Salad Dressing Recipes - Shameless Solicitation

I'm very partial to a simple sweet/sour vinaigrette dressing which is usually about a tablespoon of sugar or honey (flavourful honey works best of all) and maybe a third to half cup of white vinegar -- I think rice vinegar or sherry or something like that would probably work fine but I like to be able to taste the honey. Then about maybe a third cup of oil, a half tablespoon dijon mustard, blendy blend... perfect. It's great on cabbage slaw and insanely good on a leafy salad with sliced apples, dried cranberries, and a little blue cheese.

I also like a tofu caesar dressing, and you could probably find a ton of recipes online for that kind of thing, but for me it's about a third cup tofu crumbles and a half cup of plain yogurt (you can use nonfat, the point is this thins it out so greek yog wouldn't be ideal here) and a clove of garlic, some mustard, and enough lemon juice until this gets to tangy gorgeous dressing territory. (About one big lemon worth). [ETA: also some oil -- not much, maybe a tablespoon will help get this really silky.] If you have any nutritional yeast on hand that's a nice addition for the cheesy taste but not necessary. I like this one with romaine, cucumbers, and "bacon" croutons (bread cubes toasted in oven with a mix of oil and liquid smoke, seasoned with salt+pepper). This gets better in the fridge throughout the week so it's great to make a little jar of it and use it on lunches or speedy side salads -- esp. if you have a container of those croutons ready to go.

can't wait to see what other people come up with! your lime dressing sounds amazing. Now I want to try it on a quinoa salad!

If I want creammy (but not low fat) I take 1/2 C buttermilk, 1 C sour cream and toss it in the food processor with dill, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, chives, and sage.

I normally just mix 1 Tbsp GOOD olive oil with 3 tsp garlic infused red wine vinegar.

I like to mix dijon mustard with honey, acv, and black pepper. No measurement here, I just do it to taste.
Avocado mixed with greek yogurt is good, or a cup of greek yogurt and dry soup/dip mix, any flavor. I also like picante/salsa instead of salad dressing.

My 3 usual go to recipes are

French style: olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, salt
Pomegranate: pomegranate molasses, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt
Yoghurt: plain yoghurt, olive oil, mint, salt

Usually I use around 1teaspoon oil, then mix the other ingredients to taste. Sorry no exact recipes here. I'd also say that sherry vinegar and balsamic are good to throw into the mix for a change. Plus sometimes I add garlic or herbs. Salt is essential to make the oil mix with the other ingredients, but you only need a pinch.

I also like seafood sauce made with home made mayo, ketchup, mustard. But a bit too much fath for a normal day so I only have occasionally

Asian Sesame Dressing

4 T. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
2 t. fresh ginger (or 1 t. ginger powder)
2 t. sesame oil
1 clove garlic, peeled (use a small clove, or half of a large clove)
1 T. honey
2/3 C. olive oil

1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Chill before serving.

This is easy to make in a magic bullet rather then a blender, I'm no Paul Newman, but it's tasty!

One part red wine vinegar
Three parts olive oil
Garlic, pepper, red pepper, chili powder, paprika. Or honestly whatever spices I feel like at the time. The only two that consistently make it in there are garlic and pepper. The rest change from time to time.

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I prefer olive oil and vinaigrette dressings with lots of herbs. I found out that by adding high quality juice (like pomegranate) 50% vinaigrette and 50% juice , I cut the calories almost in half and it still tastes delicious.

I also make sesame green godess dressing.
I C low fat plain yogurt
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice
1/4 C sesame seeds (or tahini)
1/4 C finely chopped parsley
1 clove garlic
1 Tbl anchovies or fish sauce
1 Tbl sugar
1 Tbl tarragon
1/2 tsp mineral salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
blend till smooth. Tastes best after a few hours. You can add more of any of the above flavors according to preference. This is a fairly low fat, low calorie version.

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Thanks for all the great ideas! Can hardly wait to try them.

I've been using Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb and Unseasoned Rice Vinegar. Just sprinkle on the Mrs. Dash and then pour rice vinegar over. Zero calories, no sodium, and delicious.

White Balsamic Vinaigrette
http://soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2014/02/white-balsamic-vinaigrette.html
Makes approx. 1/2 cup

Ingredients

3 oz walnut oil
1 oz white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced (approx. 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp honey
1/8 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

Mix vinaigrette ingredients in a small mason jar. Secure with lid and shake until emulsified. Store remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week. Great over a spinach and mushroom salad.


Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing
Source: Soup Spice Everything Nice
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 lime, zest and juice
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
1 green onion, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.


Creamy Mexican Dressing
aka “El Chico Dressing” or “House Dressing”
Soup Spice Everything Nice blogspot
Makes 1/2 cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. paprika (sweet)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk and refrigerate. Taste after 2 hours and make any additions to taste. Return to refrigerator until serving.


Serve on taco salads or tacos. This dressing is also good as a dip for tortilla chips.

Note: Be sure to use a sweet paprika. I have used paprika that was not labeled hot but was hotter than normal and 1 tsp is too much. If you use hot or smoke paprika start adding paprika a little at a time tasting as you go.

Avocado Ranch Dressing
source: Soup Spice Everything Nice
Makes approx. 1 cup

Ingredients

1/2 medium/large avocado
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup light sour cream
2 Tbsp low fat buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cilantro, minced
1 tsp green onion, minced
1/2 tsp dill, minced
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
Dash black pepper
A sprinkle cayenne pepper

Directions

Place the avocado in a bowl and mash with a fork until it is smooth. Add in the rest of the ingredients. Stir until everything is mixed well. Place, covered in the refrigerator to let flavors blend. Serve as a salad dressing or dipping sauce.


Balsamic Vinaigrette
Makes approx. 1/2 cup

Ingredients

3 oz olive oil
1 oz Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced (approx. 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp basil, chopped
Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

Mix vinaigrette ingredients in a small mason jar. Secure with lid and shake until emulsified. Store remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week.


Balsamic and Caper Vinaigrette
Makes 1 cup; Serves 8

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp water
1/2 cup olive oil
1 package Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing
& Recipe Mix
2 Tbsp capers, drained

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a cruet or mason jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well blended.

Refrigerate unused portion for up to 4 weeks. Ingredients in dressing will separate when refrigerated, especially the olive oil. To reuse, let dressing stand at room temperature about an hour and then shake just before serving.


Fire Roasted Tomato Dressing
Soup Spice Everything Nice blogspot
Makes 2 cups

1 can (14.5 oz) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. light mayonnaise

Place all ingredients in a blender; cover and process until blended.

Nutrition Facts: 2 Tbsp. equals 7 cal., 0.3 g fat, 0.3 chol., 91.4 mg sodium, 1.1 g carb., fiber 0.2 g, protein 0.2 g.

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