How to Make Salad Dressing - 9 Easy Recipes
Learn How to Make Salad Dressing with these 9 simple recipes perfect for salad lovers! Making homemade salad dressing is quick and easy with these small-batch recipes - each makes just one cup so you can try multiple flavors without waste.
Servings: 8 (Eight 2-tablespoon servings per 1 cup dressing)
Ingredients
Classic Ranch Salad Dressing
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons each chopped parsley and chives
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder
Homemade Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon each sour cream and olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Classic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Roasted Garlic Dressing
- 1 head garlic
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste
Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoons each of honey, Dijon mustard, white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
Asian Sesame Dressing
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Peanut-Lime Dressing
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons water
- juice of one lime
- 1 tablespoon each rice or white vinegar, chopped peeled ginger, soy sauce, and honey
Creamy Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup each buttermilk and sour cream
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 a lemon
- and salt and hot sauce to taste
Instructions
Classic Ranch Salad Dressing
- Whisk 1/3 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons each chopped parsley and chives, 1 teaspoon dried dill weed, 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. (You can sub 1 tablespoon each of dried parsley and chives for the fresh.) This is perfect for cobb salads, to dip fries in, over chicken salads, and most any other salads with romaine and other leaf lettuces as the base.
Homemade Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
- Blend 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoon each sour cream and olive oil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 clove garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a blender. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
Classic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
- Whisk 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil.
Roasted Garlic Dressing
- Slice the top off 1 head garlic; drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and roast at 400° until tender, about 35 minutes. Cool and then squeeze out the cloves. Blend the roasted garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste in a blender. Make a double batch and use part of it for a marinade for chicken breast. It’s also amazing on roasted vegetables.
Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
- Whisk 2 tablespoons each of honey, Dijon mustard, and white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil.
Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
- Whisk 2 teaspoon black poppy seeds, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil. This is great on salads with berries and other sweet fruits in them; it compliments them nicely.
Asian Sesame Dressing
- Whisk 2 tablespoons cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or other neutral oil), 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper to taste, and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. This dressing is also excellent on Asian-inspired noodle recipes and chicken salads.
Peanut-Lime Dressing
- Blend 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons water, the juice of one lime, 1 tablespoon each rice or white vinegar, chopped peeled ginger, soy sauce, and honey in a blender. This dressing is awesome on “quinoa” bowls (roasted veggies/protein/quinoa), and it’s also excellent on fish.
Creamy Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
- Whisk 1/4 cup each buttermilk and sour cream, 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and salt and hot sauce to taste. Here’s a little secret: If blue cheese is too strong for you, you can make this with crumbled feta for a more mild dressing that is still wonderfully creamy and cheesy. Dip everything in this including hot wings.
Video
Notes
Recipe Yield & Serving Size: Each recipe makes 1 cup of dressing. The nutrition numbers are calculated for the Basic Ranch Dressing, based on a serving size of 2 tablespoons, and there are 16 tablespoons in a cup. (You can use an app like MyFitnessPal to calculate for individual dressings as needed!)
Recipe Variations:
- As you get comfortable with making basic salad dressings, you can start being creative with different types of vinegar or dairy products and new herbs for bold flavors. Try anything that sounds good to your taste buds!
- Have a bit left in a jam jar that you don't want to waste? Mix your DIY dressing in the jar for a new flavor!
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Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 34g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 1146mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 913IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 1mg
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