When it comes to salad dressings, you can easily purchase the store-bought bottle versions. No doubt they are convenient and ready to mix with your favourite salad whenever you want. But let’s face it, these ready-made salad dressings are typically packed with lots of calories and have numerous additives as well. Fortunately, you can easily make different kinds of salad dressings at home and the ingredients themselves can be easily bought from supermarkets or online grocery stores. That being said, here are the 10 Salad Dressings You Can Make At Home in alphabetical order.
1) Balsamic Vinaigrette
Both fruity and tangy with a hint of sweetness, adding some balsamic vinaigrette to your salad makes it all the more appetising. The good news is, it’s easy to make at home.
Here’s how: Start by whisking together 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 clove of minced garlic as well as 1/2 teaspoonsof salt and black pepper. Of course, don’t forget to add in 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar, the main ingredient itself. Add 3/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and whisk all the ingredients until well combined and completely emulsified.
2) Caesar Salad Dressing
With the combination of its creaminess and garlicky flavour, no wonder the Caesar salad dressing ranks amongst the most popular dressings of them all.
To make some homemade caesar salad dressing, you only need 6 main ingredients: garlic, anchovy paste, lemon, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and parmesan. Using a medium bowl, combine 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste, 2 tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice as well as 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and 1 cup of mayonnaise. Whisk them all together and add in 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste and continue whisking until well combined.
Tip: If you can’t find the anchovy paste or are simply looking for another substitute, you can replace this ingredient with 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins).
3) Classic Greek Vinaigrette
Give your salad a flavourful, tangy punch with some classic Greek vinaigrette. Here’s how you can easily make it at home: Whisk 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar & freshly-squeezed lemon juice, 1 clove of minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1/2 cup of olive oil in a mixing bowl. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
Tip: You can also make your homemade classic Greek Vinaigrette creamier by either adding in some Greek yoghurt or feta cheese.
4) Honey Mustard Dressing
The word “appetising” is best described for honey mustard dressing, thanks to its sweet and sourish taste. Adding this to your salad or even other recipes such as sandwiches or wraps really helps to bring out the flavour. Here’s how you can make it on your own: In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cups of Dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, oil (olive oil or vegetable oil will do just fine) as well as salt and pepper to taste. Whisk them all together until well combined and that’s it, it’s ready to serve!
5) Italian Salad Dressing
Italian salad dressing isn’t just great for your salad mix but also good for other dishes, say grilled chicken. It’s easy to put them all together too. Simply combine 1/2 cup of red wine (or apple cider) vinegar, 1 1/2 cups of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and 1 clove of minced garlic. Whisk them together before adding salt and black pepper to taste.
6) Lemon Vinaigrette
When life gives you lemons, use them to make… lemon vinaigrette! You’ll be surprised how a simple, zesty punch of this dressing helps to elevate your salad mix. To make this, combine 1/4 cup of freshly-squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of grated lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 3 tablespoons of olive oil (you can also use the extra-virgin variety). Whisk everything until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7) Ranch Dressing
If you love your dressing creamy and savoury, you can’t go wrong with the good old ranch dressing. Perfect for salad, sandwiches and burgers, here is how you can make your own homemade version. First, combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1/4 cup of sour cream (you can substitute this with Greek yoghurt). Add in 2 teaspoons of dried chives, 1 tablespoon each of parsley & dill, 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of finely chopped onion. Whisk together with 1/2 cup of buttermilk (you can use regular milk too) until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8) Sesame Ginger Dressing
Here’s an Asian twist of a salad dressing you can try at home. It’s fresh, sweet, savoury, salty and zesty — the kind of combo that helps make your otherwise bland salad more flavourful. You need to combine 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of freshly-squeezed lime juice (you can use lemon too). Finally, add in 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 tablespoon of freshly grated/minced ginger.
9) Sweet Chilli Dressing
Can’t get enough of Asian salad dressings? Give this a try since it has that spicy-sweet flavour to make your salad a worthy appetiser. Making your own sweet chilli dressing is easy peasy too. For starters, combine 1/4 cup of sweet chilli sauce, 1/4 cups of rice wine (or apple cider) vinegar & vegetable (or extra virgin olive) oil, 1 tablespoon of freshly-squeezed lime (or lemon) juice, 1 clove of minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger. You can also combine 2 teaspoons of fish sauce if you prefer your sweet chilli dressing both salty and savoury.
10) Thousand Island Dressing
The bright orange dressing needs no introduction, given its versatility that helps elevate your salad mix. It also tastes good on sandwiches, burgers and even fries. To make your own homemade thousand island dressing, start by combining 1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise and 1/2 cup of ketchup in a mixing bowl. Add in 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, 3 tablespoons of sweet pickle relish, 1 1/2 tablespoons of finely minced onion and 1 large peeled hard-boiled egg. Mix everything until well combined. Don’t forget to season it with salt and pepper to taste.
Now that we have covered various types of salad dressings you can make at home, here’s an article about different kinds of potatoes best combined with salad!
