Versatile, easy and oh-so delicious, salads are an excellent staple of any healthy diet. However, if you’re pouring on store-bought dressings filled with fat, sugar and chemicals, you may be negating all those good-for-you salad benefits.
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So why not save some money and create your own nutritious salad dressing at home? From creamy to balsamic, we’ve collected 10 of our favorite easy recipes for you to try.
1. Creamy Herb Dressing
Ingredients:
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp chopped herbs (of your choice)
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Get the original recipe at Real Simple.
2. Italian Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
- 1 cup canola oil
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 large garlic clove, pressed
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp dried marjoram
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Find the recipe at The Kitchn.
3. Honey-Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup canola oil
Combine all ingredients except the oils in a blender, then add the oils as you are blending. Get the recipe from All Recipes.
4. Spicy Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
- 2 tsp fresh lime juice
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp dried ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Find the original recipe at Food.com.
5. Lemon Garlic Dressing
Ingredients:
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed
- salt and black pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. See the recipe at Real Simple.
6. Eggless Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
- 5 anchovy filets
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Combine all ingredients thoroughly in a blender. Get the recipe at The Kitchn.
7. Walnut Basil Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup roasted French walnut oil
- ¼ cup basil extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Find the recipe at Allspice Online.
8. Red Wine Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 1 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Get the recipe at Real Simple.
9. Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to a jar with a lid, and shake vigorously. Shake before serving. See the original recipe at The Kitchn.
10. Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 1 cup roasted red peppers, rinsed
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Get the recipe at Eating Well.