During our stay home time, I’m really trying to stay on top of our healthy eating habits. As most of you know by now, I’m not the chef (Paul has us covered there), but I am capable of not starving in a house full of food. I make salads for lunch just about every day. I’m one of those weirdos who really enjoys a big bowl of greens piled high with just about every veggie in the fridge. I’m not a huge fan of creamy salad dressings, although I do make an exception for blue cheese on an ice cold wedge. Homemade vinegar and oil based salad dressings can be a healthier (and less expensive) alternative and they pack lots of flavor. Whenever I post my salads on Instagram stories, I usually get a couple questions on the kind of dressing I use. So, I thought I’d compile my favorite dressings into one post! These 7 simple salad dressings are easy to make and can be made in advance. The proportions serve two people.
This first salad dressing recipe I can credit to my father-in-law. The first time I saw him make this over a simple head of iceberg lettuce, I didn’t think much of it. But then I tasted it, and it’s probably my favorite of them all. I love lemons and this one is bright and refreshing. I like to add a little parmesan cheese sometimes, too.
Lemon juice – 1 small lemon
Olive oil – ¼ cup
Cracked pepper – 1 tsp.
Garlic salt or powder – ¼ tsp. (I usually use powder for a low sodium diet)
The remaining salad dressing recipes are vinegar based – red wine, balsamic, and apple cider vinegar. The last recipe is technically a sauce that is really good over pork, but makes a great salad dressing leftover the next day.
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Red wine vinegar – 2 tbsp.
Olive oil – ¼ cup
Cracked pepper – 1 tsp.
Minced shallot – 1 tsp.
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Red wine vinegar – 2 tbsp.
Vegetable oil – ¼ cup
Dijon mustard – 2 tbsp.
Minced shallot – 1 tsp.
Cracked pepper – pinch
Salt – pinch
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Balsamic vinegar – 2 tbsp.
Olive oil – ¼ cup
Cracked pepper – 1 tsp.
Oregano – 1 tsp.
Salt – pinch
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Balsamic vinegar – 2 tbsp.
Olive oil – ¼ cup
Strawberry syrup – 2 tbsp.
Cracked pepper – 1 tsp.
Salt – pinch
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Apple cider vinegar – 2 tbsp.
Vegetable oil – ¼ cup
Cracked pepper – 1 tsp.
Minced shallot – 1 tsp.
Tarragon – ½ tsp.
Salt – pinch
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Apple cider vinegar – ¼ cup
Yellow mustard – ¾ cup
Brown sugar – 2 tbsp.
Hot sauce – 1 tsp.
Worcestershire – 1 tsp.
Vanilla extract – ½ tsp.
Cracked pepper – ½ tsp.
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Any of these salad dressings are good over pretty much any kind of lettuce or vegetable. Is there a right or wrong way to make a salad? Personally, I don’t think so. But my one rule of thumb is that any dressings where apple cider vinegar is the vinegar of choice, I prefer a salad with some kind of sweet element like strawberries, plums, or grapes with goat cheese or brie.
Here are a few of my favorite cookbooks for salad recipes or if you just need some inspiration:
Happy (and healthy) eating!
xo – Erin
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