For many of us, salad is not the first thing we want on our menu. Through the years, I’ve learned that the trick to making salad craveable is all in the ingredients. Starting with fresh organic vegetables makes a huge difference, and a tasty dressing is the icing on the cake (Salad without dressing IS exactly like icing without cake, right?). So I wanted to make some easy formulas for you to make your own salad dressing from scratch, which honestly tastes way better than anything you can buy, and you know (and can pronounce) everything that goes in it. There’s a few little tricks to make it even better along the way, so be sure to watch the video!
How to Make Salad Dressing from Scratch
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp vinegar Balsamic for sweet. Apple cider for tangy. Red wine for tomatoes, bell peppers olives. Lemon for kale, bold salads
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard for flavor & creaminess
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup or honey for sweetness & balance
- 1 garlic clove minced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make it in the bottom of your salad bowl.Add all the ingredients & whisk until creamy.
- Add the salad ingredients on top. Don't toss until ready to serve.
Video
There are 2 basic salad dressings-Vinaigrette (mixture of salad oil and vinegar, flavored with herbs, spices, salt pepper, sweetener), and Cream (usually mayo, avocado, yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, or milk). So after you get used to these recipes you can get creative, keeping this in mind. The first recipe ▲ is a vinaigrette, and two recipes below ▼are both creamy dressings.
Green Goddess Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt whole milk
- 3/4 cup fresh herbs cilantro, parsley, dill, basil and/or mint
- 1/4 cup green onion or chives
- 1 large garlic clove roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth and green, with tiny flecks of herbs.
- Use plenty of salt & pepper to taste.
- Use as desired, cover, and refrigerate for later. This dressing will keep well in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
Avocado makes an amazing salad dressing ingredient! Which makes perfect sense, since it’s the foundation of guacamole, right?
Avocado Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy, about 30 secongs-1 minute.