Salad dressing doesn’t have to be complicated. Making your own homemade salad dressings are quick, easy and are a healthy alternative to bottled dressings.
The great thing is salad dressing can be made easily at home and most dressings can be stored in the fridge for up to a week. Did you know most salad dressings are filled with unwanted additives and preservatives? Some common salad dressing ingredients are MSG, gums, cheap oil, EDTA and sugar!
No more bottled salad dressings! Making your own dressing is much easier than you may think. Let’s dive into it!
What is a dressing:
Typically dressings consist of a proportion of an oil and an acid. I like to use the ratio of 1/2 oil and 1/2 acid for most of my dressings, but you can play around with the ratios to find what you like best.
Another thing about dressings is they are prone to separating because oil and vinegar don’t usually mix. You can solve this by using an emulsifier such as dijon mustard, honey or a variety of other options. We will talk about emulsions in a little bit.
Lastly dressings are where the flavor is at! You want your dressings to be strong in flavor. Always taste for salt and pepper and don’t be shy of seasonings. The flavors will become diluted when you toss your salad together so the stronger the flavor, the better. Here are some common FAQ’s along with some of my favorite dressing recipes.
What acids are good for salad dressings:
I like my dressings to pack a punch and have a strong flavor which is what you get when adding an acid. Here is a list of the most common acids I use to make dressings.
- White Balsamic Vinegar: This one is my favorite
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Champagne Vinegar
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Lime Juice
- Orange Juice
If you like a really acidic dressing try my lemon dressing below.
Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
- 1 Teaspoon Honey
- 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/8 Teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
1. Place the dressing ingredients into a mason jar, seal and shake to combine. Remove the lid and secure your Ergo Spout®.
What types of oils are good for salad dressings:
The most important thing with oil is that it’s good quality. This is where you want to use your extra virgin olive oil. It has amazing health properties which you can read about here.
A side note. I DO NOT cook with extra virgin olive oil as it burns very quickly and has a low smoke point.
Once the oil burns it creates toxins and free radicals.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I love this one.
- Avocado Oil
- Sesame Oil
- Liquid Coconut Oil
I love the liquid coconut oil for my Strawberry Vinaigrette that goes perfectly with Nuts About Berry Salad.
Strawberry Vinaigrette
This dressing is perfect for a Summer salad.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Strawberries, Sliced
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- 1/4 Cup White Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Liquid Coconut Oil
- 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
1. Place ingredients into a large mason jar and take an immersion blender to blend the ingredients together until smooth. (If you don’t have an immersion blender you can also use a regular blender).
2. Secure your Ergo Spout® and pour over salad.
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