You might have heard how good sardines are for you. But you still can’t bring yourself to try them. Or you love sardines and are looking for more ways to indulge in this nutrient dense food.

I’ve got you covered with my latest recipe. Why not turn sardines into a flavorful salad dressing that somewhat hides the flavor of sardines and is reminiscent of a ceasar’s salad dressing with the addition of anchovies?

Perfectly paired with the fresh crispness of a salad? Not too overwhelming and double bonus points for eating your greens too.

I call this “hidden sardine” salad dressing because it was inspired by the concept of hidden liver. That’s when you mix ground liver with ground beef and/or bacon to cover up the liver taste.

Personally I love sardines and can eat them straight from the can. But I was born in the former Soviet Union and grew up eating them. Sometimes I even crave them.

Ceasars salad dressing is also a favorite of mine, so I added anchovies to give this dressing some salty kick, and make you forget about your sardine phobia. Even though I think sardines taste like tuna, which is the chicken of the sea. So transitively they taste like chicken. Kidding.

Many people are grossed out by the crunchy bones when biting into sardines. My dressing eliminates that texture problem.

Whether you love them or you hate them, sardines are amazing for you. Not only are they high in essential fatty acids and calcium (from those crunchy bones).

And if you’ve been around in the Paleo world for a while, you know how good organ meats are for you…Well since you eat the whole fish with sardines, you get all the micronutrients from their tiny organs too. That’s what makes sardines one of the most nutritious foods you can eat.

And this is probably one of the easiest recipes I’ve posted. All you need to do is open a can and add a few ingredients to your blender or food processor and you’re done.

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1/4 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of garlic powder or one minced garlic clove

Juice from 1 lemon

1 can of sardines in olive oil (I like Wild Planet Wild Sardines)

1 teaspoon of Sriracha or tomato paste

3 to 4 anchovy fillets

optional: 1 tablespoon of Paleo mayo for a creamier dressing

How to

Put all the ingredients into a food and mix until well combined. Pour the oil from the sardines into the recipe, it will give it a richer flavor.

Pour over your favorite salad greens. I served mine with romaine, tomatoes and feta cheese.

Enjoy!

Tell me in the comments below how you like to eat your sardines or if you’re inspired to try them in this recipe?