the dressing, scatter over the pomegranate seeds and top with the rocket. Chill the other two portions for the next day. Will keep chilled for up to three days.