Food

Fresh Mint Dressing

December 5, 20220

Meet my newest infatuation with salad dressing! As pleasant as they come, this mint dressing. Extra virgin olive oil, plenty of fresh mint, and freshly squeezed lemon juice are used in its preparation. Garlic, honey, and Dijon mustard complete the flavor profile and make it delicious.

Like a traditional vinaigrette, this dressing is light and flavorful with lots of fresh mint. Of course, it tastes great on salads, and I’ve listed several salad components below that pair particularly well with mint dressing.


This “dressing” is actually a fresh sauce with a delicate creaminess. If you like fish, I bet it would go well on an orzo salad, in a pita sandwich, or on grilled fish. I’m interested in hearing how you use it.

One of the local salads I like best has a fresh mint dressing (the chisaya mama at The Mixx, which is made with kale, arugula, quinoa, fennel, radish and Parmesan).

For my fattoush salad recipe, I finally came up with one of my own, but it’s so wonderful that I think it needs its own post.

Overall, homemade salad dressings taste more fresher and better than store-bought ones. This one tastes really fresh because it contains so much mint!

 

Mint Dressing Salad Suggestions

This mint dressing would be lovely with any of the following ingredients:

  • Greens: kale, arugula, romaine, spring greens
  • Berries: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
  • Melon: watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe
  • Peaches
  • Radish
  • Fennel
  • Cucumber
  • Carrots
  • Tomatoes
  • Bell pepper
  • Summer squash
  • Red onion or green onion
  • Fresh herbs: basil, cilantro, chives, dill, parsley
  • Beans: chickpeas, lentils
  • Whole grains: quinoa, farro, wheat berries
  • Cheese: Parmesan, goat cheese, feta

Also read: Creamy Tahini Dressing

INGREDIENTS

  • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
  • ¼ cup packed fresh mint (spearmint) leaves (about half of a ⅔ or ¾-ounce package)
  • 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Taste, and add more salt and/or pepper if necessary. Use as desired!
  2. This dressing will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

NOTES

Recipe inspired by The Mixx in Kansas City, and adapted from dressing recipes in my cookbook, Love Real Food. 

MAKE IT VEGAN: Use maple syrup instead of honey.