How to Make Homemade Salad Dressing + 5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

Wanting to eat healthier and enjoy more salads?  Try these 5 easy and heathy salad dressing recipes plus get tips for how to make homemade salad dressing!  You’ll never buy the store-bought stuff again!

I’m such a fan of homemade salads — they’re easy to make, great for meal prep (looking at you, Mason Jar Salads!), filling, and super tasty!

When it comes to salad dressings, there are so many different options and flavors, sometimes, I even find it difficult to pick one to put on my salad. So, I’m sharing with you not just one, not two, but 5 of my current faves!

One of the biggest annoyances about starting to eat healthy is the misinformation out there about store-bought salad dressings.  Sadly, there are so many unhealthy and unnecessary ingredients in most store-bought salad dressings.  This is a great example of what’s so important to pay attention and read the labels because there are hidden sugars, salts, fats, and other chemicals that can easily be avoided by making your own salad dressing at home.  More on that in this post.

WHAT TYPES OF SALAD DRESSINGS ARE THERE?

While it may seem like there are a TON of salad dressing types out there, try to think of it like there are actually two basic types of salad dressings. First off, we have vinaigrettes, which are simple salad dressings based on the mixture of oil and vinegar. The other type is made up of creamy salad dressings, which often use mayonnaise or other milk products, such as yogurt or sour cream as the base.

WHAT IS A VINAIGRETTE?

Ever wondered what makes it a vinaigrette?  Well, a vinaigrette is made by mixing oil with something acidic. In most cases, it’s either vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice.

When it comes to the kind of oil, you can use pretty much any tasty oil you like. I love using olive oil that is full of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances. Once you’ve got your base, feel free to add herbs and spices for some extra flavor.

HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSING

You made extra? No worries! Whether you made a vinaigrette or a creamy salad dressing, you can safely store it in the fridge and use throughout the week.  This makes homemade salads way easy!

When storing homemade salad dressing, make sure you transfer it to a glass jar and cover it with a tight lid before placing in the fridge. Glass is a much better choice for storing your homemade salad dressing than plastic containers, so go get those mason jars!

HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSING LAST?

When stored properly, in a glass jar with a tight lid, homemade salad dressing can easily last up to a week in the fridge. If you’ve made a vinaigrette, even up to two weeks which makes salads and homemade salad dressings a great choice for your meal prep.  Make sure to store any dairy-based salad dressings in the refrigerator so they don’t spoil.

5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

1. Lemon Vinaigrette – This Lemon Vinaigrette has a combo of lemon and honey and is so vibrant, tart, and sweet all at the same time.  So good! [GET THE RECIPE.] 

2. Honey Mustard Dressing – This Honey Mustard Dressing is so dang good and only requires 4 simple ingredients. [GET THE RECIPE.]  

3. Avocado Dressing – This Avocado Dressing is my go-to for cobb salads and is so creamy and delicious.  [GET THE RECIPE.]  

4. Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing – This Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing is a cool, creamy, and tangy ranch dressing you can feel good about.  [GET THE RECIPE.]  

5. Sesame Ginger Dressing – I love this Sesame Ginger Dressing because the flavors are so vibrant and delicious.  

4.5 from 2 votes

Print

Sesame Ginger Dressing

Prep Time

5 mins

Blending

5 mins

 

I love this Sesame Ginger Dressing because the flavors are so vibrant and delicious.  

Categories: Clean Eating. Gluten-Free, Salad, Salad Dressing, Sauce

Difficulty: Easy

Keyword: healthy salad dressing, homemade salad dressing, salad dressing

Servings: 10

Calories: 118 kcal

Author: Lacey Baier

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 tbsp peanut butter (can also use almond butter or tahini)
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

1. In a blender, combine all the ingredients.

2. Blend until smooth and fully pureed. 

3. Can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Sesame Ginger Dressing

Amount Per Serving (2 tbsp)

Calories 118 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Sodium 115mg5%

Potassium 16mg0%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Sugar 1g1%

Vitamin C 0.2mg0%

Calcium 1mg0%

Iron 0.2mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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