My Favorite Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing
If you’re looking for a fresh, tangy, and oh-so-flavorful salad dressing that’s quick and easy to whip up, look no further! This lemon garlic dressing is my go-to for adding a burst of flavor to all kinds of salads. It’s simple, healthy, and made with ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
The Ingredients You Need:
Lemon: Packed with vitamin C, lemons help support the immune system and provides antioxidants that can aid in detoxification and has its own cancer preventative compounds like limonene.
Garlic: Known for its immune-boosting properties, garlic is also great for heart health. It also contains allicin, which has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects as well as cancer fighting benefits.
Olive Oil: Rich in monounsaturated fats, olive oil is excellent for heart health. It also contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, which can benefit overall health and well-being.
Salt and Pepper
Why I Love This Dressing:
This dressing has such a light, refreshing taste that I just can’t get enough of! But not only does this lemon garlic dressing taste amazing, but the synergy between garlic and lemon, when combined, is believed to enhance their individual anticancer properties. Research suggests that combining these two ingredients boosts their effectiveness, as the acidic environment of lemon may amplify the production of organosulfur compounds in the garlic. Studies have shown that the combination of these two can lead to significant tumor shrinkage and, in some cases, the complete disappearance of tumors in mice, highlighting the potential of this natural remedy in cancer prevention and treatment.
Another benefit is that it lasts well for a few days when kept in the fridge making it easy to throw together on a quick salad. I love making a batch of this dressing each week to use whenever I need it.
This dressing is incredibly versatile and pairs wonderfully with leafy greens like spinach, arugula, or romaine. You can also drizzle it over roasted vegetables or use it as a marinade for tofu or tempeh.
How To Make The Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing
This dressing will take you about 15 minutes to make…not because it has a lot of ingredients, or is difficult to make, but only because you want to wait for 15 minutes for the allicin to release from the crushed garlic before combining the rest of the ingredients. So start with crushing your garlic, then it’s as simple as whisking everything together afterwards.
Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing
This dressing is incredibly versatile and pairs wonderfully with leafy greens like spinach, arugula, or romaine. You can also drizzle it over roasted vegetables or use it as a marinade for tofu or tempeh. The bright, zesty flavor is sure to elevate any dish!
Ingredients
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 3/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Start by crushing the garlic with a garlic press, or mince them finely with a knife, and let it sit for about 15 minutes to release the allicin (the beneficial cancer fighting properties).
- Juice the lemon into a bowl, ensuring there are no seeds.
- Add the garlic to the lemon juice after 15 minutes.
- Stir in the salt and pepper to taste.
- Gradually whisk in the olive oil until everything is well combined.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed – sometimes I add a touch more lemon or a pinch of extra salt depending on how tangy or salty I’m in the mood for!
Give this simple yet delicious dressing a try the next time you’re in need of a fresh, flavorful salad dressing. You’ll be amazed at how something so simple can brighten a salad and make such a difference not only in taste but also your health!
To your health and happiness!
Resources:
Chris Wark from Chris Beat Cancer has a great article with information on making a lemon-garlic extract and its effects on cancer. I think you could easily use the extract as a salad dressing as well.
Allicin (from garlic) induces caspase-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells
Pandey P, Khan F, Alshammari N, Saeed A, Aqil F, Saeed M. Updates on the anticancer potential of garlic organosulfur compounds and their nanoformulations: Plant therapeutics in cancer management. Front Pharmacol. 2023 Mar 20;14:1154034. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1154034. PMID: 37021043; PMCID: PMC10067574.
Talib WH. Consumption of garlic and lemon aqueous extracts combination reduces tumor burden by angiogenesis inhibition, apoptosis induction, and immune system modulation. Nutrition. 2017 Nov-Dec;43-44:89-97. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2017.06.015. Epub 2017 Jul 6. PMID: 28935151.
