6 Simple Salad Dressings

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Summer is coming, and I don’t know about you, but for me that means salads.  ALL the salads! I love salads any time of the year, but come summer, I can’t get enough of them.  Everything from Strawberry Spinach Salads to Asian Cabbage Salads; Cilantro-Lime Cucumber Salads to Sirloin Steak and Arugula Salads… and more. I love them all!

What I don’t love about some salads, however, are the dressings.  Not my dressings of course, but the dressings you buy at the grocery store.  So many of them are full of additives, preservatives, and unpronounceable ingredients.  Luckily, that problem is easily solved… make your own dressing.  

I’ll be honest, my go-to is often just some kind of oil and vinegar combination, or maybe some lemon or lime juice.  I keep several different oils and vinegars in my pantry and refrigerator, so it’s easy to put together a plethora of different combinations (rice vinegar, sesame oil, and lime juice anyone?).  On any given day I generally have:

  • Coconut Oil

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Sesame Oil

  • Avocado Oil

  • Red Wine Vinegar

  • Apple Cider Vinegar

  • Balsamic Vinegar

  • Rice Wine Vinegar

Granted, I enjoy cooking and experimenting with different foods, so you may not have all of these oils and vinegars around your house… yet. 

I don’t always just blend ingredients together on the fly, sometimes I do use a recipe (at east as a base), so I wanted to share some of my favorite dressing recipes. Each recipe makes a different number of portions, so if you want to make them ahead of time feel free to double the recipes.  Just store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  If the dressings thicken when cold, remove and let sit at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes and stir before serving.

Below you'll find recipes for a Basic Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette, Citrus Vinaigrette, Creamy Garlic Dressing, Ginger-Sesame-Miso Dressing, and Tahini Dressing. Enjoy!

Basic Vinaigrette
(Makes about 8 servings, 2 Tbsp. each)

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Himalayan salt
1 tsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. chopped fresh herbs (like basil, oregano, parsley, or dill)(to taste; optional)

Place oil, vinegar, salt, honey, lemon juice and herbs (if desired) in small bowl; mix well.
 

 Balsamic Vinaigrette
(makes about 4 servings, 2 Tbsp. each)

3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. raw honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Combine vinegar, lemon juice, honey, and mustard in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Slowly add oil while whisking; mix well.
 

Citrus Vinaigrette
(Make aprox 4 servings, 2 Tbsp. each)

3 Tbsp. fresh 100% orange juice
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. raw honey
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Combine orange juice, lemon juice, and honey in a medium bowl, whisk to blend. Stir in mustard; mix well. Slowly add oil while whisking; mix well.
 

Creamy Garlic Dressing
(Makes about 10 servings, 2 Tbsp. each)

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. Himalayan salt
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)

Place oil, vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, salt, mustard, and honey in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. 
 

Ginger-Sesame-Miso Dressing
(Makes about 8 servings, 2 Tbsp. each)

2 Tbsp. Miso paste
½ cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos
¼ cup sesame oil
1 tsp. chopped ginger
¼ cup water

Place miso, vinegar, Braggs Liquid Aminos, oil, ginger, and water in blender or food processor; blend until smooth. 
 

Tahini Dressing
(Makes about 4 servings, 2 Tbsp. each)

2 Tbsp. tahini
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, smashed
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. honey (optional)

Mix together tahini, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper, and honey (optional). Slowly whisk in olive oil until combined.