Creamy Smoked Paprika Salad Dressing

I'm convinced a lot of people don't get excited about eating salad because they're used to eating crappy commercial salad dressings you buy at the grocery store.  Guys, those dressings suck.  Have you ever made you own salad dressing?  Did you know is ridiculously easy to make your own salad dressing?!  Whether it be a creamy or oil-based salad dressing, you can easily whip something up on demand with ingredients you probably keep stocked in your kitchen.  I eat salad EVERY day for lunch, but I probably wouldn't if I had to eat the nasty dressing sold in the grocery store.

Smoked Paprika is such a great spice, and totally under-utilized in the American kitchen.  Maybe that's because it can be a liiiiittle difficult to fine, and the average Joe probably doesn't know much about it.  Well, smoked or not, you need to start using this very versatile and mild spice.  I use it religiously in my savory cooking.  

Creamy Vegan Smoked Paprika Dressing

Ingredients:

-  1/2 cup raw cashews
-  1/2 cup water
-  1 clove garlic
-  1 pitted dried medjool date (or a squeeze of agave nectar)
-  1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
-  1 Tbs. kosher salt
-  1 tsp dijon mustard
-  1 Tbs nutritional yeast
-  1 tsp onion powder
-  1 tsp smoked paprika*


*I found smoked paprika at HEB, but if you can't find it, regular paprika will work just fine, but it won't have the slight smokey flavor.


Directions:
Blend cashews, water, garlic clove, date, and balsamic vinegar in blender until creamy consistency.  Scrape down sides of carafe.  Turn blender on low, and add the rest of the ingredients.  That's it!  Store in a jar, or tubberware container w/lid, in the fridge.