This dressing or dip is around 300 calories and 16 grams of fat for almost a whole quart! I can be used as a dip for veggies, over a salad or zoodles. It is loaded with fiber and has no added salt. If you are the type of person who loves your salad swimming in dressing- this is the dressing for you. It is also customizable. You can add basil, a bit of jalapeno, cumin, paprika or cilantro to this dressing. I kept it simple in the recipe. It is creamy but not creamy like ranch dressing. It is not nut based though it has some tahini in it. The base of the dressing is celery, which is why no added salt is needed.
Celery is loaded with with health benefits, some of which are: keeps the body hydrated, improves digestion, reduces inflammation, lowers high blood pressure and has an alkalizing effect on the body.
Ingredients:
2.5 cups of chopped celery
1.5 lemons (peel cut off)
2 tbsp raw tahini (or regular tahini if you are not raw vegan)
3 large Medjool dates
2 tsp or more of minced garlic
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp or more of dried dill
water to blend
Cumin
Put all ingredients except for dill and cumin into the blender with 1 cup of water. I would start out with 2 tsp of minced garlic- and then you can add more if you would like. Blend until smooth, add more water if needed.
To keep the dressing white stir the dill into the dressing after blending. You can sprinkle the top of the dressing with a dusting of cumin powder (this is especially nice if you are using the dressing as a dip).
This will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. It will separate, just wisk it before serving.
You will get almost 1 qt from this recipe and the whole thing is 16 grams of fat and roughly 300 calories. You could pour yourself 1 cup of dressing and load up your plate with veggies for less than a couple of hundred calories.
Recipe by Raw Chef Debra Garner
To learn more about the raw food/plant based diet and Debra’s services please visit her website. She offers a 6 week raw vegan/plant based coaching program as well as ready made raw vegan creations.