Thm – S – Low Carb
We have enjoyed the tomato salad dressing at our favorite Italian restaurant for years, but I never came across any that I like better than this Zesty Tomato Vinaigrette! I have added sweetener to give it less of a tang, but when I’m using fresh tomatoes I add the sweetener at the end because fresh tomatoes can really vary according to the variety and degree of ripeness. However you like your Zesty Tomato Vinaigrette I hope this one will be as big a hit at your home as it is at mine!
If you love homemade, restaurant quality, healthy, salad dressings that will help keep you enjoying on plan salads all year around try my Ranch Dressing with low fat, low carb options, Low Carb Chipotle Ranch and Thousand Island Salad Dressing too and find out why Trim Healthy Mama is not your average diet and this is not your average diet food!
I used Trim Healthy Mama’s fantastic sweetener for this recipe. It’s calledGentle Swee. I have also provided an alternative sweetener for your use.
Just a couple of thoughts I’d like to add on this recipe. When I first started making my own salad dressings I was put off by the taste of the first few vinaigrettes. I later discovered that it was because I was using the wrong olive oil. I now EXCLUSIVELY use organic, extra virgin olive oil and if I didn’t use it up so quickly I would definitely keep it in the fridge. Any olive oil will impart a BAD flavor to a dressing if it has gotten rancid and this type is more fragile than the refined oils. Also I’m thinking that due to the wide disparity in canned tomato brands and flavored canned tomato products I am only going to specify fresh tomatoes for this recipe from now on.
Zesty Tomato Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic (or 1/2 tsp. minced)
- 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I prefer the organic type for this but use your favorite for dressings)
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 1 - 3 teaspoons Gentle Sweet or (NSI use 1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp Pyure from Wal-Mart)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon mineral salt
- 1 or 2 pinches of ground cayenne (I use one and it's optional)
Instructions
- Put crushed or minced garlic in a blender and add chopped tomatoes.
- Blend for 30 seconds then turn the blender off and add the remaining ingredients and blend for 10 seconds.
- Put in a quart jar and cap then shake and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to use.
- Shake well before using.
This sounds delish! How long can your dressings be stored in the fridge? Thank you!
It will vary according to ingredients, but all of my dressings contain either natural vinegars or probiotics, so I have found them to keep for at least two weeks in a tightly stored fridge.
I guess there is no way you can leave out the oil… right?
I wouldn’t think so Dee. Sorry.