Tangy Tomato Oil-Free Dressing
Zesty and full of flavor, this Tangy Tomato Oil-Free Dressing is fabulous over garden veggies, pasta, or greens. It’s a much healthier vegan salad dressing option than the high-fat, oil-laden store-bought varieties.
This vegan salad dressing recipe came from my husband’s love of another version of it from a local steakhouse. It’s vegan, gluten-free, low-fat, and oil-free. My favorite oil-free dressings happen to be our oil-free Thai vinegar sauce and this oil-free 3-2-1 dressing.
Reasons you will love this dressing
- Bursting with Flavor: This oil-free vegan tangy tomato dressing is packed with fresh, vibrant flavors that elevate any salad or dish without the need for added oils.
- Healthy and Low-Fat: Made without oil, this dressing is a low-fat, heart-healthy option that lets you enjoy all the taste without the extra calories.
- Versatile and Easy to Make: Quick and easy to prepare, this versatile dressing is perfect for salads, marinades, and drizzling over roasted vegetables, adding a tangy twist to any meal.
Ingredients you will need
This is such a simple recipe, and it only requires a few ingredients and spices that you are likely to already have on hand.
- Ketchup- Using ketchup to make an oil-free tomato dressing adds a concentrated tomato flavor with a touch of sweetness and tang, creating a well-balanced and flavorful dressing.
- Sweetener- Use maple syrup, cane sugar, date sugar, or another sweetener.
- Vinegar- Adds a sharp, zesty flavor that enhances the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. It balances the overall taste, giving the dressing its signature tang while also acting as a natural preservative to keep the dressing fresh.
- Spices- Paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and thyme round out the flavor.
How to make oil-free tangy tomato dressing
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
STEP #1: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking often.
Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.
STEP #2: Allow it to cool before using. Drizzle over a green salad, or a pasta salad, or use it as a dip for french fries.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Tips for making this dressing
- Ketchup- This is a great recipe to use homemade ketchup in. I have a great homemade ketchup recipe to try that only takes a few minutes to make. Tomato sauce can be substituted for ketchup.
- Sweetener- The main reason for cooking this recipe is to dissolve any granular, less refined sugar that you are using. If you are planning to sweeten it with maple syrup, agave nectar, or another liquid natural sweetener, the cooking time can be reduced.
- Adjusting- The amount of sweetener (1/4 c) can be reduced in this recipe. I would suggest also reducing the amount of vinegar (1/4 c) to help offset the tanginess.
- Uses- Another great use for this salad dressing is for french fries. It makes a terrific dipping sauce for crispy Air Fryer French Fries.
- Storing- Keep this salad dressing in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days.
More Oil-Free Salad Dressing
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Tangy Tomato Oil-Free Dressing
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup organic ketchup or homemade
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup sweetener maple syrup, cane sugar, etc.
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- pinch thyme
- dash salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, whisking often.
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes.
- Allow it to cool before using. Drizzle over a green salad, or a pasta salad, or use it as a dip for french fries.
Video
Notes
- Ketchup- This is a great recipe to use homemade ketchup in. I have a great homemade ketchup recipe to try that only takes a few minutes to make.
- Sweetener- The main reason for cooking this recipe is to dissolve any granular, less refined sugar that you are using. If you are planning to sweeten it with maple syrup, agave, or another liquid natural sweetener, the cooking time can be reduced.
- Adjusting- The amount of sweetener (1/4 c) can be reduced in this recipe. I would suggest also reducing the amount of vinegar (1/4 c) to help offset the tanginess.
- Uses- Another great use for this salad dressing is for french fries. It makes a terrific dipping sauce for crispy Air Fryer French Fries.
- Storing- Keep this salad dressing in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…
oh gosh I was ” craving” a Catalina type dressing amd this did it for me! Delicious! just the right sweet/ tanginess!
Deborah- YAY! I’m so glad that you liked it. This is one of Mickey’s favorites.
This salad dressing is wonderful!! We have been vegan for 6 years and do not use any oils – up to now I have only found a few that we enjoy using. This recipe is the best. Thank you!
Mary, I am so glad that you like it. My husband loves this tangy tomato version too. Thanks SO much for letting me know!
One of my favorites
Does this dressing coat the salad leaves or is it runny? I have been using 1 tsp chia seeds to 1 c + 1 tsp of water and blending my dressings in the vita mix to increase the thickness of my no oil dressings. Would that work with this recipe?
It actually coats the leaves quite well. Maybe try it, and if it’s not thick enough for you blend in the chia seeds. I think you’ll really like it!
or a twinkle of xanthan gum 🙂
I looked again and it is the yellow print you use for the ingredients. The amounts of each ingredient is in black ink and easy to read.
Eileen, so sorry to hear that the ingredients list is difficult to read. I have a recipe plugin that is free and limits what I can change on it. I’ve been playing with it this morning to see if I can adjust that font color, with no luck. I even messaged the company, and they said I have to purchase their premium plugin to be able to do that. Maybe they will do an update at some point to allow changes. I’ll continue to watch for it. Thank you for following my blog!
I have a request please. When I go in to look at the recipe, the only way I can read the ingredients is to hit the print button. The background is not right to read it. It is too light or something. Can you change backgrounds?
Omit the ketchup, make stewed tomato’s as you would for canning, strain the skin and the seeds add rest ingredient it would be all natural
Can I find the calories somewhere?
Tricia, when I plug this into the Cronometer, it comes out to 19 calories per Tbsp.
Thank you so much. It is delicious! Can you tell me the shelf life of it?
Tricia, I have kept it up to 2+ weeks and it still tasted great. Glad that you like it!
Doesn’t the ketchup and sugar make this really really sweet?
Hi Diane, it does make it slightly sweet, but not too much. It still and a tangy taste as well. 🙂