The Best Avocado Dressing Recipe For A Healthy Salad (2024)

Published: by Nisha Melvani, RDN · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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5-Minute Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing with heart-healthy, fiber-rich avocados. Oil-free, vegan, and healthy. This dressing tastes incredible. It's made with umami-loaded miso, tangy lemon juice, and fresh herbs.

this RECIPE

Avocados are rich in fiber, carotenoids, monounsaturated fats, and potassium.Avocado consumption has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, especially when included as part of a balanced nutritious diet.

Plus, this dressing is rich in antioxidants from fresh herbs, as well as vitamin C from fresh lemon juice, and is salted with miso, which does not raise blood pressure in the same way salt does.

This oil-free dressing recipe was inspired by my 5-Minute Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing on this site, as well as this Everything Cashew Sauce.

Jump to:
  • 👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients
  • 🥑 Substitutions
  • 🥬 What should I use Avocado Dressing on?
  • 📖 How to Make Avocado Salad Dressing
  • ✔️ Expert Tips
  • 🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs
  • 🍽 Related Recipes
  • 🥗 Pairing
  • 👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

👩🏼‍🌾 Ingredients

The Best Avocado Dressing Recipe For A Healthy Salad (2)
  • Avocado
  • Lemon juice
  • Melow or white miso
  • Ginger
  • Rice vinegar
  • Cilantro or fresh herbs
  • Maple syrup

See the recipe card for quantities.

🥑 Substitutions

  • Avocado - substitute with ¼ cup tahini or avocado oil
  • Cilantro - use parsley or fresh herbs you have on hand
  • Maple syrup - Use two soaked pitted Medjool dates instead. Soak them in boiled water for 15 minutes before blending.

For more healthy vegan salad dressings, visit my Vegan Dressing Recipes page.

🥬 What should I use Avocado Dressing on?

This dressing is very versatile. One of my favorite salads to pair with this dressing is this simple health slaw.

The Best Avocado Dressing Recipe For A Healthy Salad (3)
  • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
  • 6 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 2 large carrots, grated
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro or fresh herbs (optional)
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds

📖 How to Make Avocado Salad Dressing

For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.

The Best Avocado Dressing Recipe For A Healthy Salad (4)

Step 1. If you are making the Chickpea Salad with Avocado Dressing, roast the chickpeas on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Follow my 3-step oven or air fryer recipe for the best Crispy Roasted Chickpeas every time.

The Best Avocado Dressing Recipe For A Healthy Salad (5)

Step 2. Transfer the avocado, rice vinegar, lemon juice, miso, maple syrup, and ginger to the canister of a high-speed blender. Blend on high until smooth, adding more water and maple syrup until the desired taste and consistency. Serve over the desired salad or veggie bowl.

✔️ Expert Tips

  • If you own a high-speed blender, add the ginger to the canister without grating to save time.
  • To make one-half of the recipe, use a small blender.
  • Storage: Refrigerate leftover Avocado Salad Dressing in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 days.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Is oil-free dressing healthier?

According to the most recent research, the incidence of major cardiovascular events was lower among those assigned to a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts than among those assigned to a reduced-fat diet. There was no significant difference between these two groups. However, while olive oil may be a healthy source of fats, it is not as satiating as nuts and seeds which also contain fiber.
Avocados are packed with fiber and heart-healthy fats, making them a perfect oil substitute in dressings.

How do you stop avocado dressing from turning brown?

The lemon juice in this dressing helps to preserve its green color. It does not turn brown.

Why is my avocado dressing bitter?

Depending on the herbs you use, the avocado dressing may have a slightly bitter taste. Avoid bitter greens, or add more maple syrup to balance the flavors.

  • Curry Dressing (Paleo)
  • Best Chipotle Sauce Recipe
  • Everything Cashew Sauce
  • Best Oil-Free Vegan Salad Dressing Recipe

🥗 Pairing

  • Sweet Potato Tofu Bowl Recipe
  • Best-Tasting Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
  • Easy Broccoli Salad With Oil-Free Tahini Dressing

👩🏽‍🍳 Made This Recipe?

Share your high-protein Avocado Salad Dressing creation with me onInstagram. It makes my day to see you recreate my recipes.

I would love it if you would ⭐️ rate this recipe and leave a comment. Thank you in advance.

📖 Recipe

The Best Avocado Dressing Recipe For A Healthy Salad (14)

Avocado Salad Dressing

Nisha Melvani

5-Minute Avocado Salad Dressing with heart-healthy, fiber-rich avocados. Oil-free, vegan, and healthy. This dressing tastes incredible.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Total Time 5 minutes mins

Course Dressing

Cuisine Vegan

Servings 6 servings

Calories 130 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 medium avocados pitted, peeled, and quartered
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 1 medium lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon mellow miso (white miso)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons grated ginger (about 1-inch piece)
  • ½ cup water plus more as needed
  • ½ packed cup fresh herbs cilantro, parsley, or basil

Instructions

  • Transfer the avocado, rice vinegar, lemon juice, miso, maple syrup, and ginger to the canister of a high-speed blender.

  • Blend on high until smooth, adding more water and maple syrup until the desired taste and consistency.

  • Serve over the desired salad or veggie bowl.

Notes

    • If you own a high-speed blender, add the ginger to the canister without grating to save time.
    • To make one-half of the recipe, use a small blender.
    • Storage: Refrigerate leftover Avocado Salad Dressing in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 367mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 111IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Healthy Dressing Recipes

  • Easy Carrot Ginger Dressing
  • Thai Salad Dressing
  • Anti-Inflammatory Salad Dressing
  • Easy Miso Tahini Dressing

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The Best Avocado Dressing Recipe For A Healthy Salad (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest dressing to put on your salad? ›

Try one of these six simple ideas to get you started.
  • Classic lemon and olive oil. This is a very easy dressing that is good with strong-flavoured leaf salads, such as rocket or kale. ...
  • Lime and chilli dressing. ...
  • Simple balsamic vinaigrette. ...
  • Raspberry vinaigrette. ...
  • Creamy cucumber dressing. ...
  • Creamy mint dressing.

Is avocado oil healthy for salads? ›

Therefore, adding avocado oil to a salad, marinade, or other dish may help your body absorb more nutrients. There is good reason to include a healthy fat source like avocado oil when eating vegetables, as it may increase the absorption of carotenoid antioxidants up to 17-fold.

How do you keep avocado dressing from turning brown? ›

Storage: Place it in an airtight container, cover the top of the dressing with a sheet of plastic wrap (to prevent oxidizing and turning brown) and tighten the lid before placing in the fridge.

Why is my avocado dressing bitter? ›

Depending on the herbs you used the avocado dressing may have a slightly bitter taste. You can always balance that with 1-2 teaspoons of sweetener. Also, if using cilantro make sure to only use the leaves as the stems are what impart that more bitter flavor.

What to avoid in salad for weight loss? ›

Crunchy Noodles, Wontons, and Tortilla Strips

“Crunchy noodles are like eating chips,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It. All they add to your salad are calories (around 120 per half cup) and fat (half of those calories, at around 60 grams).

What should you avoid when dressing a salad? ›

Avoid dressings that use refined, damaged oils like soybean, corn, cottonseed, vegetable, or canola oil. Unfortunately, these oils are inflammatory and have lost most of their nutrients in the processing.

Can I eat avocado salad everyday? ›

If you are interested in preventing cognitive decline and improving your brain health, daily avocado consumption may help. According to a 2020 study in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, avocados contain the compound lutein, which crosses the blood-brain barrier and may improve cognitive function.

Which is healthier avocado mayo or olive oil mayo? ›

Canola oil, avocado oil and olive oil mayonnaise are available as “healthier” options. Both are higher in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, but the calories are the same. Additionally, olive oil-based versions tend to combine olive oil with other vegetable oils so that the flavor isn't too overpowering.

Which is better for salad dressing avocado oil or olive oil? ›

As with avocado oil, the more refined the olive oil, the milder the flavor, Pumper adds. This is because refined olive oil has a lower polyphenol content. Refined olive oil works well in salad dressings or in pasta sauces. Bottom line, avocado oil is likely more versatile, Nambudripad says.

Why doesn't store bought guacamole turn brown? ›

It doesn't turn brown because after it's made and put into pans, it gets covered with plastic wrap pressed into it. Oxygen is what causes avocado to turn brown, and the plastic keeps the air out.

Can you eat week old guacamole? ›

From the second you crack open that avocado, it's a race against the clock before it goes brown. But with the right prep, you can make guacamole last in the fridge for three to four days. Planning on storing guacamole in the freezer? It should last for three to four months.

Is it OK to eat day old guacamole? ›

Although brown guacamole isn't the most appealing, it's completely safe to eat (as long as you've stored the guacamole in the refrigerator, and it isn't more than three days old). "While a bit off-putting to look at, brown guacamole is totally safe," confirms Food Network's nutritionist, Dana Angelo White, MS RD ATC.

How to make avocado taste better? ›

The simplest way to enjoy avocados is by sprinkling them with a pinch of salt and pepper. You can also try other seasonings like paprika, cayenne pepper, balsamic vinegar, or lemon juice.

Which part of avocado is bitter? ›

If you cut into the avocado and discover that it's brown on the inside or tastes bitter, it may have gone bad. While eating overripe avocados is safe, you should never eat a rotten avocado. You should avoid anything with streaky flesh, a bad smell, taste, or mold growing on it.

Why does my avocado taste like medicine? ›

As the fruit spoils, it may develop an abnormal taste and odor. If it has a sour taste or smell, it may have bacterial spoilage and should be discarded. A chemical odor and taste may mean it's rancid. This can happen when oxygen or microbes damage or break down the fruit's unsaturated fat.

What is the most unhealthy salad dressing? ›

Caesar dressing. Made up of mayonnaise, cheese, salt and oil (and all too often, anchovies), Caesar tends to be one of the least healthy options out there. Those ingredients cause it to be high in both saturated fats and sodium.

Is it better to eat salad with dressing or no salad at all? ›

adding salad dressing helps you absorb fat-soluble nutrients (A, D, E and K), found in veggies. With salad dressing, it's likely that you'll also stay fuller for longer because fat can also help make you feel satisfied after eating.

Is ranch or Caesar dressing healthier? ›

While ranch dressing is the clear winner, Caesar, buttermilk, elderberry vinaigrette and bleu cheese dressing also appear in the top five. Are you a salad dressing fanatic? Here's everything you need to know about its impact on your health.

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