Home made salad dressing ideas?

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shirley_beans
shirley_beans Posts: 65 Member
in Food and Nutrition
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?
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Replies

  • sweet_basil
    sweet_basil Posts: 25
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    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
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    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
    shirley_beans Posts: 65 Member
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    Thanks for the suggestions!
  • jimmeezwyf
    jimmeezwyf Posts: 140 Member
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    Make a homemade ranch using nonfat milk and greek yogurt...:)
  • Ravenesque_
    Ravenesque_ Posts: 257 Member
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    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
    HellaCarriefornia Posts: 102 Member
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    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
    katy84o Posts: 744 Member
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    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
    cheshirechic Posts: 489 Member
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    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. <3
  • mousepaws22
    mousepaws22 Posts: 380 Member
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    I haven't tried it yet but I've been told olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice is nice.
  • ebony__
    ebony__ Posts: 519 Member
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    I love just plain lemon juice on salad. Sounds boring but you'd be suprise how good it is
  • linz1125
    linz1125 Posts: 441 Member
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    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
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
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    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
    jonielena Posts: 29
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    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
    LessStephMoreLove Posts: 20
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    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
    photorific Posts: 577 Member
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    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
    missmgray Posts: 152 Member
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    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
    shirley_beans Posts: 65 Member
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    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
    jdwiebe Posts: 1
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    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
    Jerseygirl248 Posts: 13
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    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
    Voncreepy2 Posts: 1,450 Member
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    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.

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