Why make your own salad dressings when there are so many choices to buy? You know what is going into the dressing – no chemicals or artificial anything! You can whip up whatever you feel like whenever you want it!
Oil and vinegar are the foundation of any good dressing. You can add some spices – a little Hungarian paprika or Italian herbs, but good oil and good vinegar taste great even on their own! A general rule is one part oil to two parts vinegar or acid. Give it a good whisk, then pour over the salad. I don’t always hold exactly to this, but it’s a good guideline. Adjust according to your tastes!
Types of vinegar! Have you ever taken a stroll down the oil and vinegar aisle in the grocery store or visited a specialty store? From your regular grocery store, some basics to try are red wine, rice, apple cider, or balsamic vinegars. The balsamic world alone contains a myriad of flavors that are guaranteed to keep you satisfied. For a little sweeter dressing, try fruit-infused balsamics such as fig, pear, or cherry. For a little kick, try pepper-infused oils. An all-time favorite is Persian Lime olive oil with fig balsamic.
Here are a few favorite recipes:
Lemon Garlic Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Whisk and serve.
Apple Cider Honey Mustard Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup plus 2 T apple cider vinegar (I love Braggs)
- ½ tsp (or more) honey (I love Canadian whipped honey)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Whisk and serve.
Fresh Herb Vinaigrette Dressing
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 8 tbsp red wine vinegar (or balsamic)
- ¼ cup fresh herbs
- Pinch of honey
- Salt/pepper
- Whisk together. (I like to use the mini food processor for this recipe!)
Lime Cilantro Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Pinch of honey
- Salt/pepper
- Whisk together. (I like to use the mini food processor for better mixing for this one).
- *For a creamier version, stir in 1 Tbsp sour cream, Greek yogurt, Crème Fraiche or avocado.
Creamy Greek Yogurt Herb Dressing
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Add herbs depending on what you are feeling! I like Greek seasoning blend, poppy seeds, dill, paprika, Fox Point Penzeys seasonings, turmeric, or even curry. Mix it up a little!