An elaborate salad calls for a simple vinaigrette.
Unlike sugar-laden store-bought dressings, most homemade salad dressings contain no added sugar. Those without fruit, nut and dairy ingredients often contain no sugar whatsoever. A classic oil-and-vinegar dressing, for instance, is completely sugar free if made with red wine vinegar. Salad dressings made with dairy and nut ingredients may contain small amounts of naturally occurring sugars, but they are still free of added sugar, low in carbohydrates and suitable for low-sugar diets.
Instructions
Vinaigrettes
1. Make a basic vinaigrette by combining five parts olive oil, three parts red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. This all-purpose dressing contains no sugar whatsoever. Its simplicity makes it perfect for showcasing special salad ingredients -- such as dried fruit, roasted squash and nuts -- that a heavy dressing would overpower. For best taste, buy high-quality olive oil and vinegar.
2. Embellish upon the basic recipe by adding a spoonful or two of Dijon mustard, which also contains no sugar. Add a clove or two of finely minced garlic, which contains an insignificant amount of naturally occurring sugar -- less than a gram. These additions will add punch and zest, and this dressing perks up plain salads beautifully. It's delicious on avocado salads.
3. Use balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar for great depth of flavor. Compared to wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar tastes subtly sweet, but it still contains very little naturally occurring sugar. A tablespoonful of balsamic vinegar has only about 2.4 g sugar.
Creamy Dressings
4. Make a creamy, zesty dressing using nuts and sesame paste. Isa Chandra Moskowitz's diet-friendly Caesar Chavez Dressing contains cashew nuts and tahini, or ground sesame paste, in place of oil. Lemon juice, miso, Dijon mustard and capers in brine contribute acidity and rich, salty flavors. Blend the ingredients with water to a creamy consistency, and you have a tasty dressing with less than a gram of naturally occurring sugar per 3 tbsp. serving.
5. Mix up an easy tahini dressing by whisking together equal parts lemon juice and tahini with minced garlic and salt to taste. Add water until the dressing reaches the desired consistency and garnish with chopped parsley. Tahini has about 3 g naturally occurring sugar per tbsp., and lemon juice only traces of sugar, so each tbsp. dressing will contain only about 1 g sugar, depending on how much water you add. This dressing is terrific on tomato and cucumber salads and as a dipping sauce alongside Middle Eastern dinners.
6. Make a nearly sugar-free ranch dressing by picking the right ingredients. Homemade ranch dressings usually start with a base of mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk. Choose a sugar-free mayonnaise made from only oil, vinegar, egg and seasonings. Full-fat natural sour cream has 8 g sugar in the form of naturally occurring lactose per cup. A cup of buttermilk contains about 12 g sugar, so each serving of dressing will have a few grams of sugar at most. Season your creamy base with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and fresh dill for a people-pleasing ranch vegetable dip and salad dressing.
Tags: naturally occurring, naturally occurring sugar, occurring sugar, wine vinegar, about sugar, balsamic vinegar, added sugar
