By Cat Wilson
Guest Columnist

When you eat a healthy salad filled with greens, beans and lots of cruciferous vegetables you really don’t want to drown it in a bottle of heavy dressing. Let your dressing enhance your food and let the flavor pop.

What these recipes tell you is that you can use what you have and develop a dressing that suits your taste.

The below are all oil-free (get your oil from the whole food — avocado, olives, etc.)

• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon agave/Maple syrup and 2 tablespoon water.

• 2 tablespoon balsamic/apple cider vinegar, 1-2 teaspoon any fruit preserves and 2 tablespoon water.

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon agave syrup, dash of turmeric, dash of ground ginger , 1 tablespoon chopped fresh scallions (green onion), 2 tablespoon water and light Asian-inspired vinaigrette.

• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, ½ tablespoon agave/maple syrup, dried Italian herbs of choice and 2 tablespoon water.

• 1 tablespoon hummus, 1 tablespoon lemon/lime juice, ½-1 tablespoon agave/maple syrup and 2 tablespoon water.

• 1 tablespoon tahini, 1 tablespoon lemon/lime juice, ½ tablespoon agave/maple syrup, 2 tablespoon water.

• 2-3 tablespoon of your favorite salsa added directly to your salad.

• ¼-½ ripe avocado, massaged into the greens of your salad before adding other vegetables. Top completed salad with a squeeze of lemon.

• 2 tablespoon hummus massaged into the greens of your salad before adding other vegetables. Top completed salad with a squeeze of lemon.

• A generous squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice all over your salad right before serving.

Other flavor filled ingredients to experiment with are:

Flavored wine vinegars

Hearty Mustards

Fresh herbs

Dates or Figs

Nut butters

Cat Wilson lives in South Bend and transitioned from a vegetarian diet to eating a plant-based diet over two years ago. She may be contacted at [email protected].