Easy-To-Make Salad Dressing Recipes That Are Delish

Who doesn’t love a nice refreshing salad? It’s one of our fav things to throw together. Yummy, straight-from-the-vegetable-stand veggies plus tasty dressings. A healthy appetizer or meal that your mind and body will totally thank you for. Fuel food is what we call it.

But one thing that we don’t consider fuel food is the high caloric, high sugar salad dressings offered in the markets. Oftentimes, they add a surplus of flavor, taking away from that of the vegetables. And, they’re pretty difficult to spread considering their thickness.

Instead of shopping at the grocery store for your dressings, we’d like to suggest a different direction: Making them at home. The zest and zing provided from a thorough mix of at-home ingredients can go a long way. In fact, once you start home-making them, you’ll probably never resort to store bought options ever again.

To get you off on the right foot, we’ve decided to compile a short list of suggestions. Try ‘em out and let us know which is your preferred choice.

Creamy Italian Dressing

This creamy Italian dressing recipe is a staple. It covers all the bases. Not only will the ingredients elevate your taste buds, allowing you to enjoy every crunchy bite, but they’ll also produce a delightful fragrance when mixed together. If something tastes and smells good, we’re totally in!

Ingredients:

•  ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely mince
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp honey
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few tablespoons of water for thinning, if applicable

 Instructions:

1.  Add all ingredients to a large mason jar and shake very well until combined.
2. Store in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
3. Shake well before serving.
4. If the dressing is too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time until you have the consistency you desire.

Bacon Dressing 

Did somebody say bacon? In a dressing? Oh, how delightful. The fatty, savory meat makes any concoction taste delicious. Our mouths are watering right now just thinking about it.

Please note: This recipe is the entire salad. The pieces of this food puzzle fit together so nicely. You’ll enjoy it from the first bite all the way down to the last.

Ingredients:

•  3 strips bacon
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp chopped capers
• 1 tsp whole-grain mustard
• 1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp finely minced fresh chives
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 5 oz baby spinach leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Instructions:

1.  Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once until very crisp, 7-9 minutes.
2. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Spoon up 1 Tbsp of the remaining drippings and add them to a small measuring cup with olive oil.
4. Whisk together vinegar, capers, mustard, egg, and oil mixture in a large salad bowl.
5. Stir the chives and parsley in.
6. Add the spinach to the bowl and toss to coat.
7. Finely chop the bacon and sprinkle over the top of the salad.
8. Season to taste.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Do you want to add a little zing and zang to your salads? If so, a lemon recipe will get you there in no time. Add a little bit of garlic and Dijon and you’ll have yourself a #1, top tasting go-to. This one is at the top of our list, and we’re sure it’ll show off it’s prime reputation with your taste buds, too.

Ingredients:

•  ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp honey or maple syrup
• ¼-½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp fresh or dried thyme

 Instructions:

1.  In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and honey/maple syrup.
2. Drizzle in olive oil while whisking. Continue to whisk until dressing is emulsified.
3. If the dressing is too tangy, add olive oil to taste.
4. Add thyme if desired.
5. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Buttermilk Ranch

Another full salad recipe to the rescue! Throw together the dressing and the “meat” of the meal at the same time. But instead of bite-sized pieces, this one will focus on a lettuce wedge. We love this kind of placement, as it’s aesthetically pleasing. Time to get to crunching.

Ingredients:

•  ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 3 Tbsp buttermilk
• Black pepper to taste
• ½ head iceberg lettuce, cut into 2 wedges
• 2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated

 Instructions:

1.  Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, and chives in a medium bowl and stir until smooth.
2. Finely chop garlic and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
3. Smash the garlic with the flat side of a knife until it becomes a paste, then add to the dressing.
4. Stir in buttermilk, ½ tsp of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
5. Refrigerate until use.
6. Place lettuce wedges on a plate.
7. Spoon some of the dressing on top, sprinkle cheese, and add more chives.
8. Serve.

Berry Poppy Seed

For all you peeps that love a good fruity salad dressing, this berry poppy one has you and your sweet tooth covered. With the slight tartness from the Greek yogurt and the pinch of salt added in, the flavors balance themselves out. Each bite will taste so scrumptious, you’ll want to help yourself to seconds.

Ingredients:

•  ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup store-bought raspberry or blackberry jam
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juiceKosher salt
• Pepper
• 1 tsp poppy seeds

 Instructions:

1.  In a blender, puree the yogurt, jam, oil, lemon juice, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt and pepper.
2. Once creamy, transfer to a bowl and stir in poppy seeds.