The Creamiest Sunflower Seed Dressing!!
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Today on the blog we will be sharing our new obsession: The creamiest and most delicious dressing made with soaked sunflower seeds! I have been adding a dollop of this creamy goodness to everything from salads, wraps and even my cabbage soup last night. It’s a serious kind of love going on over here.
Don’t forget to check out our Ode to the Chickpea blog post as well!
Ode to Sunflower Seeds; Why make the switch??
Nutritional Content
Sunflower seeds are extremely high in nutrients! One serving size, about 4 tbsp, delivers 14 grams of healthy fats to your body, 6 grams of protein, and 2.5 grams of fiber. This is A LOT of power in one little punch; it can fit in the palm of your hand!
The mixture of these three powerhouses, fat/fiber/protein, help to satiate the body and deliver that amazing feeling of satisfaction and being full. Sunflower butter has become a family staple for snacking for this very reason.
Putting the Macros on the sideline, let’s chat vitamins and minerals for a moment!
Sunflower seeds are very rich in:
Vitamin E
Folate
Selenium
Manganese
Copper
B6
Zinc
Health Benefits
Now that we know all of the amazing nutrients found in Sunflower Seeds, what do these actually do for us?!
Reduce Risk of Heart Disease: Vitamin E reduces inflammation and the phytosterols found in the sunflowers are found to lower cholesterol and triglycerides.Â
May Help Fight Against Cancer: Thanks to Vitamin E, Selenium and Antioxidants found in these magical seeds.
Support Thyroid Function: Thanks to Selenium; crucial to managing proper thyroid function.
Combat Bone Loss and Muscle Cramps: Thanks to Magnesium which many Americans are lacking!
Balance Blood Sugar Levels: Thanks to the fiber and magnesium content.
Promote Skin Health: Vitamin E is crucial for skin health!
The Ethical Advantages
One of the main reasons that our family made the switch from cashews to sunflower seeds is due to Ethical reasons. The nut industry, specifically the cashew industry, is quite cruel. Making the switch was easy and if it helps the environment and workers along the way, why not switch?!
Truth behind Cashews
Vicious Burns: Many do not know this, but cashews are shelled by hand by workers in unsafe conditions. This reddish-brown cashew nut liquid within contains cardol and anacardic acid inflict vicious burns and lesions on these innocent workers.
Overconsumption leads to lowered ethical standards: Due to the EXTREME increase in demand for cashews, companies decided to hire cheap labor in India and Vietnam in order to stay afloat. Like with any industry that choose profits over safety, the workers were left in very cruel conditions and paid unfairly. They do not even give them gloves to protect their hands from the burns.
“Blood Cashews”: According to a 2011 Human Rights Watch report, in Vietnam, drug addicts in labor camps are forced to process cashews – a report which led to the use of the term ‘blood cashews’.
Why We Have Fallen In Love
The raw sunflower seed can be swapped for any cashew base recipe 1:1. If you see cashews, just swap for sunflower seeds. If it tells you to soak, soak the sunflower seeds!
You will want to soak your seeds for the majority of dressings (so creamy!) for best taste and texture. Simply fill a mason jar 3/4 full with sunflower seeds and cover with water. Place in the refrigerator overnight and it is ready to use the next day to create dressings for the week.
Short on time?
Simply boil some water and cover the seeds in the boiling water for 20 minutes. It works just as well!
Rinse and Drain:
Be sure to rinse and drain the seeds before blending up. You are all set to create some yummy sunflower recipes!
And Now…The Creamiest Sunflower Seed Dressing!
Step One: Soak!
Soak the sunflower seeds overnight or for 20 minutes with boiling water. Rinse and Drain before tossing into the blender!
Step Two: Blend for The Creamiest Sunflower Seed Dressing Ever!
Add all of the dressing ingredients to the blender and blend up until nice and smooth. This recipe will give you a thicker dressing but all you have to do is add some extra water to thin it out!
Step Three: Store and Use on EVERYTHING
Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for the week. Use on absolutely anything your heart desires! You can even dip raw veggies into this yummy goodness.Â
The Creamiest Sunflower Seed Dressing
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds; soaked rinsed and drained
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Soak sunflower seeds overnight or in boiling water for 20 minutes
- Rinse and drain sunflower seeds well.
- Toss all of the ingredients into a blender.
- Blend until nice and creamy; add water as needed.
- Store in an airtight jar until needed!
Notes
Nutrition
This Looks so amazing! Making this today ??
Please let me know what you think! I just know you are going to love it 😉
I just made this–it was great. I’m also replacing cashews with sunflowers seeds (to save money, but also reading about the cashew industry made me even more happy I made the switch). Thank you for the recipe.
I am so happy that you liked it!
This is a great dressing! You’re right, it IS super creamy! I made it last night to go with supper and my husband and I ate ate almost the whole jar! Used it as a salad dressing, topping on grilled potatoes and drizzled on avocado toast….all excellent!!! I can imagine it would be great with pizza, tacos, etc….
Thank you so much, Christine! I am thrilled that you like it as much as we do – it’s one of our weekly staples:)