Making homemade salad dressing recipes will up your healthy eating game. Salad dressings from the store can be loaded with unhealthy ingredients, making your salad way more calories than it needs to be.

 

Some unhealthy ingredients to look out for in salad dressings:

→ Corn syrup

→ Disodium guanylate

→ Disodium inosinate

→ Monosodium Glutamate

→ Calcium disodium EDTA

 

Homemade salad dressings seem like they would be hard to make, however most of the ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. 

 

These salad dressing recipes replicate the dressings you would find at the store. These would be Ranch, Thousand Island, French, Italian, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Honey Mustard, Blue Cheese, and Caesar dressing.  

 

 

What is the healthiest dressing for salad?

 

The healthiest dressing for a salad will be a vinaigrette. This could be a balsamic vinaigrette, raspberry vinaigrette, or something as simple as oil and vinegar. 

 

Below is a recipe for balsamic vinaigrette.

 

 

What kind of vinegar is best for salad?

 

Red wine vinegar is the best kind of vinegar for a salad. 

 

You can also use distilled white vinegar as well, but for more tang and a stronger flavor profile, you can use red wine vinegar. 

 

 

What is the best salad oil to use?

 

Extra virgin olive oil is the best salad oil to use. It is the healthiest oil for you and will keep your salad nutritious. 

 

 

What is the ratio of oil to vinegar for salads?

 

3 to 1. Three parts oil to one part vinegar. This is the perfect mixture because vinegar can be very strong, therefore you won’t need as much. 

 

 

Ranch Dressing

 

Ranch dressing is one of the most popular salad dressings in America. While it is so tasty, it is loaded with unhealthy ingredients that we don’t need in our lives. Here is a homemade recipe that tastes exactly like ranch dressing. 

 

Ranch Dressing Recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

→ ½ cup mayonnaise

→ ½ cup sour cream

→ ½ cup of buttermilk or regular milk

→ ¾ teaspoon of dried dill weed

→ ½ teaspoon of dried parsley

→ ½ teaspoon of dried chives

→ ¼ teaspoon of onion powder

→½ teaspoon of garlic powder

→ ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt

→ ⅛ teaspoon of fine black pepper

→ 1-3 teaspoons of lemon juice (depending on the taste you want)

 

Instructions:

 

→ In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, and milk until it is smooth. 

→ Add the dried dill weed, dried parsley, dried chives, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper and whisk them all together. 

→ Add the amount of lemon juice you want (if unsure, start with 1 teaspoon and add from there) and whisk again.

→ Pour into a jar with a lid and refrigerate

 

This dressing is good for up to a week if refrigerated.

 

 

Thousand Island Dressing

 

This dressing is perfect on a Reuben sandwich or a hearty salad. Ditch the additives and try this homemade recipe.

 

Thousand Island Dressing Recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

→ 1 cup mayo

→ ¼ cup onion, diced

→ 2 tablespoons ketchup

→ 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

→ 1 teaspoon lemon juice

→ ½ teaspoon paprika

→ ¼ teaspoon salt

 

Instructions:

 

→ Combine all ingredients in a small bowl

→ Transfer to jar with a lid and refrigerate

 

 

French Dressing

 

Is French dressing a delicacy in France? 

Unfortunately, not. It actually was first made in America and is a staple at most American restaurants. 

Its creaminess doesn’t make it the most healthy but making it fresh makes it so much better for you.

 

French Dressing Recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

→ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (or the neutral oil of your choice)

→ ¼ cup ketchup

→ 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar 

→ 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

→ ½ teaspoon of paprika

→ ½ teaspoon of onion powder

→ ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt

 

Instructions:

 

→ In a bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until blended smoothly

→ Keep in a tight sealed container for up to a week in the refrigerator

→ Shake well before use

 

Italian Dressing

 

Italian dressing is also originally made in America. In Italy, they dress their salads with olive oil, vinegar, or lemon juice. 

 

In America we add all the extra seasonings and spices for some more flavor. 

 

Italian Dressing Recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

→ ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil

→ ¼ cup of red or white wine vinegar 

→ 1 teaspoon of garlic powder

→ 1 teaspoon of dried oregano

→ 1 teaspoon of dried basil

→ ½ teaspoon of onion powder

→ ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper

→ ¾ teaspoon of salt

→ ½ teaspoon of pepper

→ 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

 

Instructions:

 

→ Place all ingredients in a jar and put the lid on

→ Shake until all ingredients are blended 

→ Keep in refrigerator for up to a week

→ Shake well before use

 

 

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

 

One of the healthiest salad dressing recipes and we are making it healthier by making it ourselves. 

 

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

→ 2 tablespoons of honey

→ 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

→ ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt

→ ½ teaspoon of finely ground black pepper

→ 1 large garlic clove minced

→ ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar

→ ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil

 

Instructions:

 

→ In a bowl, add the honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and garlic and whisk together.

→ Add the oil and whisk until everything is combined

→ Store in a jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to a week

→ Shake well before using

 

 

Honey Mustard Dressing

 

Ugh, you can’t go wrong with a crispy chicken tender salad with honey mustard dressing. This is really a staple salad dressing in America. 

 

Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

→ ¼ cup of Dijon mustard

→ 3-4 tablespoons of honey, to taste

→ 3-4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar 

→ ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil

→ 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (optional)

→ ¼-½ teaspoon of fine sea salt

→ ¼ of ground black pepper

 

Instructions:

 

→ In a bowl, whisk the mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and black pepper together until well blended

→ Next, whisk in the oil. 

→ Taste the dressing and adjust with more honey, apple cider vinegar, and salt if needed. 

→ Shake before use and keep refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

 

 

Blue Cheese Dressing

 

This one isn’t for everyone, but this one can be the perfect topping to a buffalo chicken salad.

You can make it creamy smooth or keep it chunky. It’s all up to you!

 

Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

→ ¾ cup of mayonnaise

→ 2 tablespoons of crumbled blue cheese

→ Dash of kosher salt and ground black pepper

→ ¼ cup buttermilk

 

Instructions:

 

→ In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, crumbled blue cheese, salt, pepper, and buttermilk until blended.

→ Keep in a tight sealed container in the refrigerator. 

Can double as dipping sauce for wing night!

 

 

Caesar Salad Dressing

 

We love a classic Caesar salad! Add in some croutons and extra Parmesan cheese and sign me up. 

 

Caesar Dressing Recipe

 

Ingredients:

 

→ 2 small minced garlic cloves

→ 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste

→ 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 

→ 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

→ 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

→ 1 cup of mayonnaise

→ ½ cup of Parmesan cheese

→ ¼ teaspoon of salt

→ ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper 

 

Instructions:

 

→ In a medium bowl, first whisk together the minced garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and the Worcestershire sauce.

→ Then add the mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, salt, and ground black pepper and whisk together until smooth. 

→ Taste the dressing and add ingredients as needed. 

→ Keep refrigerated for about a week. 

 

 

What’s the best salad dressing to use when you’re trying to lose weight?

 

You will want to stick to a vinaigrette dressing if you are trying to lose weight. These are much healthier, low-calorie options. You’ll want to avoid creamy dressings like Ranch, French, Thousand Island, Honey Mustard, and Blue Cheese. 

 

However, when you are making your dressings homemade you will be in control of the ingredients. This will most likely bring down the calorie amount, making them healthier than the store-bought dressings. 

 

 

What oil is best for homemade salad dressing?

 

Extra virgin olive oil. This is the best oil for homemade salad dressing recipes because it is packed with heart-healthy fats and antioxidants. It can also help protect against inflammation, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. 

 

You should avoid:

→ Vegetable oil

→ Canola oil

→ Sunflower oil

→ Soybean oil

→ Corn oil

→ Safflower oil

 

These oils can lead to inflammation, heart disease, and even cancer. Avoid at all costs!

 

 

What can I put on my salad instead of dressing?

 

→ Avocado (we love some healthy fats!)

→ Salsa (taco salad, anyone?)

→ Hummus

→ Extra virgin olive oil

→ Oil and vinegar 

→ Yogurt (could be yummy?)

→ Lemon juice

 

 

Conclusion

 

Ditching the extra ingredients by making your own homemade salad dressing recipes will not only bring down the calories, but it will also be so much healthier for you and your family. 

 

These dressings don’t have to be just for salad. They can be dipping sauces for veggies, wings, chips and more!

 

Invest in your health by making these recipes and email \[email protected] and let us know how these dressings turned out.