A blog reader recently challenged me to create a nut-free, creamy salad dressing. You know I love a good challenge and I’m always happy when you give me recipe ideas and let me know what you are struggling with. It’s not always easy cranking out an endless supple of recipes, so I always appreciate any inspiration and guidance I can get. I first asked Julie if she has tried my beloved (nut-free) Lemon tahini dressing. The only problem is, she is allergic to sesame seeds as well, so that dressing was not an option.
I was totally stumped for ideas, until I spotted my bag of hulled hemp seeds…
Yes, hemp seeds turn wonderfully creamy when blended. This could just work!
Of course, hulled hemp seeds (also known as hemp hearts) are nutritional powerhouses. Packed with omega 3 fatty acids, many say hemp seeds contain the perfect omega 3-6-9 fatty acid balance for the body, reducing inflammation and giving the skin, hair, and nails a gorgeous glow. They are also high in protein, and a complete protein to boot. This salad dressing has roughly 2.5 grams of protein per tablespoon, so it’s an easy way to boost the protein in your salad without much effort! Who knew salad dressing could be high in protein?
Making this dressing is also a total breeze. Just toss water, hulled hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, sea salt, lemon juice, and garlic into a blender and blend away. Thanks to the creamy, healthy fats that hemp seeds provide, there’s no need for a lick of oil in this dressing. I kept the ingredients very simple, but feel free to experiment with other herbs and seasonings if you want to doctor it up.
PS- You’ll be seeing much more of this Delicata squash. It’s my absolute favourite squash and I’ve been eating it like a crazy person lately.
PPS – I put about 3 times this much salad dressing on after photographing. Salads just don’t photograph very well with lots of dressing, but that’s how I usually eat them! Now you know. :)
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Ultra Creamy Hemp Salad Dressing + Salad Recipe
Yield
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp dressing
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
I kept the flavours in this dressing simple to allow the earthy, distinct flavour of hemp seed to take centre stage. This dressing reminds me of a cross between a mild Caesar dressing and a Ranch dressing, although not quite as strong. Feel free to play around with the ingredients. I'm sure fresh herbs or other seasonings would be nice to experiment with too. The dressing appears quite thin after blending, but rest assured it thickens up quite a bit once chilled in the fridge. I've also included the directions for making this salad too. It was a great combo of flavours! The Delicata squash is not to be left out.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, to taste
for the salad:
- lettuce
- tomato
- shredded carrot
- roasted delicata squash
- petita/pumpkin seeds, for garnish
- hulled hemp seeds, for garnish
Directions
- For the dressing: Add all dressing ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high until smooth. Adjust salt to taste. The dressing will appear thin at first, but it thickens up after being chilled in the fridge.
- For roasting the squash: Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. There is no need to peel the skin off the squash, as it's thin and edible. Slice the stem off the squash and then slice in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard (or clean and roast for the salad). Slice each half into small, 1/2-inch half-moons. Lay flat on baking sheet and drizzle with oil (I love using coconut oil), salt, and pepper. Toss to coat both sides. Roast for around 25-35 minutes, flipping squash half way through baking. Squash should be fork tender and lightly golden when ready.
- To assemble the salad: Add a generous amount of lettuce into a large bowl or platter. Top with squash, shredded carrot, tomato, pepita seeds, hulled hemp seeds, and the dressing.
- Dressing will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for at least a week, probably longer.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
I hope you enjoy this nut-free take on a creamy salad dressing! As always, let me know what you think if you try it out.
Angela, I’ve been prepping this salad for tomorrow. My dressing is good but turned out a tad bitter. Could it be the garlic or the nutritional yeast? It’s also my first time to try out hemp seeds.
Thanks! And I can’t wait to order your book.
Thank you so much for your amazing recipes. You have no idea how you have helped me with a complete dietary change. Your pictures and recipes helped me see and taste that vegan is doable and enjoyable. I cannot eat wheat also and your recipes have been phenomenal. I am so excited to make soups again with this Fall weather starting. Your carrot soup is a staple in our home. Thank you again for all your hard work to make these recipes so yummy.
I do have a question? Your delicata squash salad bowl is beautiful. I am looking for that bowl and cannot find it. Would you be able to tell me where to get that please?
Jo-Anne
Got some mixed greens and delicata in my CSA basket this morning so I made this for diner. I also added some roasted beets. Delicious! I looove delicata.
Best dressing I have ever tasted!! In love! So happy I found this recipe :)
Hi Gwen, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! :) Thanks for letting me know.
I love your website and that you are local to where I live and work! I am allergic to nutritional yeast and it is in a lot of your recipes. Any ideas for a replacement? Thanks :)
First of all, delicata squash is my new FAVORITE!!!!!!!! The flavor is really unbeatable and I love being able to eat the skin. (Added benefit=no getting my knife stuck in The middle of it while trying to cut it, like some other squashes….ahem, spaghetti squash, I’m lookin at you!)
Second of all, this hemp dressing is also my new FAVORITE….creamy and delicious, it’s a nice break from all the tahini based dressings I usually make. Thank you for sharing, as always!!!!:-D
This dressing is AMAZING. I made it yesterday and I’ve been eating it over greens with roasted beets – the creamy garlickiness is soooooo amazing with the sweetness of the beets. Thanks so much for sharing, this has definitely been added to my go-to quick meals!
Hi Angela,
I’m putting together a printable list of oil-free salad dressings. This dressing came recommended by one of my readers. I was wondering if you would be okay with my including just the dressing portion of this recipe on the list, of course with credit to you. Thanks!
Wendy
Just made this for my lunches this week and I must say this is a winner! Love the dressing and the delicate squash is delish.
Hey there! Really loving this website here in the UK!!! Quick question about the dressing – can I also use hemp seed that are still in there shell? I bought them like that and am not sure how to ‘unhull’ them….. Cheers from Scotland :-)
Hey Victoria, I don’t know how to unhull them either and I definitely wouldn’t use them unhulled in this dressing! Might be able to find out how on Google? Good luck
Everything about this was delicious. I included it in my post this morning:
http://www.aluminarium.com/camping/colorado/salida-boondocking/
Hi Angela – this hemp dressing looks amazing and so creamy – it’s definitely on my to-try list:) thank you for the inspiration!
I am in LOVE with your lemon tahini dressing. It is by far (and hands down), my favourite dressing of all time. But a gal does like to switch it up sometimes and this sounds so fun! I’m excited to try it out =)
Tried this recipe this week, ate it for a week and didn’t get sick of it at all! I love the dressing, has a lil tang and so much better than store bought dressing. Amazing salad, delicata squash has become my favorite squash. It is absolutely delicious roasted! =)
I LOVE this dressing! I make a batch and keep it in a jar in the fridge. It is YUMMY!!
I received a delicata squash in my CSA basket this week and decided to give this recipe a try since I had all the ingredients on hand…..boy, was it a winner!! Delicious mix of flavors!! I will definitely make this one over and over again! Thank you!!
I love this dish. Spent the morning roasting my beautiful delicata squash–my first experience with these–and they’re delicious. Made my dressing and put everything away til lunch. Ooooh. What a treat! Love the combo of sweet-ish squash with the lemony-cheesiness (nutritional yeast) of the dressing. Thanks Angela.
I’m having this dressing on my breakfast salad right now and it’s awesome!!!! I love how easy it is to throw together, that makes it even awesomer! Thank you!
Any ideas for some good herbs to add to this? Thanks.
a little bit of fresh dill might play off the flavours nicely?
I made this dressing over the weekend and really like the flavor but it’s very runny. It did not thicken up at all. Any hints on how to make it a bit thicker?
Less water