Dress Your Salad without Preservatives

Are you a vinaigrette lover or creamy dressing person? If I had to choose, I’d go with a creamy dressing but I also love the versatility and tang of a good vinaigrette. Here are a couple of homemade salad dressing recipes we’ve been enjoying this summer.

I love a half pint canning jar with the plastic storage lid (affiliate links) for making these homemade salad dressing recipes. The exception is my honey mustard vinaigrette which I usually mix in an old honey bear.

World’s Simplest Vinaigrette

• Place your greens in a salad bowl.
• Drizzle a couple tablespoons of olive oil over the greens.
• Drizzle the juice of half a lemon OR a couple teaspoons of your favorite vinegar over the greens.
• Salt and pepper to taste, toss well to distribute.
• Add the rest of your salad “fixin’s” and re-toss before serving.

Mayonnaise

John at Kitchen Riffs has an excellent post on how to make homemade mayo. I refer you to him. Mayonnaise is really simple to make, but there are organic varieties available if you’re hesitant to work with raw eggs.

The remaining recipes are of the measure and mix variety. Measure the ingredients into a jar or a bowl and either mix them together with a whisk or spoon or put the lid on the jar and shake it up.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Makes 3/4 of a bear (or about 3/4 cup)

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons mustard (I like a sharp mustard for this rather than yellow)
• salt and pepper to taste

Ranch

Makes about a cup

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (use sour cream if you don’t have buttermilk)
• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• salt and pepper to taste
• NOTE: If you want to make a mix, increase the onion salt, garlic powder and dill to 1/4 cup each and the parsley flakes to a 1/2 cup. Mix well and store. To make dressing, shake the jar well, then add a scant tablespoon (2 1/2 teaspoons to be exact) of mix to the mayo, buttermilk and vinegar.

LFK House Dressing

Makes about 3/4 cup ~ awesome on seafood

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (any neutral oil is fine)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste

French

Makes about a cup

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Now that you’ve seen how simple it is to make your own salad dressing, I hope you’re inspired to check online for even more homemade salad dressing recipes. Feel free to experiment in order to make a dressing that’s uniquely yours.

Looking for oil free dressings? Try this mustard vinaigrette and check out this recipe for an incredible dressing made with walnuts and dates.