Salad dressing can make or break the healthiness of your salad, but store-bought options often contain questionable ingredients. Luckily, there's a solution: homemade dressings that are quick, easy, and packed with wholesome ingredients. By making your own dressings, you'll have full control over what goes into them, ensuring that your salad stays nutritious and delicious.
The majority of homemade dressings are made with olive oil, which is rich in flavour and contains heart-healthy lipids. For a velvety smoothness and protein boost without the guilt, try using tahini or plain Greek yoghurt in some of these dishes. To increase flavour without sacrificing healthfulness, natural sweeteners like honey are used judiciously.
If you want to eat your salad without worrying about the long list of unpronounceable ingredients in store-bought dressings, make your own. The preparation time for these meals is quite minimal, coming in at a little under 10 minutes. No matter how many times you dress your greens, you'll never grow tired of the flavours available.
Honey Mustard Dressing
Genuinely this honey mustard dressing is great for dipping healthy foods and making a rich dressing for salads. Honey can be added to Dijon mustard to make it more sweet if you think it's too strong. You should try it out for yourself to see if you like it! Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Feel free to refrigerate this dressing for a maximum of two weeks.
Ingredients:
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
3-4 tbsp. honey
1 lemon, freshly squeezed
½ tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
Do you also adore Chipotle's Honey Vinaigrette? Yes, we are, as well. Therefore, we were compelled to create an emulation of it. For a spicy and savoury twist, try this Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette. It's the ideal dressing to add to fresh veggie salads or even your own homemade burrito bowls.
Ingredients:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. honey
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lime, freshly squeezed
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano)
½ tsp salt
Dash of pepper
The ingredients are simple to combine; all you need is a bowl and a whisk. A two-week shelf life is possible for this chipotle honey vinaigrette.
Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
This recipe will become your new favourite thing in the world if you adore anything with sesame and ginger flavours.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. freshly minced ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. Sriracha
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Although a teaspoon of Sriracha is called for, feel free to omit it if you prefer a milder salad dressing.
You have two weeks to enjoy this sesame ginger vinaigrette when kept at room temperature.
Lemon Vinaigrette
This is the dressing to use with any salad that asks for seafood, whether it's salmon, tuna, or any other type of fish. You may use this lemon vinaigrette as a marinade or to dress any seafood dish. If you put it in the fridge, it will keep for a few weeks.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Keep it in the fridge for a few weeks for maximum freshness.
Tahini Dressing
Made from sesame seeds, tahini is a thick and earthy sauce that can serve as a nutritious foundation for a plethora of creamy dressings. Pair this tahini dressing with the Kale Salad for a flavorful meal. The dressing is made with garlic and coconut aminos for added depth. This dressing keeps well for up to a week when refrigerated.
Ginger Salad Dressing
If you have any chopped salads with an Asian twist or some delicate salmon fillets, a simple ginger dressing would do wonders. Ginger isn't just a flavour bomb; it also aids with blood sugar regulation, lessens period pain, and has strong antioxidant properties. You can use pre-grated ginger in this recipe if you're extremely short on time, but fresh-grated ginger is better.