Home made salad dressing ideas?

shirley_beans

I've been searching for a healthier salad dressing and have come to the conclusion that the only way to find one is to make it yourself! Even organic dressings, such as Annie's, are loaded with added sodium and sugar. So far I've tried equal parts half tablespoon olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing (only 60 calories!), which I love but don't want to get sick of. Any ideas for me?

sweet_basil

My dad makes homemade Italian dressing by using olive oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, basil, parsley and pepper.

It's all "to taste" in his mind, so really it's a matter of how vinegar-y or spicy you want it to be.

Lina4Lina

Try different types of vinegars. I have a raspberry vinegar that is lovely and sometimes I'll mix it, olive oil and frozen raspberries to make a dressing.

I also use salsa (which you can make as well) as dressing.

You can also sometimes find spice blends which you can mix into your dressing as well. Penzey's has some good ones.

shirley_beans

Thanks for the suggestions!

jimmeezwyf

Make a homemade ranch using nonfat milk and greek yogurt...:)

Ravenesque_

The only thing, ONLY THING, I have on my salad these days is a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.

I do buy a really expensive one though. For me, its worth it

Or you can mix balsamic vinegar with light salad cream and a hint of lemon juice for something thicker.

HellaCarriefornia

Sometimes I wisk a bit of mustard (I really love the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Honey Spice) into my oil & vinegar. It only adds a few calories and makes it a little creamy.

katy84o

I like to make a creamy balsamic dressing. I take about 1/4c plain greek yogurt, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 squirt of yellow mustard, whatever herbs you feel like tossing in, some black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Whisk together, pour over salad, enjoy!

cheshirechic

Olive oil and red wine vinegar with dijon mustard. Mustard is a natural emulsifier, so it blends easily. I'll also do the following combinations with olive oil:
Balsamic + fresh thyme + mustard + shallots
A teeny bit of sesame oil + apple cider vinegar + tamari
Lemon juice + pecorino romano
White wine vinegar + basil
Always add a little bit of salt and pepper to the dressing, unless you also season your greens.

Also, if you're making large quantities of your own dressings, you might want to get an immersion blender (the stick one, haha). You can use any blender, though.

mousepaws22

I haven't tried it yet but I've been told olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice is nice.

ebony__

I love just plain lemon juice on salad. Sounds boring but you'd be suprise how good it is

linz1125

There was actually a really great article in Clean Eating magazine talking about how to create your own salad dressings. Basically you take an oil, acid, and 2 flavorings to create a dressing to complement the flavors in the salad.

EVOO + White Wine Vinegar + Dijon mustard + Minced shallot or red onion
Sunflower oil + Red wine vinegar + minced garlic + grated parmasean (this sounds amazing)

so that just gives you an idea what you can do.

Once I put together some EVOO, apple cider vinegar, raspberries(pureed in the food processor) and lemon juice (could that be an acid too?). It worked really well.

Heather_Rider

The only thing, ONLY THING, I have on my salad these days is a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar.

I do buy a really expensive one though. For me, its worth it

Or you can mix balsamic vinegar with light salad cream and a hint of lemon juice for something thicker.

THIS, but I use one from Vermont Farms and its like $4 a bottle. 15 cal. per tablespoon... it reminds me of a salad you get at a really nice resturant. Totally made me fall in love with salads again.. when i thought i had just had one too many. LOL!

jonielena

Blend together olive oil, garlic, salt, and lemon or lime juice. Add a slice of avocado (not too much or it will be very thick) and a little bit of agave syrup.

This dressing is the best thing in the world. It's healthy, delish, and really creamy so you can trick yourself into thinking you're eating something unhealthy :P

I put it on top of a quinoa dish that I make with red quinoa, black beans, corn, orange slices, red onion, cilantro, and some cumin and lime juice. Sooo yummy!

LessStephMoreLove

I make one with:

- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive oil
- Rosemary
- thyme
- and cayanne pepper

It sounds strange but I like it. c:

photorific

Olive oil and red wine vinegar with dijon mustard. Mustard is a natural emulsifier, so it blends easily. I'll also do the following combinations with olive oil:
Balsamic + fresh thyme + mustard + shallots
A teeny bit of sesame oil + apple cider vinegar + tamari
Lemon juice + pecorino romano
White wine vinegar + basil

Those sound great!

missmgray

Blend together olive oil, garlic, salt, and lemon or lime juice. Add a slice of avocado (not too much or it will be very thick) and a little bit of agave syrup.

This dressing is the best thing in the world. It's healthy, delish, and really creamy so you can trick yourself into thinking you're eating something unhealthy :P

I put it on top of a quinoa dish that I make with red quinoa, black beans, corn, orange slices, red onion, cilantro, and some cumin and lime juice. Sooo yummy!

You are my hero! :happy: That sounds killer. I'll be making this over the weekend.

shirley_beans

Wow, what delicious ideas everyone! I'll absolutely try one of these suggestions for lunch tomorrow. Dijon mustard sounds like a great addition to olive oil and vinegar, and I love the idea of using Greek yogurt or avocado for creamier dressings.

jdwiebe

I like a spicy guacamole or hummus (or both) in place of dressing, or in addition to an oil/balsamic dressing. Tasty and nutritious too.

Jerseygirl248

Have you tried maple grove farms Honey Dijon? Only 35 cal for 2 TB. They have a great Raspberry Vinaigrette as well. Also here is one I make often:
Protein Ranch Dressing: (Serves 4)
1 Cup Cottage Cheese (Watch your label, sometimes low fat doesn't mean low calories and the regular cottage cheese is only a few cal. more)
3-4 tsp. Buttermilk Ranch Dressing mix or to taste (the powdered mix and not the dip package)
1/4 C. water (or milk if you prefer: Milk will add more calories) add more water if the consistency is too thick for your liking.

Add ingredients to blender or food processor magic bullet and blend until smooth. Per serving it is 55 cal, 2 carbs, 1 fat and 7 protein. This one is a family favorite.

Voncreepy2

I am hooked on litehouse kefir dressings in the refridgerator isle for storebought. For home, I like oil and vinegar and also do a club med salad with a lime vinagrette.
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 c. OJ
1 Tbls. honey or sweetener of choice to taste.
1 Tbls olive oil and 1 tsp of poopy seeds (optional)
pour over spinach or romaine, add some blue cheese and diced apples and walnuts sometimes I add chicken. My family loves it. A little high in sugar but perhaps you could alter it to fit your taste. I have also done this without the OJ and just used the lime juice or lemon juice. It's awesome.

phoenikia

I like topping my salads with white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, black pepper and fresh basil. I use equal parts vinegar to olive oil.

I also like making a olive oil, lime juice, cumin and chopped cilantro dressing.

I top cucumbers with a dressing made of light sour cream, vinegar, sugar and fresh chopped dill.

Tzatziki thinned out with a little vinegar, olive oil and water also makes a good dressing.

davidr730

I use the Good Season Italian seasoning but swap out the regular vinegar for Balsamic. It's a hit at me table.

eThought32

I use an all citrus blend. Fresh squeezed orange, lemon and lime juices. Add about a tbsp of olive oil, dash of kosher salt (or not, up to you) and enjoy. For extra sweetness, maybe a tsp or 2 of honey.