Do you shop for salad dressings? Many people are probably familiar with the staple flavors, things like ranch and balsamic vinaigrette, for example. Still, most of us end up buying our salad dressing at the store for the convenience—even though it comes packed with lots of unwanted additives, preservatives and other fillers. Wouldn’t it be great to get all the same flavor from your favorite salad dressings without all that extra stuff? Fortunately, you can—and we have six different recipes for you to choose from.
Without any further ado, here are six homemade salad dressing recipes that will have you forgetting about the store-bought brands.
1. Oil and Vinegar
Of all the dressings, this one is definitely the most classic and simple. This combination of ingredients comes out of Italian cooking and works perfectly on a variety of different salads. As the name suggests, all it takes is a combination of olive oil and vinegar in a ratio of one part oil to two parts vinegar—still, adjust this. To add a little more flavor, you can also sprinkle in some Italian seasoning or some paprika. Make sure you give this one a good stir before sprinkling it over your salad.
2. Lemon Garlic
If you’re looking for a zestier flavor, this lemon garlic recipe is also a good option to explore. As with all of these recipes, using the freshest ingredients possible is the way to go. With that said, all you have to do is measure out about a 1/4 cup of oil, though olive oil and avocado oil work particularly well. After that, add in half a cup of fresh lemon juice and a few cloves of fresh garlic, minced. Throw it all in a bowl and whisk it up and you’re ready to go.
3. Apple Cider Vinaigrette
If you need one with a particularly nice combination of bite and sweetness, using apple cider vinegar is a nice way to go to get the results you’re looking for. Again, this is another healthy option that goes with virtually any salad. To pull this off, measure a 1/3 cup of olive oil along with a 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. Also, combine a dash of honey along with two teaspoons of dijon mustard. Whisk everything together and sprinkle over your greens! You can also add a little bit of soy sauce to this to give it a little extra salt.
4. Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
In all the above, we’re making dressing out of ingredients you probably already have sitting around the house. But what if you want to add some fresh herbs to your dressing? This one ultimately will vary depending on what kind of greens you’re using, but the principle remains the same. Start out with a basic olive oil and red wine vinegar mixture in a one-to-one ratio. After that, add in 1/4 cup of fresh chopped herbs and you’re ready to go. What herbs should you use? The three classics are basil, cilantro, and parsley. Cilantro will go well with a Mexican salad whereas basil would pair well with Caprese. Italian herbs go with Italian salads, obviously. Mix and match to find your favorite!
5. Greek Yogurt Dressing
For those who are still looking for a nice ranch-style dressing, this recipe is likely to be the one for you. To start, get a half cup of Greek yogurt and mix it with two tablespoons of honey, two tablespoons of lemon juice and two tablespoons of olive oil. To add some extra punch to this, you can also throw in some spices like paprika or curry, though this part is up to you. Maybe even some poppy seeds! After it’s all in there, stir it well to combine and pour it over your salad (though maybe not as much as the other dressings).
6. Tahini Dressing
Tahini is also an incredibly useful base when it comes to making salad dressings—and a particularly good fit for anyone who really likes hummus or Mediterranean flavors. To do this one, get equal parts of lemon and tahini and fill about a half cup with them. After that, add 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and you should be good to go. You can also adjust the balance of tahini to lemon juice until you get the right consistency! As always, add in spices as you want to make it a little more exciting—we’re thinking paprika and cumin are a good starting point.
7. Parmesan Pepper
Last but not least, this delicious variation uses the basic oil and vinegar recipe and adds a creamy component to it. First, add in two to three tablespoons of mayonnaise to your oil and vinegar dressing (though you can also use the same amount of sour cream or plain yogurt as you see fit). Once that’s mixed in, add a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese and about 1/8 teaspoon of ground fresh pepper, though you can add this to taste. This one is particularly delicious.
Do you have any homemade dressings you make on your own? Let us know in the comments below.
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