I was the child who didn’t like anything on my food. No butter. No salt. No dressings except Thousand Island on my salad. Remember Thousand Island? Basically ketchup mixed with mayonnaise?
These days, I appreciate a delicious homemade dressing, especially when it has minimal ingredients and comes together easily.
I first tried pumpkin seed dressing when I lived in Austin, TX. A macrobiotic restaurant called Casa de Luz served delicious home style meals and pumpkin seed dressing was frequently served on top of the greens. You can do a search for their recipe. It’s a bit more complex than mine. I am the queen of simple.
Be patient while toasting the seeds, pan toast them stirring constantly, until they are evenly toasted and some of them have just started to pop. I have found that gives me the best flavor.
I order my umeboshi paste online, but some natural food stores have a good quality one. It may seem expensive, but a little goes a long way and it will last a long time. It can be used anywhere that you want a sweet, salty, sour flavor. I like to use it in dressings and in my hummus.
Pumpkin Seed Dressing
1 cup pan toasted pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4-1 tsp all natural umeboshi paste (only ingredients are umeboshi and sea salt, maybe shiso)
Water (amount will depend on the moisture content and type of pumpkin seeds)
- Grind the seeds finely in a food processor. (You can use a blender, but you will need to add a bit of the water to get it blending.)
- Add the lemon juice, umeboshi paste, and about 1/2 cup of water.
- Add more water in small amounts, blending in between, until you get a nice dressing consistency. It will be a bit course, but should be pourable without being too runny. Taste and adjust flavors, adding more lemon or umeboshi paste if desired. The umeboshi paste will add more salt so be mindful.
- Set the dressing aside for 10 minutes and check consistency again. You may need to add a bit more water because it will thicken as it sits.
- Enjoy!
Pumpkin Seed Dressing
Equipment
- food processor, blender or immersion blender
- skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds, rinse and pan toast
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4-1 tsp all natural umeboshi paste no food colors
- Water amount will depend on the moisture content and type of pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Grind the seeds finely in a food processor. (You can use a blender, but you will need to add a bit of the water to get it blending.)
- Add the lemon juice, umeboshi paste, and about 1/2 cup of water.
- Add more water in small amounts, blending in between, until you get a nice dressing consistency. It may be a bit course, but should be pourable without being too runny. Taste and adjust flavors, adding more lemon or umeboshi paste if desired. The umeboshi paste will add more salt so be mindful.
- Set the dressing aside for 10 minutes and check consistency again. You may need to add a bit more water because it will thicken as it sits.
- Enjoy!