Oil-free salad dressing (salad sauce) with walnuts

Oil-free salad dressing with walnuts and orange juice tastes fresh and fruity. It has a good ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.

Serving size: The stated amount makes approximately 200 ml of salad dressing. This is enough for a large salad for 6 people.

Walnuts: In Central Europe, the common walnut ( Juglans regia) is particularly important. Of all known nuts, the walnut has the highest proportion of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 1:4, which is below the target maximum value of 1:5. The walnut also scores highly in terms of health thanks to tocopherols (forms of vitamin E) and many macro and trace elements.

Orange juice: Oranges, also known as tangerines, are the most widely grown citrus fruit in the world and one of the best-known sources of vitamin C. Orange juice extracted from the fruit by pressing accounts for up to 50% of the total consumption of all fruit juices.

Lemon juice: Raw lemon juice is often used when a drink or dish needs a sour, fresh taste. Thanks to its antioxidants, it also works against discoloration caused by oxygen. The pulp contains around 3.5-8% citric acid and a lot of vitamin C.

Ginger: Ginger has an aromatic smell and a sharp and spicy taste, which is primarily due to the ingredient gingerol, which is said to have anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects. The substances borneol and cineol give ginger its digestive, stomach-strengthening, antiemetic (against nausea and vomiting), appetite-stimulating and circulation-stimulating properties. The rhizome of ginger is used in cooking and is used in fresh, dried or ground form. Green or young ginger refers to the young rhizomes, which have a milder taste.

LA:ALA ratio: With an LA:ALA ratio of 4.2:1, walnuts have the highest omega-3 content of all known nuts. Just 25 grams of walnuts cover your daily requirement of this fatty acid.
You can find further information on this topic at the following link: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors.

Reduce salt: Try to keep the salt content as low as possible. Although it takes around 3 months to get used to a lower salt content, you will also benefit from this change in terms of taste. You can find more information on this topic in the book Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss, which we describe in detail.

Spicy version: If you like it spicy, you can add chili - this harmonizes well with the fruity sweetness of the oranges.

Other sources of Omega-3: You can also replace walnuts with ground flaxseed (about 6 tablespoons, ground in a coffee grinder). This improves the LA:ALA ratio even further, but means that the dressing will thicken more quickly when left to stand. It also lacks the pleasant nutty taste.

Balsamic vinegar: Alternatively, you can replace most of the orange juice with balsamic vinegar. See the recipe: Oil-free vinaigrette (salad dressing) with walnuts.