Walk down the salad dressing aisle in any grocery store and there’s a common trend you’re probably unaware of: nearly every dressing is loaded with artificial, chemical and GMO-laden ingredients. The most common one, soybean oil, is what Dr. Joseph Mercola calls “one of the absolute worst types of oils you can consume”.
Cheap, genetically modified oils like soybean oil contain primarily Omega-6 fatty acids, which cause chronic inflammation, a precursor to most diseases.
If you do happen to find a healthy salad dressing that contains a healthy oil like olive oil and other all-natural ingredients, you will pay a premium for it.
Why not make your own healthy salad dressings instead? With a few all-natural ingredients, you can whip up a simple and healthy dressing.
I have personally tested each of these salad dressing recipes for my spice mix business. They’re all healthy, easy to prepare and incredibly delicious. And you can stop worrying about hidden processed ingredients that may be affecting your and your family’s health. Grab a set of mason jars and some good olive oil and get ready to start creating some awesome salads.
Lemon Pepper Vinaigrette Dressing
- Juice from one lemon
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Directions: Squeeze the juice out of the lemon into the mason jar and remove any seeds. Add the olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and whisk together. Refrigerate or serve immediately. Note: most olive oil-based dressings will harden in the refrigerator. Simply set the dressing on the counter for 10-15 minutes before you want to serve it.
Orange Ginger Dressing
- Juice from one orange
- 1 T minced ginger
- 2 T minced carrot
- 2 T minced onion
- 1 T mustard seed
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Directions: Squeeze the juice out of the orange into the mason jar. Finely mince the ginger, carro, and onion and add to the jar. Add the mustard seed, olive oil, and sea salt. Whisk together and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Caesar Dressing
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 T shredded parmesan reggiano cheese
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 T lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Directions: Add all ingredients into blender or food processor and blend for 10-15 seconds. Transfer to mason jar and chill in refrigerator before serving.
Tomato Basil Dressing
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 T minced sun dried tomatoes
- 2 T minced basil
- 1 T red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions: Add all ingredients into blender or food processor and pulse several times. Transfer to mason jar and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Herb Buttermilk Dressing
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp. finely chopped dill
- 1 tsp. finely chopped chives
- 1 tsp. finely chopped thyme
Directions: Add all ingredients into blender or food processor and pulse several times. Add a couple teaspoons of water if the mixture is too thick for your liking. Transfer to mason jar and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Parmesan Lemon Caper Dressing
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/4 shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 T minced capers
Directions: Add all ingredients into mason jar. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Greek Dill Dressing
- 1-1/2 cups plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup diced cucumber
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 T minced dill
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 T red wine vinegar
Directions: Set aside half of the diced cucumber and the dill. Add all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse several times. Add the remaining dill and cucumber, transfer to mason jar and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Spicy Honey Mustard Dressing
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 1/4 cup organic Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Directions: Whisk together all ingredients, add to mason jar and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Honey Lime Dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 T honey
- Juice from one lime
- 2 T white vinegar
- 1 T cumin
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 black pepper
Directions: Whisk together all ingredients, add to mason jar and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Cherry Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 T sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp. organic Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Directions: Combine cherries with balsamic vinegar and sherry vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes. Combine with remaining ingredients into the mason jar and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing
- 1 cup of olive oil
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 2 T mustard powder
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp. minced thyme
- 1/2 tsp. minced basil
- 1 tsp. sea salt
Directions: Whisk together all ingredients, add to mason jar and serve immediately or refrigerate.
Featured photo credit: jeffreyw via flickr.com
