Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

salad dressings

Never buy salad dressing again. Learn to make your own with our salad dressing recipes and transform your salads.   By making your own you also ensure that they are kept healthy.   

Bought salad dressings contain extra salt and additives.   The creamy ones  have high levels of fat.  They also contain water which can make your salad leaves go limp and lifeless.

A good homemade salad dressing will have lots of flavor to lift your salad, but also less calories to keep your salad healthy.   How often have we chosen a salad because it’s a healthy choice, then spoilt it all with a high fat dressing.


How to Make your Salad Dressings Healthier

  1. Substitute full fat sour cream for the low fat variety.
  2. Use fat free mayonnaise.
  3. Reduce the amount of oil to ¼ cup.
  4. Reduce the amount of dressing used to dress your greens.  They don’t need to be swimming in it.
  5. Replace up to two-thirds of the oil with a combination of chicken broth and fruit juice.
  6. Decrease the oil and increase the amount of vinegar or lemon juice.


Salad Dressing Recipes

Balsamic Dressing

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon French mustard
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic

Makes ½ cup

Whisk the vinegar and mustard in a small jug. Gradually beat in the oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cut the garlic in half, skewer on a toothpick and place in the dressing. Leave for at least 1 hour so that the flavor of the garlic is infused into the dressing.



Honey Mustard Dressing

½ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grain mustard

Place ingredients in a screw-top jar. Season with salt and pepper and shake well. This dressing can be made in advance. When ready to use just shake before using.



Classic Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon sugar

Makes 1/3 cup

Put the oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar in a small jug. Whisk with a small wire whisk until well blended and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. This dressing suits all leafy and mixed salads.



Greek Lemon & Oregano Dressing

1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 small clove crushed garlic
1 tablespoon chopped oregano
¼ teaspoon caster sugar

Makes 1/3 cup

Combine ingredients in a screw top jar and shake. Serve with Greek salad.



Honey Balsamic Dressing

¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons honey

Makes 1/3 cup

Place ingredients in a jar and shake well until combined. Serve with a rocket mixed salad.



Italian Dressing

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Makes ½ cup

Place vinegar, olive oil and sugar a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the basil and leave to stand for 15 minutes.



Ranch Style Dressing

1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
¼ cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon seeded mustard
1 small clove crushed garlic

Mix ingredients together. Use with potato salad.

Makes 2/3 cup



Thousand Island Dressing

½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon French mustard
2 teaspoons chilli sauce

Mix together in a jug and stir. Serve with seafood salad.

Makes ½ cup



Tips for a Great Salad Dressing

  • Use 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar for a vinaigrette
  • To get the best flavor use good quality oil and vinegar
  • To combine the ingredients place in a screw top jar, whisk in a jug or process in a blender.


» » Salad Dressing Recipes



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