Secret Ingredient #3: Ume Plum Vinegar

Everyone loves a good secret.  Here's another secret ingredient to tantalize your taste buds (I have shared two others previously on the blog - here and here).  Today's secret is umeboshi plum vinegar.  This is my go to ingredient for a quick, easy, dressing that requires no salt or oil.  I simple drizzle over a salad or a veggie bowl and I have instant seasoning with less sodium and no fat.  And this stuff is tasty.  It has so much flaver that I could chug it on its own!

Umeboshi plums are sour pickled plums that are salted and pressed with shiso leaves.  They were traditionally used in Asia to stimulate appetite, help alkalize the body, and restore energy.  Umeboshi vinegar is the pickling brine from making the umeboshi plums.  It possesses a tart, salty flavor with beneficial organic acids.  You can sprinkle it on vegetables, add to salad dressings, marinades and dips.  It is also great for picking veggies.  

I prefer the Eden brand that has no artifical dyes, preservatives, or chemicals.  

Here's a great Oriental Ume Plum Dressing recipe from Eden Foods:

Makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
2/3 cup Eden Extra Virgen Olive Oil
1/3 cup Eden Ume Plum Vinegar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 Tbsp fresh parsley or basil, chopped
1/4 cup Eden Organic Brown Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp organic maple syrum, to taste

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.  Store for up to a week in a tightly sealed glass jar, in the refrigerator.  Dress the salad immediately before serving.

Try some out and let me know what you think in the comments below.