• Dietitian Samar Kullab shared 3 delicious salad dressing recipes with Insider.
  • Vegetables are a staple of any healthy diet and can help protect us from certain diseases.
  • Try adding whipped cottage cheese for calcium and olive oil for healthy fats.

Vegetables are a vital source of nutrients and are central to any healthy diet, so much so that doctors are even prescribing them to both adults and kids to help improve heart health, blood pressure, and more. But just because they are good for us doesn't mean they can't taste good too.

Samar Kullab, a registered dietitian based in Chicago, shared three easy salad dressings with Insider, which will turn a bunch of vegetables into a delicious salad. She previously shared her three favorite high-protein salad recipes.

When deciding what to eat you should be thinking about macronutrients: protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates, Kullab said. When it comes to dressings that could be healthy fats from olive oil or protein from Greek yogurt.

Tahini dressing

Kullab's all-time favorite salad is a Middle Eastern salad that contains lots of finely chopped fresh vegetables including cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers. She likes to pair it with a dressing made from tahini, which is a paste made from sesame seeds and a key ingredient in hummus. It also goes well with roasted vegetables and grilled meats, she said.

"Tahini is super rich in antioxidants, so it's highly nutritious." Anything with a lot of antioxidants helps to decrease the risk of certain diseases, she said.

Kullab adds some high-protein Greek yogurt, which is an excellent source of minerals and heart-healthy fats, and sumac, she said.

To make the dressing, combine the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and whisk vigorously until they are well combined. It should be smooth and creamy in texture, she said.

Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge and remember to give it a good stir before using it again, she said, as the ingredients may separate over time.

Ingredients:

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 tbsp sumac

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/3 cup tahini

  • 1 tbsp plain yogurt

Creamy cottage cheese green dressing

Creamy green salad dressing. Foto: Getty Images

Kullab makes a creamy green cottage cheese dressing to pair with salads, vegetables, wraps, or to use as a dip.

"I love whipping cottage cheese, which is an excellent source of protein and calcium," she said.

To make the dressing, scoop out the flesh of half an avocado, rinse the cilantro and remove any thick stems, and take out the seeds from half a jalapeño pepper if you don't want it to be too spicy.

Place them in a food processor or blender and add the cottage cheese and kosher salt. Start by blending slowly to break down the ingredients and gradually increase the speed until the mixture becomes smooth.

Gradually add the cold water to the mixture and continue blending until the dressing reaches a smooth and creamy consistency. You can adjust the amount of water based on how thick or thin you like your dressing.

Before serving, refrigerate the dressing for around an hour to allow the flavors to meld, she said. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup cottage cheese

  • 1/2 avocado

  • 1/3 cup cilantro

  • 1/2 jalapeño (adjust to taste)

  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

  • 1/4 cup cold water

Zesty salad dressing

You can top any salad with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt, Kullab said. But she combines these with red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and more to make her zesty salad dressing, which she often pairs with a high-protein pasta salad.

To make it, simply whisk all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp oregano

  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper

  • 1/2 tsp salt

Read the original article on Insider