We are all familiar with the lingering buttery feeling that a creamy dressing leaves in your mouth. The sheen it leaves on the salad leaves and julienned vegetables as it coats every strand. The richness that it brings to any dish, even if it is just a humble salad leaf.

And the best thing about this creamy recipe? You can achieve this oooh-so-comforting dressing with no cream, or in fact dairy!

So when you want to have a healthy, yet satisfying meal, this just hits the spot.

And the secret is? It’s all about cashew nuts – not only an amazing source of healthy fats and minerals, but also a great base for a creamy salad dressing.  Blending raw delicately flavoured cashew nuts with some liquid and flavourings not only gives a beautiful richness and creaminess to your dressing, but also adds the much needed healthy mono-saturated fats – which are known to not only deliver a number of health benefits, but also help satiate your appetite and stabilize blood sugar levels.

To make a dressing, put a handful of raw cashew nuts, 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of honey, 3-4 tbsp of good quality olive oil and a splash of water into a blender and blend until smooth. Add some pink Himalayan salt to taste.

This dressing can go onto anything from simple salads leaves to roasted veg, but my personal favourite is to put it on a salad made from hearty vegetables – like red cabbage, julienned carrots and curly kale. Top with pumpkin seeds for some extra crunch and some dried cranberries (or dried cherries)* for a pop of colour and a hint of that sweet and sour flavour when you bite into them.

A perfect side dish to some grilled organic chicken or sustainable salmon / trout fillet.

* try and find the ones with no added sugar, sweetened with natural fruit juice. Made in Nature or Eden foods are my favourite choices.