If you love lemons, limes, and oranges as much as I do, then it’s time to pucker up, because this perfectly tart Triple Citrus Dressing is just the thing for you! Comes together in just minutes with a handful of ingredients you might even already have at home. Plus it’s plant based, gluten free, oil free, and free of added sugars!
I personally cannot get enough citrus, so this tangy, light, and refreshing dressing seriously hits the spot. A small amount of raw almonds adds just the right amount of creaminess to really take this dressing home. A clove of garlic can add a punch of zippy flavor but is totally optional.
I love the simplicity of this oil-free vegan salad dressing. No fuss, just pure, simple ingredients. Plus all you have to do is squeeze, and blend or shake, and you’re done. Plus, as simple as this dressing is, it’s different than the norm, and it’s fun to have an alternative salad dressing sometimes!
This raw vegan salad dressing is also great because it’s super light and nutritious, plus gluten free, sugar free…the list goes on. For some reason many people worry that gluten free salad dressing recipes will be bland or boring…but did you know that most dressings are already naturally gluten free?!
This plant based dressing works with a wide variety of salad greens, from kale to chard to romaine to arugula, or even more delicate greens like those in a spring mix. You could also get a slice of crusty whole wheat sourdough bread, slather it with some homemade lemony hummus, top it with some slices of raddish and avocado, and drizzle a little of this dressing over the top…heaven!
Salad Ideas with Triple Citrus Dressing
Romaine, avocado, raddish, red onion, and walnuts
Cucumbers and red or white onion
Tomatoes, red onion, avocado, and chickpeas
Arugula, potatoes, roasted pistachios, and red onion
Quinoa, cilantro, roasted beets, roasted cashews, and green onion
Special Dietary Needs
This oil free vegan salad dressing is suitable for many diets, such as:
Clean eating
Dairy free
Gluten free
Grain free
Oil free
Keto
Kosher
Kosher for Passover (kosher for pesach)
Low fat
Natural
Nutritarian inspired (Fuhrman Eat to Live/ETL)
Oil-free
Paleo
Plant based
Raw
Refined sugar free
Soy free
Unprocessed/minimally processed
Unrefined
Vegan
Vegetarian
WFPB (whole foods plant based)
WFPBNO (whole foods plant based no oil)
Whole 30
See my FAQ and Resources pages for more on the philosophy behind this recipe and whole-foods-plant-based eating. Plus, check out my online shop for all my top picks for everything you could possibly need for your plant-based, naturally minded life!
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Instructions
To start off your oil-free salad dressing recipe, first squeeze all that good juice from your citrus. You can do this into a bowl or into your blender, covered with a sieve to catch any seeds. Really make sure to get every last drop! I often like to get those last bits by twisting a spoon into the flesh, which gives more control than any other citrus juice contraption I’ve used.
Next, blend your plant based salad dressing on high until it is super smooth and creamy. Alternatively, if you are making this an almond butter salad dressing instead of whole almonds, you can put all the ingredients into an air-tight container and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to a minute until it is smooth. There should be no pieces of almond butter floating around when you’re done.
Taste and adjust if needed.
That’s it! Enjoy your oil free salad dressing with your favorite salad greens or crudites.
Frequently Asked Questions
I can’t use almonds. What else can I use?
I have tried this successfully with 1/4 cup walnuts, and with 2 tablespoons tahini (100% sesame seeds with no other ingredients). I have not tried this with cashews but expect it would work very well. Sunflower seeds also often work well in similar recipes, though I haven’t tried it. I tried it with hemp seeds, and it wasn’t my favorite version, as the dressing came out a little earthy for my taste. Let me know in the comments if you try a variation!
If you’re not using any oil, is this dressing a good source of plant based fat?
Absolutely! When making a vegan salad dressing oil free, minimal amounts of fat are definitely still important as they boost brain function and aid in absorption of other nutrients. When these fats are eaten with their entire whole-food source (such as in vegan oil free salad dressings made with blended whole nuts), it does a body good. This oil free dressing for salad has a small amount of fat from raw almonds, which is great for your health, without being overly fattening.
Is this salad dressing sugar free?
This oil free vegan salad dressing is also refined sugar free, yet it does contain naturally occurring sugars from the citrus fruit. Unlike some sugar free salad dressings, this does not contain any artificial sweeteners, nor does it need any. Sugar free salad dressing doesn’t have to be bland or boring. The all natural flavor of this yummy sugar free salad dressing recipe speaks for itself!
Love citrusy salads? Try these:
Grapefruit Romaine Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Lime Juice
Low-Fat Citrusy Kale Salad with Roasted Vegetables
Crunchy Red Cabbage Salad with Lime
Summery Grapefruit Arugula Salad
Sweet, Sour, and Hot Roasted Curried Chickpea Salad
Triple Citrus Salad Dressing
Equipment
- 1 Blender optional if using almond butter instead of whole almonds
- 1 Air-tight container optional if using whole raw almonds instead of almond butter
Ingredients
- 2 lemons about 1/4 cup lemon juice - fresh only - no store-bought juice in the bottle!
- 2 limes about 1/4 cup lime juice - fresh only - no store-bought juice in the bottle!
- 2 medium sized oranges about 1/3-1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup whole raw almonds alternatives: 2 tablespoons raw almond butter, 2 tablespoons tahini (100% sesame seeds with no other ingredients), 1/4 cup raw walnuts, 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 small to medium clove raw garlic optional
Instructions
- Juice all of your citrus fruits over a sieve to catch any seeds. Make sure to get out every last drop. I find this is best accomplished by twisting a spoon into the flesh of the fruit, as you can have more control and get more juice this way than any other method I've tried.
- Blend your juice, almonds, and salt in the blender until completely smooth and homogenous. Alternatively, if using almond butter, you can simply shake vigorously in an air-tight container.
- Serve and enjoy! Lasts in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Nutrition
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Really the best dressing!
Thank you so much! So glad you like it.
I love this dressing! Especially as it is getting warmer outside, I really like this as a refreshing dressing.
So glad you found it! Thank you!
This dressing exactly what I was looking for! Thank you, I’ll be using it for Passover and beyond.
I am so happy you found it! Hope you love it as much as we do!
I had this dressing & it is awesome! Very citrusy but not too much!
So glad to hear that!
This is super bright and flavorful, Really delicious & citrusy. Perfect for spring. Makes you take notice, but not overpowering. This will be one of my new go-to salad dressings!
Thank youso much for the review, and I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I have tried the salad dressing and it is awesome! Very citrusy but not too much.
That’s great to hear! Thank you so much!