5 Amazingly Simple Homemade Salad Dressings Worth Trying

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Are you looking for some new ways to top your salad? This Homemade Salad Dressings List will give you several new and easy recipes to enjoy!

Are you looking for some new ways to top your salad? This Homemade Salad Dressings List will give you several new and easy recipes to enjoy! #salad #saladdressing #homemadedressing #recipes

5 Homemade Salad Dressings Worth Trying

Salad is almost always a great addition to a meal because lettuce can be grown or purchased for a very low price year-round. In the summer it seems like the lettuce in my garden won’t ever give up and in the winter I try to grow in shoebox-sized totes in a little winter garden (inside). And of course, if you purchase lettuce from the store or the farmer’s market you can generally get it for only a few dollars for a very large bag. It’s a great healthy meal stretcher!

–Learn more about growing lettuce (and other plants) indoors – How to Grow Fresh Produce in the Winter.

However your lettuce comes to you, you are going to need something to top it with! Salad dressings can be much more expensive than lettuce but luckily it’s one of those great products that you can make at home in very little time and often with very few ingredients. Here is a homemade dressings list that includes a few of our family’s favorite salad dressing recipes that are worth trying on your next salad!

catalina2Catalina Dressing

This Homemade Catalina dressing is a very simple recipe. Easy to make and it’s a favorite at our house! It tastes great on a regular salad, or for something different, try it on a yummy taco salad!

This dressing is not only great on salads but works well as a marinade too! Try marinating chicken in this for 24 hours before tossing on the grill- yum!

Ranch Dressing Mix Recipe

Classic Ranch Dressing

Ranch dressing is always a favorite! I like to make this dressing for when we are having company over because it seems like most people, in general, enjoy Ranch Dressing. You can also make a homemade Ranch Dressing Mix recipe as well to have a quick version of this dressing on hand in your pantry or for use as a dry seasoning, rub or vegetable dip.

–These Olive Oil Oven Baked Potatoes would taste great with ranch seasoning and be a perfect addition to your salad!


frenchdressing1

French Dressing

This is another homemade salad dressing that is super easy to make and tends to be a popular favorite among guests and our close family alike! You can make both regular and creamy versions of the dressing with this recipe as well.

You can also mix french dressing with mayonnaise to make a homemade big mac sauce, enjoy on a burger or as a dressing for a cheeseburger salad!

dorthy

Dorthy Lynch Dressing

I know this dressing is more of a midwest dressing but if you haven’t tried it before you should definitely give it a go! Dorthy Lynch Dressing was my family’s favorite when I was growing up. My mom would always make a HUGE batch because we always had plenty of garden lettuce!

Russian Salad Dressing Recipe

Russian Dressing

Another great tomato-based dressing to make is Russian Dressing. This one tends to be a little sweeter than the other dressings I’ve listed here so if a sweet salad is what you are going for you will want to check out this recipe.

salad dressing list

More Homemade Salad Dressings

Here are some delicious dressing ideas from Little House Living readers!

Use 1 can tomato soup (use the can for measuring the following) 1 can brown sugar (packed), 1 can olive oil, 1 can vinegar, put all in blender, store in the fridge. – Judy J.

–Learn how to CanTomato Soup.

Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, a little fresh garlic or garlic powder and some fresh lemon or lime juice make a delicious and light salad dressing! If you don’t have any fresh lemons, you can use some fresh or canned tangerines or oranges. Reserve the liquid to the side, pulse the fruit and other ingredients in a magic bullet for a few seconds. Add extra liquid back as desired. -Paula R.

–Can your own oranges with this easy tutorial! How to Start Canning Oranges

Half balsamic vinegar, half strawberry vinegar, sunflower or pumpkin seed oil, grated shallots or sweet onion, a little grated garlic, sea salt, and ground pepper if desired. If it seems too sour to your tastes, add a touch of honey. Great for a mixed greens salad with any combination of the following ingredients: strawberries, dried cherries or cranberries, dates, dried pineapple or papaya bits, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, etc. I also have added chicken or a little leftover ham and made this a good hearty summer dinner. – Dream C.

Here are a few more salad ideas you might enjoy:

-These Dried Pumpkin Seeds make a great salad topping.

-This Easy Dressing Recipe is a great basic, no sugar salad dressing to have on hand.

-This Fresh Broccoli Salad is delicious and makes a great side dish! Add a little romaine lettuce to make it stretch.

-Not your average salad, but this Simple Egg Salad Recipe is worth trying. It’s a great recipe to use up fresh eggs. Enjoy it on a sandwich or a delicious, in a lettuce wrap or on a pile of fresh greens.

-Find a delicious Green Bean Salad recipe in this Fresh Green Bean Recipe Roundup.

-Looking for an easy protein to top your salads with? Try some fresh Canned Beans.

What are your favorite homemade salad dressings to make?

merissabio

This post on Homemade Salad Dressings List was originally published on Little House Living in February 2016. It has been updated as of March 2020. 

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17 Comments

  1. Do you have good success in getting lettuce to grow in the shoe totes and if so would you briefly explain your how-to?? Thanks much, C Krein

  2. My favorite dressing for 2 is much easier than most: After the spinach and or romaine lettuce are washed, cut up or tear the leaves (I leave baby spinach whole), and add cut up tomatoes, if desired. Then just sprinkle the juice of ½ fresh lemon and pulp over the top, drizzle over some dark olive oil, a sprinkle of garlic powder, a sprinkle of salt and a sprinkle of Italian seasonings.Toss the salad well and divide it onto small plates. Ready to go in a jiffy. To vary this basic recipe, add whatever you choose. We never get tired of it! Helen Pierce

  3. I do make my own Russian Salad Dressing – or more accurately, I make Ada’s Russian Dressing. I worked at an exclusive girls camp one summer during college as a cook’s helper. Ever since this has been my favorite dressing. It is not really a sweet dressing, it has a kick, and the recipe is for a large amount, but that works for me!
    Ada’s Russian Dressing:
    5 oz. can of tomato soup
    2 Cups vinegar
    8 tsp. salt
    2 tsp. paprika
    4 T. Worcestershire sauce
    2 C. sugar (or sugar substitute)
    4 tsp. pepper
    4 tsp. dry mustard
    1tsp. garlic salt
    1 small onion – chopped fine
    2 C. salad oil
    ————- Combine ingredients in order given. Mix well. Enjoy!

  4. Do you have a recipe for Quiznos rasberry chipotle dressing? I would very much appreciate you sharing one.

    Love the site

    Blessings

    1. I make honey mustard dressing too, but I make mine with honey, mustard (dijon, spicy brown or seeded), rice vinegar or cider vinegar, and canola or walnut oil. I use equal parts honey and mustard, and the other ingredients I just add until I like the consistency. 🙂 If I’m using it as a dip for chicken I just use equal parts honey and mustard. 🙂 Thanks for the mayonnaise idea Tabitha, I never thought of using it for this!

  5. We love homemade dressing and these recipes look delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and hope to see you again real soon!
    Miz Helen

  6. Hi Merissa! Happy New Year. So glad you could make it last week to the Thriving on Thursdays linky party. It’s great to see you again. This post couldn’t be better timing at the moment for us here in Australia. We’re having a heat wave! Thanks again. I’m featuring this one at tomorrow’s party.

    Anne @ Domesblissity