6 Healthy Homemade Salad Dressings: Delicious, Nutritious, and Easy to Make!

photo credit to andianne.com

    Usually salads is associated with some kind of dull or lifeless dishes, however, this preconception can be dismissed now. The six following healthy homemade salad dressings will surely make your salads much more interesting. This dressing is not only tasty but very healthy for your body and is simple to make. Whether you are a fanatical balsamic vinegar lover, peanut butter fanatic, or an avocado freak it has something for everyone. Here I go with these easy and healthy recipes that can be prepared quite fast.

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Why Make Homemade Salad Dressings?

Healthier

Free from chemical preservatives and has no artificial additives.

Cost-Effective

Compared to bought over the counter dressings.

Customizable

Change the flavor(s) to the one that suits you.

Versatile

Ideal for vinaigrettes, marinades, a base for quinoa bowls and an addition to roasted vegetables and more.     All recipes yield approximately 1 ½ cups the perfect amount for using the 8 oz mason jars. Are you ready to level up your salad game to the next level?Let's get started!

1. Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove – minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ black ground pepper

Directions:

    Mix all together in a bowl or a clean glass jar with a lid. Tightly close the container and shake the ingredients around to combine them. If properly stored it can be kept inside the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Reshake before each use.

2. Balsamic Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup balsamic vinegar for the dressing.
• Half a cup of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly black ground pepper

Directions:

    Mix all these components in a bowl or a mason jar. Close the container and shake it content to make sure it is evenly combined. Refrigerate for up to two weeks, although the suggested serving size means the contents will likely be eaten closer to a week from preparation. Reshake before each use.

3. Peanut Butter Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• ½ cup, preferably natural peanut butter or almond butter
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup.
• 2 The lemon juice
• 1/4 cup freshly grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove – minced

Directions:

    Stir all the ingredients in a large bowl and transfer to a container or a mason jar. Finally shut the lid tightly and shake the container for few minutes. You can store in the refrigerator for even up to 2 weeks. Reshake before each use.

4. Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado – cut in half and the pit discarded
• ½ cup water
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ lime juice
• 1 garlic clove – minced
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ teaspoon black ground pepper

Directions:

    Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Finally, transfer to another bowl or preferably a mason jar. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reshake before each use.

5. Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 small cup olive oil
• Lemon juice ½ cup
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp honey
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ teaspoon of black ground pepper

Directions:

    Mix all the ingredients in a clean vessel or a mason jar. Close its container tightly and then shake the mixture to combine well. It is recommendable to store it in the fridge for a maximum of up to two weeks. Reshake before each use.

6. Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

with the amount being equivalent to 1 cup of fresh raspberries.

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ c Lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey or pure maple syrup.
• ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

    Put all the components in a blender and blend until obtaining a soft paste. Allow the dressing to pour over your most preferred salad. Unfortunately, this dressing must be fresh and is not ideal for storage in the refrigerator.

Salad dressings do not just make your salads moist, they can actually make or break your salad bowl if used wrongly.

Shake It Up

It is always recommended that you should shake the dressings before using them to enhance the effectiveness of the ingredients mixed in the dressing.

Freshness Matters

This is really easy and quick – and you should always use fresh ingredients – garlic and herbs are a must here.

Storage

To help the dressings last longer, store in appropriate, sealed packaging.

Experiment

Recipes can be altered according to desire with additional of herbs, spices or even the zest of citrus fruits.

Get Creative!

Do not limit these dressings just to salads. Try them in:

• Any bowl with quinoa or grains.

• To be used as a marinade with poultry or fish

• Sauce on roasted vegetables

• Added to pastas salads

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Join the Conversation

    Which dressing do you look forward to making? Have you ever thought of one of these dressings being used with one of your favorite salads? Post your comments and recipes in the section below! Salad is always good, let’s bring attention to it and turn it into a star, with every kind of dressing we make.
You may also add a comment, or pose any queries you have. 

Happy dressing!