Salads are healthy and delicious. They can add extra veggies to your diet, but sometimes a salad needs something extra to take it from good to great. What’s that “something”? A creamy dressing! Making salad dressings at home can help avoid added fat, calories, and preservatives in store-bought versions. Plus, these recipes are easy for anyone to cook!
#1 Creamy Lemon-Herb Dressing
This is one of my favorite salad dressings. It is light, creamy, and perfect for crisp greens. The added lemon juice makes it refreshing in the summertime. Creamy lemon-her dressing is an excellent base recipe for making homemade ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or vegan alternative)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or vegan alternative)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
#2 Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
For this simple and one of the well-known salad dressings, you will need the following:
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon of mustard
2 tablespoons of vinegar
Mix olive oil, honey, mustard, and vinegar in a small bowl. If you want to add some heat to this dressing (which I highly recommend), add some garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. This is a great dressing for people on a strictly plant-based diet.
#3 Greek Yogurt Parmesan Ranch
Greek yogurt is an excellent alternative to mayonnaise. It has less saturated fat and no cholesterol, but it still tastes good. This dressing is also dairy free, which makes it perfect for those with lactose intolerance or anyone who wants to keep their diet as clean as possible.
This salad dressing can be made in less than five minutes and is great on salads, pasta, and chicken.
You will need:
1 cup Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon of minced onion
1 teaspoon of salt and pepper, each
1/4 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, let it sit for at least thirty minutes, and enjoy!
#4 Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup honey (or substitute with agave or maple syrup)
Mix the ingredients until they’re well blended. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month. Use as a dressing on salads, or drizzle over roasted vegetables and grilled chicken.
#5 Sriracha Lime Vinaigrette
Whether making a simple chicken breast or a delicious steak, this citrusy dressing is the perfect accompaniment. Its tangy flavor and spicy kick are sure to spice up any dinner.
It also makes an excellent dipping sauce for vegetables or roasted nuts. The versatility of sriracha makes it the perfect ingredient for many dishes—and one that’s easy to make at home!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sriracha
1/4 cup of olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Like with all dressings, mix well, let sit – and nom!
#6 Citrus Tahini Salad Dressing
A good dressing should do more than coat your salad with flavor. It should enhance the flavor of the ingredients while also providing an element of texture. The Citrus Tahini Dressing is a great example of how you can use a dressing to make your salad even more delicious (and healthy) by bringing together a variety of flavors and textures. Essential fatty acids that tahini contains in high levels help boost memory and brain function, while protecting your body from premature aging.
Tahini is a paste made from toasted and ground sesame seeds, which gives this dressing its rich, nutty taste. It’s also packed with nutrients like protein, fiber, calcium, and iron. And while it may sound like peanut butter—which also contains protein—tahini has significantly less fat per serving than peanut butter: just 1 gram compared to 4 grams for every 28 grams of peanuts used in making peanut butter!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of cold water
1/4 cup Tahini
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons of orange juice
1 tablespoon of honey
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt, to taste
Combine all the ingredients, let it sit for thirty minutes, and dabble over your favorite veggies. And enjoy this king of salad dressings!
Conclusion
These healthy salad dressings are a quick and easy way to add flavor to your salads. You can whip up any of these in just minutes, which makes them perfect for busy days when you don’t have time to go out and buy premade bottles. If you want more homemade dressing recipes, check out our other articles on creating homemade versions of your favorite store-bought condiments!