Homemade salad dressing

nleopard13

Hi all. I am turning to lots of vegetables to help my weight loss goals. Had some success two years ago. PROBLEM: I love a well dressed salad. Tried doing a homemade dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. It was ok, but it’s getting a little old already two weeks in. Any good homemade salad dressing recipes out there? Low cal? Or other thoughts to replace my satiation?

wizzybeth

Experiment with different types of vinegar

DeviatedNorm

I like using different balsamic vinegars -- spicy, fruity ones are probably my favorite. But orange juice or lime juice on its own works really well too. For an add of creamy, mix with some plain greek yogurt and add some spices.

livingleanlivingclean

I mush up avocado with salt, mustard, spices, and enough acv to make a slush on the chopping board- its yum!
Another yoghurt vote for creamy dressings

lemmie177

I've been using this one for like 2 months straight: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/14297/asian-coleslaw/

You have to like raw ginger and garlic though. I use peanut powder instead of PB, 1/3 the oil, and substitute a portion of sugar w/ stevia,

alicebhsia

my favorite go to homemade salald dressing is lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, canola oil, salt, pepper, a decent amount of thyme, and a bit of sugar or honey. you need to use the canola oil, it tastes much better than the olive oil. another favorite is sesame oil, white vinegar and fresh pureed garlic. (i haven't made this one in a while and i forget if i add sugar to it or not.) it's great on plain romaine.

w8goal4life

I agree with others...the infused vinegars are tasty and lo cal. I particularly like the grapefruit balsamic vinegar (sounds sour...but is sweet) and the raspberry balsamic vinegar...both of which can be used solely on their own or paired with a lemon infused olive oil. For the lo cal option, I'm just fine with the infused vinegars without any oil. For an Asian flavor, try any of the rice vinegars (some are seasoned and some not) paired with just a couple of drops (go light) of sesame oil.

BCxLacedUp

This coleslaw/dressing combo is delicious! I’m sure the dressing would be tasty on other salads as well, although I have never calculated how many calories per serving it has.

lorrpb

yogurt & avocado

OldHobo

I am among those who add yogurt for a creamy effect but have been thinking of plant-based alternatives and plan to experiment with silken tofu after next grocery trip. Also lately have been adding crushed pecans to dressing; needs to be shaken well before use though.

vegan4lyfe2012

Another tasty substitute is using a delicious salsa!

laur357

Extra virgin olive oil, lime juice, lime zest, chili powder, garlic powder, salt/pepper - a drizzle of honey if it's too tart
Also a good marinade for grilled chicken and flank steak!

kemoon0915

3 ounce, Frozen Avocado Halves mashed
9 oz., Greek Fat Free Yogurt
3 tbsp, Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
0.50 tbsp, Spices, dill weed, dried
0.25 tsp(s), Salt
0.25 tsp, ground, Spices, pepper, black

4 servings, comes out to 83 calories 4 grams of fat and 7 grams of protein a serving.
You might need to adjust the lemon juice and salt and pepper to your taste as I don't always really measure those, just add until it's right.
Also, I make this without the avocado for a good tangy dip for raw veggies

beaglady

Greek yogurt is a good sub for mayonnaise in creamy dressings.

w8goal4life

This was my grandmother's recipe for a Sweet Onion Dressing. I would not consider it lo-cal...but, then again, it all depends on how much you use:

.5 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup Vegetable Oil
.667 cup Granulate Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
.5 teaspoon Pepper
1 medium Onion
1 teaspoon Celery Salt
2 teaspoons dry or prepared Mustard (I prefer the dry mustard)

Thoroughly blend all ingredients in blender. Stores in refrigerator without separating for several weeks.

bisky

I like hummus for a salad dressing....I make my own and thin it down a bit for salad dressing in the vita mix....I add things like olives instead of olive oil or roasted red peppers & smoked papirka or pesto and hummus. When I make hummus in the vita mix about 1/4 of it sits at the bottom of vitamix so then I add water to make my salad dressing and to not waste the hummus.

rheddmobile

Your basic dressing starts with an oil and a sour note. Try sesame oil, mayonnaise, or mashed avocado, for example instead of olive. Sour notes include vinegars, citrus juices, yogurt, buttermilk. Then consider savory notes, such as garlic, soy sauce, capers, peanut butter, or roasted peppers, and sweet notes such as honey, maple syrup, flavored vinegars, or a spoonful of jam or jelly. Then consider herbs or spices. Don't forget salt and heat!

For different ideas, think about your favorite foods and the complete flavor profile, so for example you might end up with a Thai dressing made with sesame oil, soy, lime juice, peanut butter, red pepper, garlic, and ginger. If you wanted a more Indian flavor, leave out the soy and add garam masala. Or a Mexican dressing with sour cream and lime juice. There are literally infinite ideas, as long as you keep in mind the balance between your basic flavors, just throw stuff in there and be adventurous.

Evamutt

not home made but my favorite dressing is Ken't lite northern italian. I don't like italian dressing but love this one.2 Tbl is 45 cal

Francl27

Red wine vinegar with some Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Lots of flavor, doesn't even need oil.

mjwarbeck

I keep it simple. Olive oil, basalmic (often flavoured...currently have a fig version) and flavoured salts.

r3488

Not sure how low cal you're after and I like my salad dressing sweet. Here's my tweaked copycat version of the maple vinaigrette dressing on Chick-Fil-A's superfood side salad:

5 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil (I use the Pompeian extra light tasting; I don't like the flavor of EVOO.)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper (I'm not a big fan of pepper.)

Experiment and change it up to suit your tastes.

kbeyer23

I am a dressing fanatic too- and i looove a good creamy dressing for salad and wrapd and dipping vaggies, etc.
This is my go-to ranch- it's like 25 calories for 2 Tbsp!
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup buttermilk
1 pkt ranch dressing mix
Whisk together and voila! Hidden valley ranch brand has lots of varieties, too. Or you can make your own- I often add cilantro to mine.

try2again

Great ideas! Without doing the trial & error thing myself, does anyone have a version of blue cheese dressing that they like?

ckozbial

I love the honey mustard Dressing from this site! The lemon vinaigrette and Italian are pretty nice too!
https://wholefully.com/healthy-salad-dressing-recipes/

mic1018

This one sounds a little crazy....but try it! It's amazing.

I use Low Calorie Cucumber dressing and add wasabi paste until I get the spice level I like.

I call it Cusabi Dressing! The wasabi adds a bit of spice and the cucumber is cool and refreshing.....great combo.

WilmaValley

What great ideas, thanks!

mreichert59

I found a salad dressing at Walmart it is called Walden Farms they have different flavors i got the bacon ranch, ranch, thousand island and honey Dijan. Believe it or not it has nothing in it but sodium. Thats all there is. I tried it and it is great. It tastes just like the regular salad dressings. The only difference i see is it is not as thick as the regular creamy dressings. I use it on salad as a dip for my veggies. Try it you'll like it i did

alcc23

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 and 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste

This dressing is soooo good! I have a hard time getting tired of it:) I also usually double or triple it and keep it in a mason jar in my fridge for a few days to a week. Just need to shake before using

Leannep2201

I do a really simple one that my daughter and I both love:

Red wine vinegar
Liquid honey
Whole grain mustard.

Just play around with the quantities until you get the taste (and calories!) that you want.
Yum!!!

bvff35

Cottage cheese mixed with a little yellow mustard. I also do olive oil with Italian seasoning sometimes.

Nikion901

Sorry, ... I never tire of some good tasting oil and vinegar on my salad veggies. Sometimes with seasoning and spices, sometimes not. Not a fan of dressed hot vegetables so don't ever even thing about salad dressing for them ...