5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes (2024)

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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!

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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.

5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes (2)

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.

5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes (3)

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!

5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes (4)

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

5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes (5)

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

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

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

4. Greek Yogurt Ranch DressingThis Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing isa cool, creamy, and tangy ranch dressing you can feel good about.[GET THE RECIPE.]

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

5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes (10)

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

Sesame Ginger Dressing

5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes (12)Lacey Baier

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

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Blending 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Calories 118 kcal

Equipment

*This post may contain affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter (can also use almond butter or tahini)
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Instructions

  • In a blender, combine all the ingredients.

  • Blend until smooth and fully pureed.

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

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 2 tablespoonCalories: 118 kcalCarbohydrates: 2 gFat: 11 gSaturated Fat: 1 gSodium: 115 mgPotassium: 16 mgSugar: 1 gVitamin C: 0.2 mgCalcium: 1 mgIron: 0.2 mg

Keyword healthy salad dressing, homemade salad dressing, salad dressing

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @asweetpeachef on Instagram so we can check it out.

This post contains affiliate links for products I use often and highly recommend.

5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest dressing for salad? ›

8 Simple and Healthy Salad Dressings
  1. Sesame ginger. This simple salad dressing doubles as an easy marinade for meat, poultry, or roasted veggies. ...
  2. Balsamic vinaigrette. ...
  3. Avocado lime. ...
  4. Lemon vinaigrette. ...
  5. Honey mustard. ...
  6. Greek yogurt ranch. ...
  7. Apple cider vinaigrette. ...
  8. Ginger turmeric.
Jul 27, 2023

What is the healthiest salad? ›

Best: Black Bean-and-Avocado Salad

The beans are a good source of disease-fighting antioxidants, and they have protein and fiber, as well as energy-boosting iron. Avocado adds creaminess and fiber. Plus, its fats help your body take in nutrients, including heart-healthy lycopene.

What is the healthiest oil for salad dressing? ›

Extra-virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest oils varieties, but it has a low smoke point; therefore, we recommend using it for raw food preparations (i.e. salad dressing) rather than cooking.

What is the unhealthiest salad dressing? ›

And at the top of that list? Caesar dressing. Made up of mayonnaise, cheese, salt and oil (and all too often, anchovies), Caesar tends to be one of the least healthy options out there. Those ingredients cause it to be high in both saturated fats and sodium.

What are the five types of salad dressing? ›

Types
  • Balsamic vinaigrette.
  • Blue cheese.
  • Boiled.
  • Caesar.
  • French.
  • Ginger.
  • Green goddess.
  • Italian.

Is salad with olive oil and vinegar healthy? ›

Yes, we're talking about oil and vinegar. More specifically, extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) and apple cider or red wine vinegar. “Olive oil and vinegar dressing offers the most potential benefit for those with prediabetes or diabetes,” notes integrative medicine physician Irina Todorov, MD.

Which is healthier mayonnaise or salad dressing? ›

Salad cream has around half the calories, and a third of the fat compared to mayonnaise. The sugar and salt are increased because of this, but not to the level of some other dressings we looked at. So, using a small amount of salad cream instead of mayonnaise could make quite a significant difference.

What is the healthiest lettuce to eat? ›

There are five different categories of lettuce: loose-leaf, cos/romaine, butterhead, crisphead, and asparagus-stem lettuce. Romaine lettuce and lettuce greens are the most nutritious types of lettuce.

What is the healthiest meat for salad? ›

Add one or more of these protein-rich foods to your salad: lean meat: chicken or turkey breast, lean steak. lower-fat cheese: light cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, feta, goat cheese. legumes: kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, white or black beans.

What to avoid in salad for weight loss? ›

Crunchy Noodles, Wontons, and Tortilla Strips

“Crunchy noodles are like eating chips,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It. All they add to your salad are calories (around 120 per half cup) and fat (half of those calories, at around 60 grams).

Which salad dressing is healthiest? ›

Generally speaking, the healthiest salad dressing will be a vinaigrette like balsamic or oil and vinegar, while Caesar, ranch or anything with the word “creamy” will be the unhealthiest.

What is the best vinegar for salads? ›

White wine vinegar

This vinegar has a much mellower flavor than red wine vinegar and lacks the sharp tang of its sister vinegar. White wine vinegar is best used with more delicate salads and any situation where you want to add a hint of vinegar, but do not want that flavor to overwhelm the dish.

Is ranch or caesar healthier? ›

While ranch dressing is the clear winner, Caesar, buttermilk, elderberry vinaigrette and bleu cheese dressing also appear in the top five. Are you a salad dressing fanatic? Here's everything you need to know about its impact on your health.

What are the most of the basic salad dressings used today? ›

In Western culture, there are three basic types of salad dressing: Vinaigrette; Creamy dressings, usually based on mayonnaise or fermented milk products, such as yogurt, sour cream (crème fraîche, smetana), buttermilk; Cooked dressings, which resemble creamy dressings, but are usually thickened by adding egg yolks and ...

What is the most popular salad dressing in the Midwest? ›

More than being uniquely American, ranch dressing has become the iconic condiment of the Midwest.

What is the most popular salad in the United States? ›

Caesar Salad

This classic salad is made with romaine lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese, and a creamy dressing made with anchovies, garlic, and lemon juice. It is a popular choice in many American restaurants and is often served as a side dish or a main course.

What salad dressing has the most fat? ›

"The higher fat, higher calorie creamy dressings such as Caesar, blue cheese or ranch pack about 110-120 calories and 12g fat per 2 tablespoons, which is almost double of some vinaigrettes," says Harris-Pincus.

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