With so many herbs thriving in the garden this summer, I'd be remiss if I didn't pull some together to make this Garlic Herb Salad Dressing. Low histamine, paleo-approved, and even keto-friendly, the ingredients in the dressing were each chosen for their antioxidant & antihistamine properties. Plus, it pulls together in less than 10 minutes!
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About this recipe
Quick to make. This low histamine salad dressing whips up in about 5 minutes, including prep time.
Histamine-fighting ingredients. From the herbs to the garlic, this dressing is comprised only of low histamine ingredients with antihistamine properties.
Uses common garden herbs. When you're looking to pack your dishes with nutrient powerhouses, you should turn to herbs, and specifically ones from the lamiaceae family. Basil, thyme, and mint are the most common of those, but almost any herbs in your garden can be used in this recipe; no herbs are directly high in histamine.
Ingredients
This recipe is centered around a set of common herbs you can grow in your kitchen window or find at the grocery store.
Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, & Thyme: these are my herbs of choice for this particular garlic herb dressing, but that's mainly because they're what I already have growing in my garden. If you have other favorites or other herbs on hand, you can choose any bouquet of fresh herbs which tickles your taste buds.
Garlic: all members of the allium family (onion, garlic, scallions, etc.) are rich in the cancer-fighting substance sulforaphane, which is a powerful antioxidant. Raw garlic also adds a delicious umami flavor to dishes, and anti-microbial qualities that help your gut foster helpful bacteria.
Lemon Juice: the kick of acid from the lemon juice really accentuates the complexity of each herb's flavor, without adding too much flavor of its own. Additionally, lemon contains loads of vitamin C, a known mast cell stabilizer, though some people are sensitive to citrus-derived forms of it.
How to make garlic herb dressing: step-by-step instructions
Step 1. Measure the herbs, salt, and garlic, plucking only the leaves of each herb and discarding the stems; then set all those ingredients aside. If your blender or food processor is very weak, you may want to pre-chop all of them as shown below.
Step 2. Emulsify the oil and lemon juice in your food processor. Even if it's a tiny one-cup bowl, you may still need to tilt the machine to the side for the blades to emulsify— it took my little processor about a minute.
Step 3. Now add your whole herbs, garlic, and salt to the emulsification, and blend on high for 30 seconds-2 minutes, until the liquid is mostly uniform (unless you like the bit of herb and garlic). You'll probably need to scrape down the sides of the machine a few times during the blending, to fully incorporate the herbs, and you may want to tilt your blender to aid in the emulsification process.
Step 4. Once done blending, your low histamine salad dressing is ready to be used! You can store the second portion in the fridge for up to 6 hours.
Recipe notes & tips
Switching Herbs. If you don't have one or more of these garden herbs on hand, you can use any mix of herbs that you'd like, but I'd recommend keeping the basil (if tolerated). It makes a good base for blending with other herbs, and it's generally easy to find. Some other herbs to try switching around with are cilantro, spearmint, and parsley, depending on which greens you use in your salad.
Garlic & Other Alliums. Unless you have a sensitivity to sulfites, I highly recommend you include an allium ingredient in this recipe. Some alternatives to fresh garlic include green onions, garlic scapes, scallions, or even ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
Lemon Juice. if you can't tolerate lemon juice, you have a few options for substitutes. One is the same amount of lime juice or yuzu juice. Another is ½ teaspoon amchur powder + 1 Tablespoon water, OR ½ teaspoon sumac + 1 Tablespoon water (though neither of these two will create an emulsification).
What to do with herb salad dressing
- put it on chicken or other meat, and then bake it
- blend it with the green of your choice to make a sauce for chicken or veggies
- on a hashed baked potato
- basted onto meat or veggie skewers
- add life to plain boiled grains or legumes
FAQ About Garlic Herb Dressing
If you're eating low histamine, you can store the dressing in the fridge for an afternoon or in the freezer for up to 6 months (in an air-tight container).
I recommend using silicone ice cube trays to freeze the dressing in portions, so you can easily measure out however many servings you need. Don't forget to let it completely thaw, then reblend.
Yes! I'd actually recommend using this garlic herb dressing on salmon and other fish, in addition to chicken, if you find any sources you tolerate.
Most common herbs form the lamiaceae family go well with garlic. That means basil, rosemary, thyme, mints, and a few hundred others.
Homemade Garlic Herb Dressing Recipe Card
As always, if you like the recipe, I always appreciate a review or comment!
📖 Recipe
Simple Garlic Herb Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 2-4 large basil leaves
- 4 " sprig of thyme
- 2 " sprig of oregano flowers removed
- 1 " sprig of rosemary
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil or other tolerated oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice if tolerated
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Measure the herbs, salt, and garlic, plucking only the leaves of each herb and discarding the stems; then set all that aside.
- Emulsify the oil and lemon juice in your blender. Even if it's a tiny one-cup bowl, you may still need to tilt the machine to the side for the blades to emulsify— it took my little processor about a minute.
- Now add your whole herbs, garlic, and salt to the emulsification, and blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until the liquid is mostly uniform (unless you like the bit of herb and garlic). You'll probably need to scrape down the sides of the machine a few times during the blending, to fully incorporate the herbs. If your blender isn't very strong, you should lightly chop all the herbs and garlic before adding them to the blender.
- Now your sauce is all done! Store it in the fridge for up to one day; serves 2.
Notes
Nutrition
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