This creamy pistachio citrus salad dressing is my solution to expensive & sometimes disappointing store-bought salad dressings.
Here are 3 reasons you should do it DIY & blend up a better dressing to top those greens:
Quality of oil. Olive oil is a heart-healthy oil rich in monounsaturated fats that have been found to lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol levels. But, most store-bought salad dressings do not contain the olive oil. Instead, they often contain cheaper, omega-6 based vegetable or soybean oils. Too many omega-6 oils such as soybean and vegetable oil are pro-inflammatory compared to the inflammatory monounsaturated and omega-3 fats (think fatty fish). Plus, we get too many omega-6 fats today’s world of processed foods.
Nutrients, not preservatives. Ever heard, you shouldn’t eat what you can’t pronounce? Ahh, I abhor that statement. Just because you can’t pronounce it, doesn’t mean it’s bad for you…That being said, there are a lot of “extras” in salad dressings that we don’t need. When you make your own dressing, you get to control added sugars, salt, etc. Plus, you can pack in the good stuff!
Cheap & Tastier: Ok, that’s two benefits. But both are true. Very true.
In honor of heart-health month, I included two heart-healthy ingredients in this dressing: olive oil (benefits noted above) and pistachios. Pistachios protect our heart in several ways:
- They’re high in anti-inflammatory antioxidants.
- Studies that have replaced part of the calories in the diet with pistachios showed reductions in total and LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases in HDL (good) cholesterol.
- Moreover, pistachios seem to lower blood pressure more than other nuts.
- They contain plant-based protein which better serves our heart in comparison to animal protein.
To keep this recipe in line with our “short-cut” boundaries, we included Wonderful No Shells Lightly Salted Pistachios to save on shelling time. You can blend this heart-healthy recipe in mere minutes! Do as the spoon says, “Make Good Choices.” And, I’ll add, Drizzle on Good Delicious Choices!
Check out last week’s McDaniel’s Short-Cuts Recipe: Mediterranean Mushroom Risotto
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Creamy Pistachio Citrus Salad Dressing
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. Wonderful No-Shells Lightly Salted Pistachios
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1/4 c. fresh orange juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/8 c. plain Greek yogurt
- 1 T. honey
- 1/8–1/4 c. water (more or less based on desired consistency)
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1 t. freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- In your blender or food processor, blend all ingredients until creamy and smooth.
- If the dressing is too thick, add up to 1/4 c. more water.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 99.3 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.2 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0.8 mg