“How can a salad be unhealthy?” Sally Fallon Morell asks in her discussion about fats. The answer is that it can be unhealthy when it is topped with a salad dressing made with processed and rancid polyunsaturated vegetable oils like soybean oil or canola oil. These two oils which make up most commercial salad dressings are particularly dangerous because they are also genetically modified if they are not organic.
It is so easy to make your own salad dressing — it is a no brainer. Just purchase the best oils and vinegar to make up the ingredients, shake and voila! You have a healthy dressing for you salad that will not be detrimental to your health.
This recipe calls for walnut oil which is high in omega 3 fatty acids. While unrefined walnut oil is best, it is very expensive and very delicate. In this case the refined walnut oil is acceptable.
Alternatively you could use organic extra virgin olive oil.
To be sure the balsamic vinegar is “legal” on SCD and GAPS just make sure it is aged at least ten years. It will say so on the label. It is more expensive, but so worth it. It is very smooth like a fine wine!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces refined (or unrefined) walnut oil (where to buy walnut oil)
- 6 ounces olive oil (where to buy)
- 2 – 4 ounces balsamic vinegar (aged at least 10 years) (where to buy)
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Use an old salad dressing bottle or other appropriate bottle
- Measure out 8 ounces of the oil
- Measure out 2 ounces of the balsamic vinegar (it is roughly a 4:1 ratio, oil to vinegar)
- Add the dijon mustard
- Add the salt and pepper
- Cap the bottle and shake
Variations
- Use only organic extra virgin olive oil (where to buy high quality extra virgin olive oil)
- Add other spices to your taste