Bright and colourful, these homemade salad dressing recipes will help you create delicious salads. Make them over the weekend and store them in the fridge. Enjoy a variety of salads throughout the week.
Eating healthy salads every day is a big challenge. And a larger challenge is how to make a variety of tasty salad dressings at home from scratch.
We have got for you the best tried and tested salad dressing recipes that you can use in a million creative ways including these 20+ Best Salad Recipes.
Here are the REASONS TO LOVE Homemade Dressing:
- easy to make in small batches
- made with quality ingredients
- gluten and preservative-free
- no artificial flavour or colour
- highly customizable
- meal-prep friendly
I think homemade salad dressings are better any day than store-bought ones.
The Essentials For Salad Dressing
- Clean and dry jars with a tight-fitting lid. I try to use glass jars that are easy to carry and can be stored in the fridge.
- A good quality extra virgin olive oil. Do not compromise on the olive oil’s quality while dressing at home.
- Loads of fresh herbs. If you are looking for a flavoursome salad dressing, keep fresh herbs handy while making them.
- Freshly crushed pepper. The powdered black pepper is a big NO for salad dressings. Try to use crushed pepper for a better taste and texture.
- Measuring cups and spoons. You need to be accurate with the quantity of the ingredients. It is best to measure each ingredient precisely for the best salad dressing.
My Best Salad Dressing Recipes
1) Classic Vinaigrette – It is one of the basic salad dressing recipes. So simple to prepare, perfect for light and hearty salads. Good quality olive oil and vinegar are the key ingredients for a perfect vinaigrette.
Add the precise olive oil and vinegar for the right texture and balanced flavour.
The classic vinaigrette is naturally gluten-free and vegan-friendly.
Use Classic Vinaigrette:
- Fruit Salad
- Lentil Salad
- Chickpea Salad
- Fattoush Salad
- Mixed Beans Salad
- Herbed Potato Salad
- Tropical Pineapple Salad
Classic Vinaigrette Recipe
- wire whisk
Ingredients
- ¾ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ¼ Cup White Wine Vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix, optional
- 1 clove garlic crushed/grated
- 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, and garlic cloves.
- Season with salt, pepper and Italian herbs mix.
- Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream and whisk the dressing until emulsified nicely.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Shake well before using the dressing.
Recipe Notes:
- If Dijon mustard is not available you can use either yellow mustard or the honey mustard paste for the recipe.
Nutrition
2) Italian Dressing: We all need a good Italian dressing recipe. Because it makes any salad so delicious, the creamy texture of the dressing comes from the parmesan cheese.
This is quite a versatile dressing that can be used for pasta salads, Caesar salads, or a simple BLT kind of salad.
I must tell you, this one is not an authentic Italian dressing but a tweaked version of the classic dressing.
You can customize its taste as per your preference by adding fresh herbs, minced shallots, or dried seasoning.
Use Italian Dressing:
- Caesar Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Summer Pasta Salad
Italian Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic crushed/grated
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb mix
Instructions
- Whisk mayo, cheese, garlic, and vinegar in a bowl.
- Season with salt, pepper and Italian herbs mix.
- Add the olive oil and whisk the dressing once again to mix nicely.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
Recipe Notes:
- The recipe yields approximately 1 Cup of Italian dressing.
Nutrition
3) Asian Dressing: Craving sweet, savoury, and spicy salad. This Asian dressing will satisfy all your umami cravings.
What is so unique about my signature Asian salad dressing? I have added peanut butter to it. And trust me; it takes the flavour of the sauce to another level.
The only tipping point while making this dressing is the amount of salt added. The peanut butter and soy sauce have some tone of saltiness. So add the salt cautiously.
Use Asian Peanut Butter Dressing:
- Crispy Noodle Salad
- Noodle Salad
- Mango Salad
- Thai Salad
Asian Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Salt to taste
- 1 clove of garlic crushed/grated
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except garlic in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined and smooth.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Shake the dressing well before pouring over the salad.
Recipe Notes:
- You can add finely chopped red chillies as well in this dressing.
This recipe yields approximately 1 Cup of salad dressing.
Nutrition
4) Honey Mustard Dressing: Over the years I have been obsessed with honey mustard dressing.
I love to add it to my salads, sandwich filling, and technically anything, that requires the punch of mustard with a dash of sweetness. On many occasions, I serve it with deep-fried snacks as a dipping sauce.
Finally, I am so glad that I have a foolproof honey mustard salad dressing recipe.
Try to use a good quality mustard paste and honey to make this dressing. The quality of ingredients really matters for the taste and texture of the dressing.
Use Honey Mustard Dressing: Dipping Sauce, Meat Marination, Sandwich Dressing
Honey Mustard Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Dijon Mustard
- ¼ Cup Honey
- ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a blender.
- Pulse until smooth and nicely mixed.
- Transfer to a clean and dry jar.
- Shake well before using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition
5) Balsamic Vinaigrette – Ditch the store-bought over-sweetened balsamic vinaigrette and try this super awesome dressing recipe.
It is bold, distinct, and just perfect for robust salads. The better the quality of the balsamic vinegar more flavorsome is the dressing.
All I would suggest, the balsamic vinaigrette flavor gets better with time. Prepare the vinaigrette for at least a few hours before using it. I usually prepare it over the weekend and use it over the next few days.
Use It: Fresh Strawberry Salad, Fruit Salad, Meat Marination, BBQ Marination
Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic crushed or grated
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake until well combined.
- Keep in the fridge and let flavors mature for atleast 30 minutes.
- Shake well once again before using the dressing.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition
6) Green Goddess Dressing: It is one of the coolest, refreshing, and creamiest salad dressing recipes.
My green dressing recipe is loaded with plenty of fresh herbs. Any kind of green herb – mint, kale, parsley, basil, or tarragon can be used to make this vibrant dressing.
My version of green goddess dressing is without any anchovy paste. That makes it a pure vegetarian salad dressing.
Use Green Godess Dressing:
- Dipping Sauce
- Healthy Chana Salad
- Chicken Pasta Salad
Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Cup fresh coriander leaves
- ¼ Cup mint leaves
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¾ cup eggless mayonnaise
- Juice of one lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend or pulse until you get an evenly smooth dressing, about 30-45 seconds.
- Serve as a dip, or toss with salad greens for a dressing.
- The dressing should last about a week in the fridge.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition
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Nupur says
For how many days we can store these dressings
Hina Gujral says
You can easily store them for 6 – 7 days in the fridge.
RB says
Green goodness dressing has Mayonaisse and is not a vegetarian salad dressing.
Hina Gujral says
It has an eggless mayonnaise so I guess that makes it vegetarian.
Pamela says
I love that these recipes make just 1 cup or so of dressing, making it easier to use them up and to use different dressings now and then. If you make a lot, you get stuck with it!! Your Green Goddess Dressing is so interesting….
Hina Gujral says
I am so happy that you liked them. Thank you!
seema says
Love the salad dressing recipes.
I would definitely make all .
Thanks for sharing..
Ritu Khandelwal says
Loved your salad dressings. Have been looking for perfect recepies which could be developed at home.
Hina Gujral says
These dressings are easy to make at home and can be stored as well.