This is a salad dressing you can feel good about eating! There’s a lot that can sneak into dressings that make them unhealthy, but the main troublemaker I wanted to avoid in this recipe is vinegar. Vinegar is made from acetic acid, which is very dehydrating—and according to Anthony William, it may even trap toxins in your organs, making them harder to flush out.

The good news is that lemon juice is a great substitute that delivers all the tang of vinegar without the drawbacks. To make it even better, parsley is super alkalizing thanks to its abundance of mineral salts, which help bind to unproductive acids in the body and drive them out. If you’re wondering whether lemons are acidic in a harmful way—don’t worry. Lemons are rich in minerals and calcium and are actually very alkalizing once consumed.

My favorite way to enjoy this dressing is on a simple salad with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. In just five minutes, you can make your own delicious, vinegar-free Italian dressing

Ingredients

Categorized for easy shopping list creation:

PRODUCE
Flatleaf Parsley, stems removed	1/2 cup
Lemons, juiced	1/2 cup ~ 3 lemons
Garlic	2 cloves

DRY GOODS
Olive Oil	1/2 cup

SPICES
Oregano, dried	1 teaspoon
Basil, dried	1 teaspoon
Black Pepper	1 teaspoon
Sea Salt	1 teaspoon

Cooking Tips

I like to add the parsley after everything else has been blended so there are still small pieces throughout the dressing. It’s up to you how finely you want it chopped—blending for 5 to 20 seconds usually works well. I also recommend removing the parsley stems before blending, as this helps keep the dressing from becoming too thick.

The olive oil in this dressing causes it to solidify and separate in the fridge. Just thaw on the counter for 5-10 minutes before using and shake it up.

Final Thoughts

This dressing should stay good for at least 5 days in the fridge. It makes about 1 cup of dressing, so adjust as needed if you don’t want leftovers.