Carrot Vinaigrette Salad Dressing with Chili Powder & Cumin

Sweetened and flavored with carrot juice, this vinaigrette salad dressing is free of added sugars but not short on flavor! It’s great on salads with southwestern toppings! 

Isn’t this dressing the most beautiful color? I love keeping a jar of salad dressing in the fridge and this carrot vinaigrette salad dressing is my new favorite. I hardly ever stray from my honey mustard vinaigrette, but this one is definitely worth straying for.

About this Carrot Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

I use pure carrot juice (I buy mine but if you have a juicer at home, make your own!) for the base of this dressing. Not only does it add incredible flavor and color, but it also sweetens the dressing naturally since carrots are so beautifully sweet.

The carrot juice just so happens to be the only sweet element of the dressing. Typically when I make dressing, I add a little honey to mellow things out a little and bring the dressing together. But with this dressing, it’s not at all necessary. Which, coincidentally (or not at all), makes it Whole30 compliant. However, I’ll be drinking eating this salad dressing all the time, not just when I’m following the Whole30 program.

I love this carrot vinaigrette salad dressing on a tossed salad with southwestern toppings – picture mixed greens, black beans, chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, tomatoes and green onions. You could easily make your salad vegetarian or use steak instead of chicken, but the point is, this Carrot Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is great on so many things.

This dressing doesn’t have an emulsifier like honey or mustard in it, so it does separate fairly quickly. You’ll want to give it a good shake or stir and pour it on your salad right before tossing and serving.

If you love making homemade dressing, be sure to try my poppy seed dressing, homemade Italian dressing or low-calorie homemade ranch dressing. I’ve also compiled a list of more than 15 dressing recipes, The Best Salad Dressing Recipes.

Can’t have a salad without toppings!

Try some of my favorite homemade toppings:

 

• Crispy Chickpeas
• Pickled Red Onions
• Pickled Radishes
• Homemade Croutons
• Olive Oil Roasted Almonds
• Savory Granola (nut-free recipe)
• Maple Roasted Sunflower Seeds from Made It Love It Paleo
• Fried Goat Cheese from The Pioneer Woman

Verdict: I could drink this dressing right out of the jar.
Husband’s take: I’ll be honest, Ben didn’t love this dressing. He doesn’t like curry and the cumin in this reminded him of curry. I don’t mind devouring it all myself.
Changes I would make: None are necessary!
Difficulty: Easy.