This creamy fresh ginger and turmeric salad dressing is so full of plant medicine, comes together in less than 10 minutes, uses less than 10 easy-to-find ingredients, and is pretty damn delicious. It’s a win-win-win-win on all fronts.
Plus, it doubles as a delicious sauce to drizzle over roasted vegetables or baked potatoes.
I struggled with what to name this salad dressing. The inspiration was golden milk. I thought how can I take all the amazingness that is golden milk, with all its medicine and deliciousness and vibrancy, and give it another purpose?
I’m all about reinventing the use of herbs and spices, dressing them in different clothing, and breaking down the walls that often surround the way in which we view food. Different strokes for different folks, you know?
But let’s face it, golden milk salad dressing sounds kind of gross, doesn’t it? Is it just me? Doesn’t creamy ginger and turmeric salad dressing sound better?
food as medicine
This ginger and turmeric salad dressing gets its creaminess from a base of raw cashews, its alluring flavor from a classic combination of fresh ginger, turmeric, and black pepper, and is sweetened with maple syrup. It’s simple to make and unlike many store-bought salad dressings, this dressing is packed full of healthy ingredients that bring a punch of nutritional and medicinal benefits.
The health benefits of cashews include:
- Cashews are full of healthy fats! About 88% of the fat in cashews is unsaturated and over 60% of those are heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. (In comparison, olive oil, often considered one of the healthiest fats on earth, is comprised of anywhere from 50-80% monounsaturated fatty acids.)
- They’re an incredible source of copper and are also a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, manganese and zinc.
- The specific nutrient and phytochemical makeup of cashews helps to support antioxidant anti-inflammatory actions, energy production, bone and connective tissue health, and much more.
Ginger and turmeric, where do we even start with these two? They are undoubtedly miracles of nature in terms of their health benefits.
For thousands of years, ginger has been used as medicine and is still used today for many of the same ailments. Today, ginger is commonly used in the treatment of arthritis, migraines, colds and flu, nausea, digestive ailments, menstrual cramps, inflammation, and more. Herbalist Kami McBride calls ginger the universal medicine for good reason.
The medicinal actions of ginger include:
- Antioxidant
- Expectorant
- Carminative
- Antimicrobial
- Anti-inflammatory
- Circulatory stimulant
- Anti-nausea (antiemetic)
You can read more about the incredible food and medicine of ginger, here.
And like ginger, turmeric has also been used in medicine for thousands of years. It’s often used to treat many of the same conditions ginger is used for, including arthritis, digestive ailments, colds and flu. However turmeric is also used to help treat eczema, wounds/ulcers, liver problems, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and diabetes.
The medicinal actions of turmeric include:
- Astringent
- Antioxidant
- Carminative
- Pain relieving
- Antispasmodic
- Anti-inflammatory
- Circulation stimulant
- Stimulates the flow of bile from the liver
creamy fresh ginger & turmeric salad dressing
Course: Condiment, Salad Dressing, SauceDifficulty: Easy2
cups10
minutesThis salad dressing was inspired by golden milk and is made with the classic spice combination of ginger, turmeric, and black pepper. It has all the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, plus it’s oil-free and sweetened with maple syrup. The dressing gives a sweet, tart, and ever-so-pleasant slightly spiciness to any salad, but also makes a great sauce to drizzle over roasted vegetables and baked potatoes.
Ingredients
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 6-8 hours or overnight
1 cup water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sweetener of choice)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar or more lemon juice)
~2×2″ chunk of fresh ginger, peeled, rough chopped
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
~6-8 turns of fresh, cracked black pepper (or ~1/2 teaspoon ground)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
Directions
- To a blender (a high-speed blender is preferred for ultra creaminess), add all ingredients, and blend on high speed until uniform and creamy.
- Enjoy over a fresh salad or drizzle over roasted vegetables or baked potatoes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (This dressing may thicken up overtime. Add water little by little to thin to desired consistency.)
Notes
The information given in this article is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns at all, it’s always a good idea to check with your health practitioner before consuming certain herbs & medicinal foods, especially if taking any prescription medications.
