How to replace mayonnaise in salad: 30 ideas and recipes for delicious dressings and sauces

In the kitchens of many housewives there is a cult of mayonnaise. This store-bought sauce ends up in salad, meat, gravy, or even mashed potatoes. Because of this, dishes become very high in calories and have a monotonous taste. What if you don’t have mayonnaise on hand? Or do you prefer healthier dressings? How to replace mayonnaise in a salad so as not to spoil the taste? We will answer these and other questions in more detail.

• Composition of store-bought mayonnaise
• How to make mayonnaise less harmful
• How to replace mayonnaise in the salad “Herring under a fur coat”
• Crab salad
• Salad with squid
• "Olivie"
• Meat salad
• Fish salad
• Beetroot salad
• Greek salad
• "Caesar"
• "Mimosa"

Composition of store-bought mayonnaise

There is an opinion that mayonnaise contains dangerous preservatives, flavors and artificial flavors. The cheaper the sauce, the more harmful the substances in its composition. The basis is modified cheap products. To reduce the cost of the finished product, the manufacturer uses chemicals instead of natural ones. So what's the benefit? Plus, store-bought mayonnaise is very fatty. Per 100 g there are about 613-630 kcal. Low-calorie mayonnaise has a calorie content of 260 kcal.

Let's compare the calorie content of various simple salad dressings with store-bought mayonnaise according to the table.

What's wrong with the additions of store-bought mayonnaise:

1. Unnatural flavoring and aromatic ingredients cause addiction to this product. Flavor enhancers stimulate appetite. Addiction is especially strong in children and adolescents.
2. High fat content. Store-bought mayonnaise seems unusually tasty. But don't be fooled by labels that say "Lean" or "Low Calorie." Any mayonnaise has an identical composition. Only flavors and chemical additives change. Such fats in the human body cause a jump in “bad” cholesterol and sugar. This is especially harmful for diabetics. After consuming store-bought mayonnaise, the digestive system, liver, and kidneys are overloaded.
3. Preservatives. Chemical preservatives are the number one enemy of the pancreas. They cause disruption in the functioning of the entire body.
4. Fats cause problems with blood vessels and the heart. As a result, a person gets atherosclerotic plaques, brain diseases, strokes, and heart attacks at an early age.

How to get out of the captivity of store-bought mayonnaise? Try replacing it with natural products and spices. The mayonnaise from the package is not only not natural. It gives all dishes the same taste and aroma. Whatever you cook, it will taste and smell the same with store-bought mayonnaise.

Greek yogurt.

While Greek yogurt is a breakfast favorite, it is also a great substitute for mayonnaise in many other recipes.

Greek yogurt is not only rich in protein, but is also an excellent source of micronutrients including phosphorus, vitamin A, calcium and zinc.

A 7-ounce (200-gram) serving of plain low-fat Greek yogurt contains:

• Calories: 146
• Protein: 20 grams
• Thick: 4 grams
• Carbohydrates: 8 grams
• Phosphorus: 22% DV.
• Vitamin A: 20% daily value.
• Calcium: 18% DV
• Zinc: 11% DV

Greek yogurt can add a thick, creamy texture to recipes like egg salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad.

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You can also use it in place of mayonnaise to enhance the nutritional value and flavor of your favorite homemade salad dressing recipes.

How to make mayonnaise less harmful

Don't want to give up mayonnaise completely? Try to make it less harmful. Here are the options:

1. Use mayonnaise in combination with sour cream or classic yogurt in a ratio of 1:1 or 0.5:1. Harmful properties will not be eliminated, but the process of side effects will be reduced.
2. Add vegetable purees to mayonnaise. For example, avocado puree, sweet bell pepper. Or chopped greens. This will increase the vitamin composition of the sauce.

How to choose a quality sauce in the store:

1. Read the ingredients carefully. A more or less natural sauce will contain ingredients that everyone understands. Like egg, yolk, oil, vinegar. No confusing chemical names.
2. No flavorings, thickeners, or flavor enhancers.
3. Best before date. Pay attention not only to the end date, but also to the production date. Sauce that can be stored for 6-7 months is not worth using. The shelf life of a normal product is 60-90 days.
4. Testing at home. Add mayonnaise to a hot frying pan. A quality product will melt. When heated, the chemical product forms foam and burns to the pan.

Hummus

With its smooth texture and rich flavor, hummus is a versatile ingredient that can be substituted for mayonnaise in a variety of dishes.

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It is also very nutritious and rich in fiber, protein and several micronutrients.

Two tablespoons (60 grams) of plain hummus contains:

• Calories: 156
• Protein: 5 grams
• Thick: 11 grams
• Carbohydrates: 12 grams
• Fiber: 3.5 g
• Copper: 34% DV
• Folic Acid: 17% Daily Value
• Thiamine: 15% DV
• Phosphorus: 11% DV
• Iron: 11% Daily Value.
• Zinc: 10% DV
• Selenium: 10% DV

While hummus may not be a suitable substitute for all recipes containing mayonnaise, it can work well in wraps and sandwiches.

You can also try adding it to pasta or tuna salad to boost the overall amount of protein and fiber and give your dishes a thick, creamy texture.

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How to replace mayonnaise in salad

We suggest reconsidering your diet and replacing mayonnaise in salad with more natural ingredients.

"Herring under a Fur Coat"

Ingredients:

• natural classic yogurt – 150 g;
• table mustard - 1 tbsp. l.;
• white wine vinegar – 20 ml;
• olive oil – 40 ml;
• garlic clove – 1 pc.;
• sugar – 1 tbsp. l.;
• ground black pepper, salt.

Recipe. Peel the garlic. Press through a press. Mix with the remaining ingredients until the structure is homogeneous. Use for dressing the Herring under a Fur Coat salad.

In addition to yogurt dressing, it is easy to make sour cream. The recipe is the same. Just replace the yogurt with sour cream. Instead of white wine vinegar, it is permissible to use apple cider vinegar. All other ingredients remain unchanged.

Another good option for herring under a fur coat and other puff salads:

1. Lightly beat 200 g of sour cream (20% fat) with a tablespoon of mustard.
2. Add ground boiled yolks from two chicken eggs.
3. Stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Crab salad

Crab salad, beloved by many residents of our country, is prepared not only with mayonnaise. We suggest using a healthy yogurt dressing with fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

• classic yogurt without additives – 150 ml;
• apple cider vinegar – 30 ml;
• vegetable broth – 60 ml;
• olive oil – 20 ml;
• table mustard – 10 g;
• spicy greens (arugula, spinach, parsley or dill) - a large bunch.

Recipe. Rinse and dry the greens thoroughly. Chop finely with a knife. Leave it aside for now. Separately, mix vinegar with broth, oil, mustard, and yogurt. Mix the mixture with herbs. Beat slightly with a whisk or fork.

Salad with squid

The best sauce for salad with squid is tartar. It is also suitable for salads with other seafood. Classic tartare is a little tricky to prepare. And making something like the famous sauce is as easy as shelling pears:

1. Place 150 ml of sour cream or mayonnaise into a bowl.
2. Add finely chopped pickled cucumber and a bunch of parsley.
3. Add 2 boiled egg yolks.
4. Pour in a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice.
5. Stir until smooth.

"Olivie"

In Olivier, use the simplest dressing. Since there are so many ingredients in this salad, the minimalism of the sauce will highlight the taste of the dish. Mix sour cream (any fat content) with lemon juice and chopped parsley. There you go.

Meat salad

It’s delicious to add a little eggplant dressing to a meat salad. This thick vegetable sauce is ideal for simple meat salads. Eggplants go well with boiled beef, chicken, and pork.

Ingredients:

• small eggplants – 2 pcs.;
• apple cider vinegar – 30 ml;
• olive oil – 20 ml;
• table mustard – 5 g;
• parsley - a bunch;
• vegetable broth – 120 ml.

Recipe:

1. Wash the eggplants. Prick in several places with a fork. Bake in the oven at 200℃ for 25 minutes.
2. Cool the vegetables. Peel off the skin. Place the pulp in a blender chopper.
3. Add mustard, oil, broth, vinegar, parsley leaves.
4. Using several movements, beat the mixture into a single homogeneous mixture.

Fish salad

Very tasty fish salads are prepared with citrus juice dressing. Take fresh fruit juice. Do you have a canned fish salad? It makes sense to use marinade from a can. Mix the marinade with lemon, orange or grapefruit juice. Plus a clove of garlic pressed through a press. Everything is mixed and the sauce is ready.

Often the basis of sauces for fish salad is fruit. Orange, kiwi, apple, grapefruit. Not juice, but pulp. Fruit puree is mixed with olive oil and chopped herbs. It turns out extremely tasty. Please note that there is no harmful vinegar or mayonnaise in the preparation.

Canned fish salads are seasoned with a sauce based on marinade from a jar. Drain the fish juice into a container, add a few cloves of garlic and lemon juice. Stir and season the salad.

Another sauce option is French “Aioli”. Follow the link and see a detailed description of the preparation. There are several different options for how to make aioli quickly.

Beetroot salad

Classic beet salads are seasoned with vegetable oil or sour cream. There is an option to use a mixture of vegetable oil and table mustard. Another suggestion is a dressing with soy sauce and honey. It's just a delight!

Ingredients:

• liquid honey – 2 tbsp. l.;
• soy sauce – 2 tbsp. l.;
• ground paprika – 1 tsp;
• tomato paste – 2 tbsp. l.;
• garlic cloves – 3 pcs.

Recipe:

1. Peel the garlic. Press down with a table knife onto a cutting board. Finely chop and chop.
2. Warm the liquid honey a little in a water bath. Do not bring to a boil.
3. Mix honey with tomato paste, garlic, paprika. Add soy sauce. Stir. Use the prepared dressing for beet salad and vinaigrettes. Or as a marinade for chicken.

Greek salad

We have already written about Greek salad dressing in another article. According to the recipe, the dressing is prepared on the basis of vegetable oil with Dijon mustard and special herbs. Follow the link for recipe details.

"Caesar"

Caesar salad, beloved by many gourmets, is surprisingly simple to prepare. The main products are croutons, green lettuce, cherry tomatoes. In different variations, fried chicken, shrimp or squid are added to this salad. Who likes what. But Caesar dressing isn't even a sauce. A complete salad component. Without the sauce there would be no salad.

That's why people often use store-bought sauce. It's not expensive. However, it is healthier to prepare a homemade version. We present several recipes for a delicious sauce for the famous salad. Follow the link “Classic Caesar dressing at home.”

"Mimosa"

Sour cream or yogurt sauce is ideal for Mimosa fish salad. Take one or the other if you wish. Choose fat content as desired. A dietary option is low-calorie sour cream or yogurt 2-5%.

So, mix the selected product with sweet paprika and dry Provençal herbs. Add salt to taste.

Mustard.

Mustard can be an excellent low-calorie alternative to mayonnaise for wraps and sandwiches.

A serving of mustard contains less than 10% of the calories found in mayonnaise.

One tablespoon (15 grams) of mustard contains:

• Calories: 9
• Protein: 0.5 g
• Thick: 0.5g
• Carbohydrates: 1 gram

Honey mustard can add a sweet and savory flavor to salads and sandwiches. On the other hand, Dijon mustard is a little spicier and bolder, which may be a better option for certain recipes.

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You can experiment with other mustard varieties, including yellow mustard, French mustard, or spicy brown mustard.

Homemade salad dressings

Italian dressing

Ingredients:

• white wine vinegar - 2 tbsp. l.;
• olive oil – 125 ml;
• squeezed lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• parsley – 4 leaves;
• basil – 5 leaves;
• oregano – 4 leaves;
• ground marjoram – 1 tsp;
• ground red pepper – 1 tsp;
• liquid honey – 1 tsp;
• salt - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Pour olive oil into a bowl. Add vinegar and lemon juice. Stir.
2. Press the garlic through a press. Transfer to oil.
3. Finely chop all the greens. Transfer to butter. Add ground seasonings and herbs there. Marjoram, red pepper, salt. Pour in liquid honey.
4. Mix the mixture thoroughly with a whisk until smooth.

Spicy cheese sauce

Product composition:

• hard cheese – 200 g (Gouda, Edam, Cheddar or Russian);
• milk – 130 ml;
• garlic cloves – 3 pcs.;
• red or orange tomato – 1 pc.;
• chili pepper – 1 pc.;
• corn starch – 1.5 tsp;
• vegetable oil

Cooking recipe step by step:

1. Remove seeds from chili peppers. Wear rubber gloves when cleaning and chopping the chilies. Otherwise it will end in burns.
2. Chop the chili pulp, garlic and tomato finely.
3. Grind the cheese through a grater.
4. In a saucepan in vegetable oil, lightly fry the chopped chili and garlic. Add tomato. Stir. Simmer for 2 minutes.
5. Pour in a little more than half the milk. Bring to a boil.
6. Add grated cheese into the boiling mixture. Stir. Heat over low heat.
7. In the meantime, dilute the starch in a glass with the remaining milk.
8. Pour the starchy mixture into the sauce in a thin stream. At the same time, stir the sauce with a spatula or whisk. The sauce is served warm or hot. It is poured over warm meat salads.

Curd sauce for appetizers

Mix 100 g of cottage cheese with 100 g of classic yogurt. Add a tablespoon of thick tomato paste. Stir. Use for spreading on sandwiches and canapés.

Another option. Mix the following products:

• granular cottage cheese – 100 g (wipe through a sieve);
• classic yogurt – 100 g;
• table mustard – 1 tsp;
• boiled chicken egg yolk – 1 pc.;
• lemon juice – 1 tsp;
• salt, ground pepper.

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Cucumber sauce

Products:

• cucumber – 1 pc.;
• classic yogurt – 200 g;
• garlic – 1 clove;
• olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
• dill - a bunch.

Grind the cucumber through a grater. Press the garlic through a press. Mix with finely chopped dill and yogurt.

Ginger dressing

Products:

• lemon – 1 pc.;
• ginger root – 30 g;
• clove of garlic – 1 pc.;
• honey - 1 tbsp. l.;
• sugar – 1 tsp;
• olive oil – 5 tbsp. l.;
• salt, ground pepper.

Recipe:

1. Use a grater to zest the lemons. Place the zest in a saucepan. Pour in the lemon juice that you squeeze from the peeled citrus.
2. Peel the ginger root and garlic and rub through a grater. Transfer to lemon juice.
3. Add sugar, honey, butter.
4. Boil over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Refrigerate.
5. Add salt to taste and sprinkle with ground pepper.

Sweet chili sauce

Products:

• fresh chili pepper – 4 pods;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• rice vinegar – 50 ml;
• sugar – 80 g;
• salt - half a tablespoon;
• corn starch – 1 tbsp. l.

Recipe:

1. Remove the seeds from the chili and take only the pulp. Peel the garlic. Grind these products in a mortar to a paste.
2. Separately, in a saucepan, mix 100 ml of water with vinegar, salt, and sugar. As soon as it boils, add the hot paste from the mortar. Stir. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring.
3. Mix starch in a glass with 20 ml of water.
4. Pour starchy water into the hot saucepan mixture in a thin stream. At the same time, actively stir the mass. Boil for another 2 minutes until boiling. Cool, cool.

Olive oil.

Rich in healthy unsaturated fats, olive oil is well known for its health benefits.

Interestingly, some research suggests that olive oil may help fight inflammation, improve heart health, and protect against certain types of cancer.

Additionally, it can be a healthy and vegan-friendly substitute for mayonnaise in many recipes and dishes.

One tablespoon (13.5 grams) of olive oil contains:

• Calories: 119
• Thick: 13.5 grams
• Vitamin E: 13% of daily value
• Vitamin K: 7% Daily Value

Remember that using olive oil instead of mayonnaise in dishes may change the taste and texture of the final product.

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However, it can also help increase your intake of healthy fats and can be a good option for recipes such as pasta salad, sauces, salad dressings and condiments.

Can avocado replace mayonnaise?

The search for a tasty dressing led to worthy alternatives to mayonnaise. And this begs the question. Can avocado replace mayonnaise? The answer is clear. Of course yes. The famous guacamole is prepared using exotic avocado. This sour sauce is light green in color. This dressing is quite fatty, but not high in calories. Let's explain why. Avocado has oily flesh. In combination with sour cream or butter, the calorie content increases. The benefits also increase. Avocado vitamins and microelements accelerate metabolism in the human body. This means that proteins, vitamins, and polyunsaturated fatty acids are absorbed faster.

Ingredients for guacamole recipe:

• avocado – 1 pc.;
• lemon – half the fruit;
• sour cream – 1 tbsp. l.;
• salt - to taste;
• olive oil – 1.5 tbsp. l.;
• freshly ground pepper - a pinch.

Recipe:

1. Remove the pulp from the avocado. Mash with a fork until pureed.
2. Mix puree with remaining ingredients.

If desired, add fried pieces of bacon, chili pepper or pressed garlic to the guacamole.

Sour cream.

Sour cream can add a fresh flavor to almost any recipe that calls for mayonnaise.

It also contains several vitamins and minerals in small quantities, including vitamin A, riboflavin, and vitamin B12.

Two tablespoons (30 grams) of sour cream contain:

• Calories: 59
• Protein: 1 gram
• Thick: 6 grams
• Carbohydrates: 1.5 grams
• Vitamin A: 4% Daily Value.
• Riboflavin: 4% DV.
• Vitamin B12: 3% DV.
• Calcium: 2% DV
• Phosphorus: 2% DV.

You can use sour cream in recipes calling for mayonnaise by simply substituting an equal amount.

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Try adding it to salads, sauces, sandwiches and spreads to give your favorite recipes a refreshing twist.

How to replace mayonnaise on a diet

Dietary salad dressings are a worthy replacement for fatty mayonnaise. Options:

1. Kefir (30 g sour cream, 40 g kefir, 1 clove of garlic, bunch of herbs, salt, pepper).
2. French (250 ml yogurt, half a small cucumber, mint sprig, 1 tsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, salt, ground pepper).
3. With horseradish (200 g sour cream, 2 tsp grated horseradish, 1 tsp mustard, 0.5 tsp dry garlic, salt).
4. Orange (250 g classic yogurt, 2 tsp honey, 1 tbsp orange juice, 0.5 tsp orange zest, 1 tsp mustard, salt, ground pepper).
5. Mint with cucumber (150 g of yogurt, half a medium cucumber, a sprig of mint, a teaspoon each of vegetable oil and lemon juice, salt).
6. With linseed oil (3 tbsp linseed oil, 7 tbsp sour cream, 1 tsp table mustard, 1 tbsp lemon juice or wine vinegar).