Oil Free Sauces and Dressing That Will Make You Love Veggies
When following a whole food plant based diet and searching for no-oil recipes that actually taste delicious, look no further than these 3 recipes for no-oil dressings and sauces that you can add to more than just salads and pasta. They can make a boring plate of veggies taste amazing! Find out how easy it is to make each one.
On my whole food plant-based (WFPB), no oil journey I have found that I like simple food the best. I have tried recipes that use many ingredients or take a long time to prepare. Some I like and will make again, but for most meals, I prefer simple fare.
I like my veggies simply steamed or in a bowl with other veggies and legumes and now am going to share with you how I make them taste so good that I reach for more?
Making plant based oil-free dressings and sauces is how.
Oil-Free Salad Dressings and Sauces Can Go On More Than Just Salad or Pasta
When you think of salad dressings and sauces you may think of oil-laden store bought dressings or cream heavy sauces that go over a salad or a plate of pasta.
This is limited thinking. When you no longer put olive oil or butter on your veggies, what is left to put on them that will make them taste good? Oil-free dressings and sauces!
When you begin to add dressings and sauces to your veggies, you may end up like me and begin to crave veggies.
Over the last year I have made many WFPB no-oil dressings and sauces from recipes I found in cookbooks and on blogs.
Many I didn’t like, but I have found 3 that I love and make every week so they are handy in my fridge, especially when 5:00 rolls around and I haven’t planned a meal.
On nights like this, I cut up some veggies, steam them on the stove, in the microwave or Insta Pot and then drizzle one of these dressings or sauces over them. The veggies could be as a side dish or a bowl full of a variety of them as my main course.
Another reason I love these oil-free dressings and sauces is you can use them warm or cold, drizzled on veggies, potatoes and sweet potatoes, a plate of spaghetti squash, corn on the cob, a bowl of beans and so much more. Even warmed up over a salad, they taste terrific.
My 3 Go-To Vegan – WFPB No-Oil Salad Dressings & Tomato Sauce
These 2 dressings and tomato sauce are my go-to. I make them every week.
- Recipe: Dr. Fuhrman’s No-Oil Walnut Dressing Buy It: No-Oil Walnut Dressing
- Recipe: Golden Turmeric Dressing
- Tomato Italiano Sauce – see recipe below
I store each in a Mason jars in my fridge. They last about a week. The dressing recipes make enough to fill a tall Mason jar. The Tomato Italiano Sauce makes enough to fill two, so I usually use Souper Cubes to freeze some of it for another week.
How To Find More No-Oil Dressings & Sauces
When searching online or in cookbooks for no-oil sauce and dressing recipes to try, don’t limit your search to just these recipe categories.
Sometimes another recipe, say for a veggie burger may have a sauce that goes with them. That sauce alone or on a plate of veggies can offer a way to add many flavors and ingredients to your plant based diet. Doing this is how I found my favorite no-oil tomato sauce recipe.
When you start to experiment with the recipes you will find ingredients that you like and dislike at first, then as you eat more plant based foods, you will start to enjoy new flavors. This happened to me with the Golden Turmeric Dressing.
I wasn’t even going to try it since I usually don’t like foods that have turmeric in them. I am so glad I gave it a go. It is so good on salad or over a bowl of beans or rice.
My Favorite WFPB Oil-Free Tomato Sauce
WFPB – No Oil Tomato Italiano Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup onion, red or yellow, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 – 28 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/3 cup Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup capers, drained
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- In an extra large skillet or Dutch oven, over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in a few tablespoons of vegetable broth or water. Turn frequently to lightly brown about 4 – 5 minutes until transparent and tender. Add a tiny bit more broth or water as they cook to lessen sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring a few times.
- After 10 minutes, stir in basil and capers. Let cool for an hour.
- If freezing the sauce: It can be frozen up to 6 months.
Nutrition
WFPB – Oil-Free Sauces and Dressings to Check Out
I am always searching online for new oil-free dressings and sauces to try. Here are two I plan to try this week. The third is a guide that will show you how to make your own oil-free dressings using ingredients you prefer – as there are so many options to choose from.
If you have any questions about my whole food plant-based journey, just let me know in the comments.
