This recipe is for Crystal, who specifically requested a low-calorie salad dressing in a comment on my vacuum-pack giveaway last week. Like her, I also can get in a rut with salad dressing since I eat a jar of salad almost every day.
But making a low-calorie salad dressing more imaginative than a little bit of oil and vinegar/lemon juice is not all that easy.
Most published recipes for homemade dressing are HIGH in calories because they contain lots of oil. YIKES! While some types of oil are healthy in moderation, it’s easy to go overboard. (Speaking for myself here.)
Then I thought about nonfat Greek yogurt. It’s creamy. It’s low-calorie. It’s not as tart as regular yogurt . And I keep it in my refrigerator at all times. (I make my own but it’s certainly not necessary.)
This recipe for Creamy Yogurt Balsamic Dressing (yes, I know, I misspelled the label in the picture above) substitutes nonfat Greek yogurt for some of the oil which makes the calorie count more reasonable. My personal standard is 80 calories or below per serving. Incidentally, a serving is usually 2 tablespoons but always check if you are watching your calorie intake.
Sweet and sour is a good description for the honey/balsamic combination with subtle flavor notes from the soy sauce and Dijon mustard. Yogurt smooths out the flavors. It’s excellent with any kind of lettuce/fruit and/or nut combination. I love it with chicken and sliced oranges, or dried cranberries and almonds or dried blueberries and toasted pecans.
Low Calorie Creamy Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons nonfat Greek yogurt (may substitute regular nonfat yogurt but finished product will be a little different)
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil.
Mix well. Store in refrigerator.
Makes 3/4 cup.
Nutritional Analysis per 2-tablespoon serving:
62 calories, 4 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, no cholesterol, 192 milligrams sodium, 6 grams carbohydrates.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Your Creamy Balsamic Dressing sounds great, I have it on my “to try” list. Another option and one with NO prep time required, is to dress a salad with Nakano Seasoned Red Wine Vinegar. No oil is needed as it is delicious as it is, and 1 T contains only 20 calories. Nakano also makes Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar as well as a Balsamic Blend. All of their products that I have tried are quite good.
Um… this looks GOOD! And lo-cal…. that photo is stunning! Would I be kicked out of a Salad Club if I admitted I use those Spritzers (when they’re on sale)? And that I make my own spritzer with dijon mustard and water – shake, spritz and enjoy? It’s a mustardy spritzy kind of thing.
Great post!
This sounds really good….thanks Paula!
sounds like a yummy healthy dressing, romaine! Definitely a good thing to include to live up to your “salad-in-a-jar” name, romaine! Keep these condiments coming!
We are salad eater and this is the perfect cross between creamy and vinaigrette.
Mimi
Stealing this one, thank you!
This sounds great! I always take salad to work for lunch and it can get boring to keep eating the same dressing.
I also make my own yogurt, and use it all the time for dips and dressings—gotta love those probiotics! I used this dressing for a basic salad topped with spicy candied almonds, and my whole family loved it, even the toddler who has had zero interest in salads up until now. Thanks for the recipe!