Packed with immune boosting garlic, this garlic and lemon low carb salad dressing is light, clean, and fresh! Skip the store-bought and make your own garlic and lemon healthy salad dressing at home.
What Does This Garlic and Lemon Dressing Taste Like
You may not be kissable after eating this garlic and herb salad dressing but you won’t mind because it is so delicious! This low carb salad dressing tastes like spring! It is light, fresh, and very garlicky. Lemon, garlic, and fresh parsley shine in this healthy salad dressing recipe. If you like vinaigrettes, you should also try my dijon vinaigrette.
Why Should You Make Homemade Salad Dressing
Most salad dressings at the grocery store are full of preservatives so they are more “shelf stable”. You may see sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate listed on the label. These are both preservatives that allow your dressing to stay fresh for up to 2 years! Store bought dressings almost always use bad oils (keep reading for more information on oils). Lastly, they are usually full of water because it is cheap.
On the flip side, premium brand store bought salad dressings are expensive. If you want a clean, preservative free, and organic salad dressing they come with a high price tag. One bottle of Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Dressing and Marinade is $6 at my grocery store. However, I can purchase the ingredients once to make multiple batches of homemade dressing. That assumes I have none of the ingredients on hand, which is rarely the case. It is much more cost effective to prepare your own salad dressings.
What is a Vinaigrette
Every salad dressing has the same components: fat, acid, sweetener, and something for flavor. Vinaigrettes are oil based dressings that are blended until smooth. Salad dressings that are creamy, like my zero carb ranch dressing, often use greek yogurt, sour cream, or mayonnaise for their base. These bases also double as the fat for the dressing. The acid in vinaigrettes typically come by way of vinegars or citrusjuice. Sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, dates, monkfruit, or fresh fruit can be used to balance the acidity in a clean manner. Lastly, things like garlic and fresh herbs are used for flavor. The ingredients are all blended together until the oil has emulsified.
What Kind of Oil is Best for this Keto Salad Dressing and Marinade
When you’re trying to eat a clean diet, some oils are better than others. It is best to avoid canola, safflower, soybean, and grapeseed oils as they provide zero nutritional value. These oils are inflammatory and, contrary to popular believe, not heart healthy! Here is a good article about good and bad oils. Instead, avocado oil, pure olive oil, and coconut oil are the best oils to consume regularly. For this keto salad dressing and marinade, avocado oil works best because it has the most mild flavor but is full of healthy fat! Olive oil may also be used but coconut oil is not advised (your dressing will taste like coconut).
Health Benefits of Garlic
Aside from adding immense flavor to foods, did you know that garlic is also incredibly beneficial for our health? When garlic is opened up (crushed, chopped) and exposed to air, allicin in the garlic is released which releases garlic’s natural healing properties. Garlic is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, can reduce cholesterol, and is a natural antibiotic. Garlic also helps support good gut flora (bacteria) naturally! So, while you’re enjoying this garlic and herb dressing, you’re also fueling your body with immensely beneficial nutrients!
Is Honey Keto Friendly
Honey is like sugar so why is it used in this recipe? As mentioned above, sweetness is needed in dressings to balance the acidity. Here, raw honey is used instead of monk fruit, coconut sugar, or organic cane sugar because it provides a nice flavor that a regular sweetener cannot.
Raw natural honey, especially from your local bee keepers, helps combat seasonal allergies. Honey also metabolizes slower than refined sugar because it is only 40% fructose and 30% glucose (refined sugar is 50/50). Raw honey is also beneficial in preventing glycogen store depletion in athletes.
While you wouldn’t want to slather your breakfast in honey if you’re eating within keto macros, a little bit spread out is not going to be significant. One tablespoon of natural raw honey is 17 carbs. When those 17 carbs are spread out of 16 tablespoons of dressing, that’s roughly 1 carb per tablespoon. So, overall, it is not adding significant carbohydrates to the dressing. You can omit the honey and replace it with 2 tablespoons of your preferred sweetener or 1 tablespoon of sugar free maple syrup.
How To Make This Low Carb Salad Dressing
To make this healthy salad dressing recipe, add all of your ingredients to a glass jar (like a mason jar) and use an immersion blender to emulsify. You may also use a food processor or blender.
Can This Low Carb Salad Dressing Be Used As a Marinade
Yes, this low carb salad dressing can be used as a healthy marinade for chicken, steak, pork, and seafood. No adjustments to the recipe are necessary to use this dressing as a marinade.
Garlic and Lemon Low Carb Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon raw honey see note
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley a big handful of leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- up to 3 tablespoons water to thin out optional
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. You may also use an immersion blender.
Notes
Nutrition
Leave a Comment