Creamy Fresh Herb Salad Dressing Recipe Is Blue Zone & Mediterranean Magic by Donna John
After a trip to a local plant nursery, I realized I bought two small Grosfruchuger fennel plants and not dill. The plants are "non-bulbing" fennel, so you only eat the fronds. I was a bit disappointed until I read that fennel fronds are eaten in the Mediterranean Diet and in Blue Zone regions.
Most of us know about the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. If you're not familiar with the Blue Zones, they are areas with some of the longest-living people on earth – often living to see triple digits. Areas with official Blue Zone status include Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Ogliastra Region, Sardinia; Loma Linda, California; and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. While less stress and active lifestyles may play a big roll, so does the diet of people living in these areas.
Most people in Blue Zone areas eat a lot of whole foods, not processed or with added ingredients like refined sugar. Plants, herbs and spices are a big part of their diets. Herbs have already been found to have many health benefits, such as supporting our immune system and fighting inflammation.
My first recipe using my fennel fronds was this creamy herb salad dressing recipe. (If you don't have fennel fronts, no worries! You can make this dressing without them and use other fresh herbs.) To make this healthy Mediterranean-inspired homemade salad dressing you will need garlic, shallot or red onion, a mixture of fresh herbs, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, Greek yogurt or mayonnaise (yogurt is obviously the healthiest option) and crushed red pepper flakes.
Serve this herb salad dressing over salads, in pasta salad, drizzled over grilled chicken, shrimp or fish, as a dip for fresh vegetables or in my Mediterranean tuna salad (recipe coming soon!).
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Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic
- small shallot of 1/4 of a red onion
- 1 cup fresh herbs (dill, fennel fronds, parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, cilantro, etc.)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
- crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
Helpful Products
- Lemon Juicer
- Cutting Board
- Chef Knife
- Measuring Cups
- Salt and Pepper
- Food Processor
- Mini Food Processor
- Whisk
- Mixing Bowl
- Airtight Containers
- Salad Dressing Cruet
- Salad Spinner
- Kitchen Shears
- Salad Bowl
Recipe Notes
- If you don't have a food processor, finely chop all the ingredients and whisk together in a bowl.
- I used fresh dill, fennel fronds, basil, oregano and parsley. But use your favorite herbs.
- Fresh is best when it comes to lemon juice. Squeeze fresh if you can. In a pinch bottled lemon juice would work.
- I sprinkled in additional crushed red pepper flakes after pulsing.
Here's how to make it:
- Put all the ingredients into a food processor. (If you don't have a food processor, see Recipe Notes.)
- Pulse until everything is chopped and combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour into an airtight container, salad dressing cruet or mason jar.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving
Calories: 72
Total Fat: 4.4g
Saturated Fat: 0.7g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 10mg
Total Carbohydrate: 7.6g
Dietary Fiber: 0.6g
Total Sugars: 0.4g
Protein: 1.8g
Vitamin D: 0mcg
Calcium: 47mg
Iron: 1mg
Potassium: 149mg
Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. This recipe has been analyzed by VeryWellFit. However, any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.
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