Fat Free Salad Recipes

Before I get to today's post, a quick news update! I found out yesterday that I've sold 150, 000 cookbooks!(I still vividly remember when I hit 100, 000!)

I stared at my screen, mouth wide open, my heart racing... Scott saying What! What is it! and then I finally muttered, Holy Shiitake! 

Today, summer is officially here! What better way to welcome the season than with a big salad?! I love salads year-round, but summer is the time I especially crave fresh salads full of seasonal veggies and fruits. 

High Protein Salad Recipe

Unfortunately, many commercial salad dressings are loaded with oil and fatthat can take your delicious summer salad from super healthy to... not so much.

Luckily, there are so many simple things you can do to make your salads more exciting andyou can make your own super yummy and easy oil- and fat-free dressings.

If you're craving summer salads as much as I am, be sure to check out this week's meal plan! It has three new salads, including this gorgeous Buffalo Chickpea Salad with Low-Fat Ranch. 

Apple And Mustard Salad Dressing (raw, Vegan, Fat Free)

Salsa or hummus = great dressings. You can mix them with water, almond milk, or lemon juice for a runnier consistency. Plus, you have tons of flavor options!

Mix mustard with soy sauce and lemon (Dr. T. Colin Campbell's wife taught me that! Try different ratios for a new flavor).

Substitute silken tofu (or avocado) for oil in old recipes you loved. Just sub silken tofu for mayo and vegan yogurt instead of buttermilk. You can try making your own soy buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of soymilk and let stand until curdled.

Healthy Broccoli Salad (no Mayo!)

Blend cooked white beans into sauces or dressings to replace oil or dairy ingredients. Use the same amount of beans as oil called for in the recipe.

In EHH, there are recipes for 5 oil-free, low-fat dressings: Caesar Dressing (page 128),  Caribbean Dressing (page 279),  Italian Dressing (page 127),  Deity Dressing (page 128), and Balsamic-Dijon Vinaigrette (page 126).

(Editorial Note: I haven't tried all of the dressings listed personally; I found a few online. Just wanted to include as many options as possible!)

Vegan Oil Free Salad Dressings

I've dedicated myself helping folks lose weight on a vegan diet. I been blogging since 2006, written 6 books, and started a business called Meal Mentor.

He’s a 21-year-old Asian bull elephant. On rainy days, Nicholas will take a swim in his lake or lay in the mud.

Happy Herbivore's purpose is to help you lose weight on a vegan diet. We accomplish this in two ways: our Supreme Slimdown gets you started and Meal Mentor helps youkeep going for the long term.This version of sunomono uses more readily available English or slicing cucumbers, but if you live near an Asian market you could substitute Japanese cucumbers. Some recipes call for salting the cucumbers first, but we found that squeezing them in paper towels removed enough excess moisture without adding additional sodium. This Japanese-inspired salad is cool, crisp and simply delicious.

Maple Grove Farms

The smashed parts of these cucumbers absorb the dressing really well, yielding a particularly flavorful salad. Look for ume plum vinegar, made with the brine of pickled plums, with other Japanese condiments at most large supermarkets. Sprinkle it over sautéed greens, steamed rice and more.

In this installment of Diaspora Dining, Jessica B. Harris' series on foods of the African diaspora, fresh summer fruit stars in a salad that's perfect for serving at your Juneteenth barbecue. 

Carrot salads are refreshing, and this one--with cucumbers, red onion and a zesty cilantro-chili vinaigrette--is sure to become a new favorite. It's excellent served with grilled fish.

Plant Based Oil Free Salad Dressing Recipes

Sliced radishes add a peppery kick to this 10-minute slaw, which can serve as both a side and a topping for sandwiches.

For this old-fashioned Southern cucumber and onion salad, thin slices of cucumber and onion marinate just long enough to develop a touch of tanginess without any sharp bite. Serve with sweet dishes like barbecue to lend a refreshing balance.

This refreshing twist on the classic caprese salad replaces tomatoes with sweet, juicy watermelon. Basil and balsamic vinegar push this easy summer salad to the savory side, but if you want some sweeter notes, opt for balsamic glaze. An optional drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil at the end helps marry the flavors.

Fat Free Fruit Salad Recipe

Fresh wedges of tomato, thinly sliced onion and sliced cucumber dressed simply with vinegar and oil makes the most simple salad possible—think of it as the Southern counterpart to the classic Italian tomato-and-mozzarella salad. This cucumber, tomato and onion salad is best enjoyed at the height of summer, when tomatoes and cucumbers are fresh from the garden.

In this installment of Diaspora Dining, Jessica B. Harris' series on foods of the African diaspora, the author and historian offers a summer salad that is simply delicious, but not for the fainthearted. Minced fresh garlic gives this salad, inspired from a visit to Guadeloupe, its special flavor.

Enjoy this sweet, refreshing salad alongside grilled meat or fish to cut through the richness and refresh the palate. If you like a little heat, adding jalapeño will give you the kick you crave. While packs of prechopped pineapple are convenient, they're almost always more expensive. When pineapple is in season, it's best to buy fresh and chop it yourself. Look for a pineapple with a golden-yellow exterior, which is a good indicator of ripeness.

Healthy Honey Mustard Dressing

In this healthy and creamy potato salad recipe, yogurt replaces half of the mayo and we keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium. Red bell pepper and green peas add even more color to the yellow-tinted potato salad.

In this healthy and creamy potato salad recipe, yogurt replaces half of the mayo and we keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium. To hard-boil the eggs while your potatoes are steaming, place them directly on top of the potatoes in the steamer basket. They'll be perfectly hard-boiled when the potatoes are tender.

This low-carb potato salad recipe, ideal for potlucks, is perfect for diabetic meal plans. With just 3 grams of fat, this summer classic makes a great addition to burgers, chicken, and other grilled favorites.

Skinny Classic Potato Salad Recipe

Think of this shrimp-and-crab salad as a lightened-up version of a classic seafood salad. It has crunch from celery plus a hint of Old Bay seasoning. Serve it in a lettuce cup or in a bun, or enjoy it on its own.

This satisfying chickpea salad is a delicious combination of textures, from crunchy cucumbers to crumbly feta. The dill ranch dressing adds creaminess, but a tangy vinaigrette would be just as good.

Cottage cheese topped with crunchy bell pepper and sweet tomato makes for a satisfying afternoon snack or pair it with hearty whole-grain crackers for a light lunch.

Virtually Fat Free Salad Recipe By Andrea

This crisp blend of vegetables is offered as a topping or side at Zooba, the Egyptian street food restaurant in New York City. We made it a stand-alone salad to stuff into pita with taameya (Egyptian falafel--see Associated Recipes) or serve with just about anything else. (Recipe adapted from Zooba Restaurant.)

Frisée and radicchio are both assertive, slightly bitter greens that add color and texture to any salad. Match them with mellower-flavored greens, such as red leaf lettuce, baby spinach or even Boston lettuce.

This Thai-inspired salad makes use of the papayas that grow throughout Hawaii. This version is tossed with tender, sweet pea shoots. Make an extra batch of the vinaigrette to keep on hand in the refrigerator--use it as a marinade for vegetables, a flavorful dressing for fresh melon or as a sauce to splash over grilled fish or chicken.

Healthy Potato Salad {no Mayo!}

This simple green salad is made with romaine lettuce and baby spinach and can be thrown together in minutes to round out any meal.

Inspired by the classic mojito cocktail, this festive and healthy fruit salad gets zing from rum, lime and mint. The optional piment d'Espelette--a sweet, spicy ground pepper from the Basque region of France--adds a hint of heat that's a nice contrast to the sweet fruit. Look for this spice at specialty stores, well-stocked markets or online. You could also swap in chile-lime seasoning blend (such as Tajín) for a similar subtle kick or omit the spice altogether. Feel free to skip the rum if you prefer an alcohol-free salad. With or without the rum, this salad has summertime backyard BBQ written all over it.

This fresh-tasting, 10-minute salad is a simple mixture of fresh baby spinach and dried cranberries. To save time, we use bottled Italian dressing, but with a few extra minutes you can easily switch up the flavor by making your own dressing--just try our All-Purpose Vinaigrette (see associated recipe).

Sweet Mustard Sugar Free Salad Dressing

This refreshing summer salsa combines cooling watermelon and cucumber with the kick from jalapeño. The heat from jalapeños can vary widely. For those that like the heat, use a whole jalapeño. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.

Here we top salad greens with black beans, sweet corn and grape tomatoes and bring it all together with a tangy avocado-lime dressing for a Mexican-inspired salad. Try this salad for a take-along lunch. To keep the salad greens from getting soggy, pack the greens, salad toppings and dressing in separate containers and toss them together just before