Blood Building Goji Berries: Salad Dressing Recipe

“Salads are beautiful, salads are fine, I like salads, I could eat them all the time…”

In all seriousness though, just like Fred Penner, I have a true obsession. As you may remember from my Omega 3 Rich Salad’s post, I find total satisfaction in hearty salads. I love the textures, creativity and presentation. I also love my leafy greens. A daily salad should be a must for everyone. I love salads so much, sometimes I have them for breakfast.

This month’s Recipe Redux is all about the dressing though. The essential sidekick (and sometimes the make-or-break of a salad), don’t underestimate their capacity to take your greens to the next level. I have a few staple salad dressing recipes, but for the recipe challenge this month, I decided to create a totally new taste sensation. This dressing also aligns with my current health goals of blood building (post running injury).

The inspiration for this recipe comes from goji berries, as they’re quite the nutritional powerhouse. Goji’s are high in carotenoids, lycopene, Vitamin C, zinc, selenium and iron. As you may know, iron helps to oxygenate the blood, preventing symptoms of anemia. Goji’s also contain some poly-unsaturated omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids. I could write a whole post just on these little gems, but as this is a recipe post, I’ll stick to equipping you with the consumable product, and let you notice the benefits (you know, boundless energy, lowered inflammation, heightened immunity, nothing fancy).

Go-Go-Goji Dressing

¼ cup dried Goji berries*

3 tbsp flax oil**

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar***

Ground cloves (to taste)****

Cardamom (to taste)

Blend until pureed and smooth.

*Dried goji berries are quite chewy, it’s best to let them soak in advance of blending. I’d recommend softening them in the flax oil for 20-30 min’s, and then the juices released are retained in the end product.

**Another nutrient powerhouse, flax oil is an amazing (vegan) source of omega 3 essential fatty acids. As flax oil becomes rancid if heated, it’s ideal for salad dressings and adds a beautiful nutty taste. Per 2 tsp it has 5g of Omega 3’s.

***Again, a powerhouse. Sensing a theme yet? Apple cider vinegar is great for gently detoxifying the liver, boosting digestion, and promoting a healthy metabolism (hence it’s popularity in weight loss programs). Always buy an apple cider vinegar that is labeled “from the mother”, this ensures a high quality vinegar, rich in enzymes and healthy bacterial cultures.

****Cloves are rich in the trace mineral manganese, (which helps to activate enzymes in the body), and has anti bacterial properties.

This dressing is bursting with flavor. If you’re adding it to a main meal salad with protein, consider preparing your meat with very little seasoning, or using eggs as I did in my tester salad below.

If you were to substitute your oil for one that is more heat stable (such as rice bran oil or coconut oil), you could also easily use this recipe as a marinade. It would be amazing brushed on a red meat like lamb, or used in risotto. Because of the density of these dishes you could also add more of the cloves and cardamom.

Add to your arsenal of dressings, dips, spreads and marinades with these other inspiring redux’s for September:

Sicilian Relish @ Teaspoon of Spice

Fry Sauce @ Grani Crazy

Versatile & Healthy Jalapeño Ranch Dressing @ Nutrition Budgeteer

Spicy Tahini Dressing @ Don’t White Sugar Coat It

Edamame Hummus @ Peace, Love & Food

Citrus, Sesame & Avocado Dressing @ Eating the Week

Kitchen Garden Salsa Verde @ The Scoop on Nutrition

Sweet Peanut Sauce & Dressing @ Healthful Sense

Ponzu Sauce @ The Professional Palate

Your New Favourite Vinaigrette @ Food Confidence

Creamy Garlic Feta Dressing @ Give Them Something Better