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Written by Shannon of Nourishing Days.
Now that the temperatures are warming up salads are a great main or side dish for every night of the week. But who wants to spend a lot of money on a bottle with questionable ingredients?
One of the first things I realized on my real food journey was that when I make things from scratch for health reasons, I also save money. Salad dressings are no exception.
And the best part? They are super easy to make!
A Basic Formula For Homemade Salad Dressing
Making homemade salad dressing is a bit intimidating at first. Especially if you are like me and thought that salad dressing only came from a grocery store.
When making a vinaigrette, a combination of oil and vinegar or lemon juice, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Keep the oil to vinegar ratio at about 3:1
- If you want a smooth consistency in which the oil and vinegar do not separate you must use an emulsifier. Dijon mustard and egg yolks from pastured chickens are my favorite options.
- Add lots of flavors like onion, garlic, spices, herbs, and honey.
- For simplicity use pint-sized jars for easy dump, shake, and serve salad dressing.
With the above thoughts in mind you can create flavorful salads in a myriad of flavors.
My Go-To Salad Dressing Recipes
These are the dressings that I make on a regular basis. All three use healthful fats like extra virgin olive oil and cultured dairy.
They are also family-friendly and diverse, making it easier for my family to down our garden’s bumper lettuce crop this year.
Photo by felipe_gabaldon
Garlic-Herb Vinaigrette
This is my go-to salad dressing. We love garlic and all of it’s health benefits and the herbs are usually whatever I have in the house, dried or fresh. See… simple.
- 1/2 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs or 2 teaspoons dried (basil, oregano, chives, and thyme are all nice)
- scant 1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
- Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a jar. Stir well with a fork.
- Add olive oil, cover tightly, and shake well until combined. You can also use a blender and drizzle the oil in slowly while it is running.
- Serve over your basic green salad with added chopped vegetables.
Photo by mr_t_in_dc
Balsamic Vinaigrette
This dressing reminds me of the super-sweet bottled Russian dressing I grew up eating. It is a nice change of pace for a salad, but also works well for flavoring cooked or grilled meats and vegetables.
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (no need for the really expensive stuff)
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram (or oregano)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a jar. Stir well with a fork.
- Add olive oil, cover tightly, and shake well until combined. You can also use a blender and drizzle the oil in slowly while it is running.
- Serve over a basic green salad or toss with grated carrots, minced red onion, and sunflower seeds.
Photo by whitneyinchicago
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
This is a great salad dressing to serve to your family if they are having a hard time letting go of their favorite creamy bottled dressing. My husband loves this stuff and I love that it is actually really good for him. When I don’t have homemade mayonnaise in the fridge I substitute an additional 1/4 cup creme fraiche to avoid the unhealthy oils found in most commercial mayonnaise.
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream (I save money by making my own)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 4 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
- Combine all ingredients in a quart jar. Stir well with a fork or seal tightly and shake.
- Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Taste and additional salt as necessary. This makes for a fairly thick dressing. If a thinner consistency is desired replace part of the sour cream with additional buttermilk.
- This is delicious over a chopped salad with bacon, hard-boiled egg, and lots of vegetables.
Use these homemade dressings throughout the hot summer and watch your family gobble up their vegetables.
What’s your favorite way to dress a summer salad?
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Well, I believe I never bought a salad dressing at the store (!), I’m used to make them since I was a teenager and helped my mother with the cooking. And I think this is what most people do around this corner of the world.
My favourite summer salad dressing is a traditional one and really very simple, I don’t even make it beforehand. It is basically a 2:1 mixture of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a little bit of sea salt (not refined) and a fine dose of fresh or dried oregano. This goes very well with a simple tomato-lettuce-onion salad but also with more complete ones . If you add some cubes of Feta cheese, then it goes wonderful.
Ana – That’s wonderful that you’ve only ever known homemade. And your recipe sounds delish. I am loving having fresh oregano from our herb garden.
Shannon’s last blog: Winner and a Coupon Code for Stainless Steel Bakeware
Home made salad dressing tastes so much better than bought. I try to make it in really small quantities , like half a cupful in total as I think it tastes better when it’s really fresh. I’m going to try reducing the quantities of your recipes a little, they look like they’d taste great.
Heather – I hope you like them! I wish I could make a dressing every night, but for time’s sake I like the convenience of a pint of dressing ready made.
Shannon’s last blog: Winner and a Coupon Code for Stainless Steel Bakeware
I love the sounds of that buttermilk dressing. I always make my own vinaigrette and love to use tarrgon in mine. I also tried adding goat cheese to the dressing last week and it was fantastic.
Jan – Mmmm tarragon – great idea!
Shannon’s last blog: Winner and a Coupon Code for Stainless Steel Bakeware
I love to make homemade ranch dressing. But to be honest, since I had my little guy 3 months ago, the bottled dressings are so much easier! (Since he gets nothing from a bottle…) I figure whatever it takes to eat salad, and it won’t be long til I can put him down and use 2 hands to make supper again!
Abbie’s last blog: 6 Years Ago Today…
I’m so happy to find a ranch dressing listed. I’ve been searching for a homemade recipe for a while. These will definitely be added to my recipe box.
Thanks!
If you REALLY are lazy like me, sprinkling apple cider vinegar and olive oil are a quick alternative. It won’t blow your taste buds away, but if you’re running out the door, it can save you from having to eat dry lettuce like a rabbit or being late because you made a fancy dressing.
Heidi’s last blog: Monday Motivation- I’m Free At Last-
Heidi – That is my go to along with raw blue cheese for many weeknight salads.
Shannon\’s last blog: Menu Plan to Beat the Heat
I’m so glad to see a ranch recipe!! This is something I’ve definitely been looking for. How long does it keep in the fridge before it goes bad?
Mine lasts weeks, and perhaps even weeks and weeks.
Jennifer Jo’s last blog: Clues- cold baths- cream- etc
Jennifer – I’d give it a week, maybe two. The cultures in the buttermilk and sour cream should keep it longer than regular milk.
I’ve been trying different homemade dressings lately. Thanks for sharing!
Wendy’s last blog: when boys go into the wilds alone
I would love to know how you make homemade mayo too. thanks!
Molly,
Katie
I’m a little late reading this post, but I do have a video and printed recipe of homemade mayo that might help you out. It’s easier than it sounds! I make mine into ranch dressing often, too.
Molly,
I make one similar to Katie’s below. I think the biggest struggle with mayo is finding a healthy fat that isn’t too strong in flavor.
Shannon,
I went to your blog, but I couldn’t find your mayo recipe. Your blog looks great though and you have a new subscriber. =) We are in the process of changing how we eat… about 2 months in so far and we are really loving it. Thanks for your response!
I’m partial to just vinegar, but the troops rally against that!
Cheryl Arkison’s last blog: Sunny Sundays
Thanks for these. I would love to make my own ranch, since my picky eater is much more compliant when there is “dip” for… well… everything!
Alissa’s last blog: This and That and a Haircut
These recipes look great! Just what we need for all the lettuce and radishes we are getting from our CSA. Do you think it would work to swap greek yogurt for the sour cream in the buttermilk ranch dressing?
Robin – I don’t think the greek yogurt would change things too much. It won’t be quite as rich and will have a different kind of twang, but will still be good. I’m a big fan of use what you have!
Shannon\’s last blog: Menu Plan to Beat the Heat
Once you go homemade, you never go back! I think red wine vinegar, EVOO, S&P is so simple and delicious! Sometimes I’ll mix in a little dijon.
I love homemade ranch dressing. I can’t stand the taste of store bought since I made homemade.
Arlene Mobley’s last blog: Watermelon Granita
I like the addition of apple cider vinegar in the first recipe. Homemade salad dressings are fun to create, and they make great dips for chips and bread, too. Sometimes, they work as a marinade for meats.
I recently made a balsamic vinaigrette, mostly following an online Emeril recipe. When I store it in the fridge, the olive oil hardens and it becomes difficult to soften and remix. My husband also thought it might have become bitter. Any thoughts? I have used the glass bottles from some store-bought dressings. I am excited to try your recipes, including the buttermilk ranch dressing one. How long are they storable in the refrigerator?
Jolie – Any good olive oil will harden in the refrigerator, in my experience. I try to take my dressings out while I’m making dinner so that they have time to soften, reshake and then pour. It may not be as pretty as the first time around in that the emulsion breaks a bit, but it’ll still be just as good.
I usually keep my dressings in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Shannon\’s last blog: Menu Plan to Beat the Heat
I was really happy to see this. I posted a link on my blog – http://parentplanet.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/good-sites-found-7-8-10/
I made the buttermilk dressing tonight. Goodness, it’s so good! I had to keep myself from eating plain spoonfuls of it! LOL
How long does it keep in the fridge?
Tammy\’s last blog: Strawberry Fields Ruffle Tote
Loved the photographs
I hpe every homemade salad dressing starts with a wooden bowl
So easy to crush your herbs against the side of the bowl and mix and toss all the basics and special requests in the bowl.
It`s about the toss and less about the recipe