I love cooking from scratch. My kitchen is filled with foods that either don’t require a food label, or have three or less ingredients. But, there are a few dairy and vegan substitutes that I have a weakness for, and I often combine them to create a simple salad dressing (or dip) for both my husband and I to enjoy. In fact, the only completely “pure” ingredients in this recipe are the pinch of salt and pepper. Hence the name, Cheater’s Creamy Curry Salad Dressing.
But have no fear, this is still a pretty wholesome recipe. I use curry powder (a pre-blend of spices; always handy to have around), milk alternative (a good neutral one like unsweetened rice milk or coconut beverage), dairy-free / soy-free margarine (from Earth Balance), and a surprise favorite (at least to us) Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that both my husband and I would actually prefer a vegan mayo to the “real thing.” Of course, mayonnaise is simply an emulsion of egg and oil (often with some additives thrown in for beautification and shelf-life), so most who only avoid dairy could use regular mayonnaise in the recipe. But for us, this version of Vegenaise is actually the mayo of choice. Note that this particular mayo is not completely soy-free, but Vegenaise does offer a Soy-Free variety.
This cream curry salad dressing is delicious drizzled atop a salad, as a dip for vegetables, or as a dressing for a rice bowl. It adds a nice flavor boost to just about anything and is so easy to whip up.
Special Diet Notes: Creamy Curry Salad Dressing
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and vegetarian. Optionally soy-free and vegan.
- ¼ cup regular or vegan mayonnaise (I used Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise)
- 2 teaspoons dairy-free margarine (I used Soy-Free Earth Balance)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened milk alternative* (omit for dip)
- Pinch salt
- Pepper (optional)
- Place the mayo in a small bowl. Or, if you are using up the rest of your mayo, simply make the dressing right in it (works great for storage too!) …
- Melt the margarine in a small pan. Add the curry powder, and bubble gently for a minute or two over low heat to eliminate any bitterness from the curry powder.
- Whisk in the milk alternative, and add the mixture to the mayo.
- Whisk in a pinch or two of salt, and pepper to taste if desired.
- It will thicken slightly once chilled, but feel free to increase or decrease the amount of milk alternative for your desired consistency.
- Note: If you like a little more zip to your dressing, feel free to squeeze in a little lemon to taste.
