Inspired by flavors from the Mediterranean, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, these salad dressings are rich in anti-inflammatory ingredients and bursting with the unique flavor of each region.
They are not only helping me genuinely enjoy my veggies, but also increasing my consumption of antioxidant ingredients in their most natural form.
I’ve been managing inflammatory skin conditions (psoriasis) and psoriatic arthritis. Adding anti-inflammatory foods to my meals and focusing on whole ingredients has shown positive results for my body—especially during flare-ups.
Since my condition disagrees with processed condiments, I keep these anti-inflammatory salad dressings in regular rotation every time I do meal prep.
If you are looking for a clean salad dressing that is both flavorful, wholesome, and packed with plant polyphenols, I hope you find at least one that you’ll keep coming back to.
Table of Contents
- 1) Mediterranean Diet Salad Dressing
- 2) Japanese Carrot and Ginger Salad Dressing
- 3) Creamy Mango Salad Dressing – Tropical
- 4) Persian Sumac Sauce Salad Dressing
1) Mediterranean Diet Salad Dressing
🌿 RECIPE HIGHLIGHT
A classic Mediterranean vinaigrette, with extra virgin olive oil as the base liquid, infused with herbs packed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.
This vinaigrette is my go-to for a quick dressing, using the simplest pantry staples ever. There’s no need for a blender, just a clean jar to shake them.
If you like a tangy salad dressing with zero sugar, rich in polyphenols, and enjoy Mediterranean flavor, this might be for you.
Having an Asian palate, sometimes I find myself missing a touch of sweetness. I balance that by adding sliced or chopped fruits to the salad. They add flavor, balance, and a nice dose of fiber to the salad.
The Mediterranean diet is known for its nourishing qualities. Mainly due to the generous use of olive oil, herbs, and spices loaded with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds.
This salad dressing contains all the Mediterranean goodness in one jar. A perfect choice if you’re easing into a Mediterranean diet!
2) Japanese Carrot and Ginger Salad Dressing
There’s always something to learn from one of the world’s famous Blue Zones, Japan, home to Okinawa, where meals center around plant-based vegetables and soy products. The use of fresh vegetables and naturally sourced seasonings, packed with beneficial compounds.
🥕 RECIPE HIGHLIGHT
This salad dressing features a fibrous root vegetable rich in beta-carotene as the main ingredient — Carrot. Blended together with famous anti-inflammatory spices (ginger and garlic) into a thick, hearty sauce.
Mildly sweetened with antioxidant-rich natural sweetener, this vegetable-based salad dressing is perfect for anyone who wants a flavor-packed sauce without missing out on the wholesomeness.
To me, this salad dressing is a comfort salad dressing that hits home. Naturally sweet, with a hint of umami and sesame flavor. It’s all the flavors I grew up with.
But most importantly, it’s the salad dressing I reach for when I try to incorporate bitter vegetables, like bitter gourd, radicchio, or kale. It makes them more enjoyable!
If you like adding tofu to your salad, I can’t think of a better salad dressing to flavor them up than this ginger carrot salad dressing.
3) Creamy Mango Salad Dressing – Tropical
This fruit-based creamy salad dressing is one of those wholesome, irresistible choices that bring your salad to the next level. It’s the kind of sauce you’ll want to dip your finger in and enjoy all on its own when no one is looking.
It’s full-bodied, bursting with flavor, and seasoned with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich ingredients. Plus a little kick from the capsaicin!
🥭 RECIPE HIGHLIGHT
This mango salad dressing features ripe, sweet mango as the main ingredient. Spiced with ginger, garlic, pepper, key lime, and coriander. A truly tropical taste I can’t get enough of, especially coming from a tropical country myself.
The ingredients may be a little more than the rest, but each adds flavor and healing goodness. I like it with taco salad, or use it in a vegetable slaw!
When mango is in season, why not save some to make this dressing? It’s sweet, tangy, spicy, creamy, all in between.
4) Persian Sumac Sauce Salad Dressing
Light, refreshing, and rustic, this sumac salad dressing combines Mediterranean/Middle Eastern spice, refreshing herbs, and citrusy fruits. It’s the salad dressing rich in vitamin C, a well-known antioxidant prized for its immune-boosting benefits.
🥄 RECIPE HIGHLIGHT
If you’ve ever tried the classic Shirazi salad — a mix of cucumber, tomato, dill, and sometimes a sprinkle of sumac — this dressing might feel familiar. It’s inspired by that! Thanks to my Persian mom-in-law for this Shirazi Salad recipe I learned from her kitchen.
You don’t have to limit it to just cucumber and tomato, this dressing works with almost any salad. On lazy days, I’ll simply massage a tbsp or two into a crispy mix of romaine and purple cabbage. With some pickled onion on top, it’s as wholesome and flavorful as a salad from a five-star Middle Eastern restaurant!
The preparation is straightforward and traditional. No blender needed, all you need is a bit of squeezing and shaking to mix.
🥣 Did you try any of the salad dressing recipes above? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
