TCM Classics –This story about superfood salad dressings originally ran in 2017 but we loved it so much we decided to bring it back.
“Superfooding” your diet doesn’t have to mean tossing out your go-to meals for exotic new dishes. Upping the nutrient density of your everyday meals can be as simple as adding superfood boosters to what you already make.
We’re great at doing this with our daily bevs. Read through just about every smoothie, latte and other wellnessy drink we serve up on the site and you’ll find that they’re packed with adaptogens, herbs and probiotic ingredients that are easy to blend right in to whatever is in our glass. Most of our daily drinks could pass as supplements!
Last week, we sat sat down with the glowy founders of luxe meal delivery program, Sakara Life (watch the full interview here) and were reminded about the superfood-packing potential of another daily essential: salad dressings.
Sakara Life’s sauces and salad dressings are some of our favorite on the planet and are likely what keep their famously body-con clients coming back for more.
Are salad dressings the new smoothies? When it comes to superfood potential, we think they should be! Don’t underestimate the power of a simple raw oil and vinegar blend to serve as the base for all your favorite herbs, ferments and adaptogens.
Here’s how to pack your daily green salad with more superfood potential than you might have previously imagined. Get inspired by our list and pop over to our story today on our magical L.A. dinner with Sakara Life and friends too (more recipes included).
7 Superfood Upgrades For Your Salad Dressing
Adaptogens
These powerful powders are easy to integrate into a dressing. A dash of ashwagandha can leave you with a sense of ease, even during a stressful work day. Maybe add a bit of rhodiola for a brain boost. This pine pollen vinaigrette is one of our faves.
Coconut Water
Add this refreshing liquid the base of your dressing for a blast of hydration, electrolytes and just a touch of all natural sweetness. We love this simple recipe from Food Matters.
Kombucha
We’re obsessed with kombucha for its gut health benefits and refreshing fermented tanginess. Try adding a splash to salad dressing in place of vinegar with this simple recipe.
Probiotics
Try cracking open a capsule into this creamy dressing. The asparagus in the salad and the raw garlic in the dressing are prebiotics — the kind of food probiotics need — so we’re getting a double dose of gut health.
Ferments
A balanced dressing needs a tangy element. Instead of conventional vinegar, try swapping in raw apple cider vinegar or a fermented dollop of creamy miso or umeboshi plum paste.
Medicinal Mushrooms
Healing mushrooms like reishi have been a fave morning coffee add-in of late. Mix this earthy flavor into a rich dressing like this one to get another hit of their magic during lunch or dinner.
Avocado Oil
Switch out your usual oil for nutient-rich avocado oil instead — a Sakara fave! Try it in place of olive oil in this summer-ready avocado orange salad.
