Replace store bought dressings with healthier versions using these 5 DIY salad dressings that taste just like the real thing!
Happy salad season to you!
While I can hardly wait to get some lettuce greens into my ground (Come on ground! Thaw out already!), we are already craving crisp, fresh salads this early spring! During the spring and summer, salads are on our table almost daily – especially once they start overtaking my garden! I make a different salad dressing every week, and that keeps taste buds happy and salads fun and interesting all season.
Why not just grab a bottle of dressing at the grocery store? Or better yet – an organic one at the health food store?
So glad you asked! Store bought salad dressings are one of the most “green washed” products on the market if you ask me. Just because a label says organic or “lite”, or seems “healthy” – sometimes it isn’t.
One way I keep myself with getting frustrated over what products are safe and which are not is by reading ingredient lists. Not the calories, grams, or the percentages of fat. I’m talking the little list of what is actually *in* that darn bottle you will be putting in your body! And for dressings, it’s pretty easy in my book. Toxic, rancid, hydrogenated, GMO and PUFA filled oils like soybean oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil should never be on the ingredient list. Period. The inflammation those oils make in the body just isn’t worth it. And it is incredibly hard to come by salad dressings in the store that don’t have at least one of those oils. THIS is a great resource to learn about the difference between the different oils.
Easy Ranch Dressing
A kid favorite anytime! This Ranch dressing has passed the kid test at play date after play date in my house with kids from every background!
Easy Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk sour cream
- 1/3 cup whole raw milk if you are dairy free or don't have access to raw, use whole coconut milk
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1 ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
Instructions
- Everything into a pint jar and stir up. If you want a thicker, “dip” sort of Ranch for carrot sticks, etc, you can leave out the milk or only add a few splashes. If you rather it runnier then you can add more milk.
Notes
Easy French Dressing
From easy weeknight salads to Taco Tuesday taco salads, this French dressing is also quite the kid favorite!
Easy French Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup organic olive oil
- ¼ cup organic white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup organic ketchup
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 2-3 TB raw honey local if possible!
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 - 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Everything into a pint jar with a tight lid and shake well to combine. Shake before each use as well. This dressing is also a great one to use on taco salad night - it is very similar to the "catelina" type dressings some restaurants use on taco salads
Notes
DIY Italian Dressing Mix & Italian Dressing
A pasta night classic for salads, or toss in a pasta salad for that summer picnic! Loaded with healthy, anti-inflammatory oil that you can feel good about having every week!
DIY Italian Dressing Mix & Italian Dressing
Ingredients
Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix:
- 2 TB sea salt
- 1 TB oregano
- 1 TB parsley
- 1 TB organic pure cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp thyme
Italian Dressing:
- 2 tbsp Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix from above
- 1/4 cup organic white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup organic olive oil
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
To make the Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix:
- Add all of the seasonings together in a small container with a lid (empty spice jars work great), put the lid on and shake it up to combine. Also tastes great to sprinkle on stir fry or to a roasted chicken! This doubles up great too!
To make the Italian Dressing:
- Everything into a pint jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well to combine. Shake well before each use and store in the fridge.
Notes
Just Like Store Bought Thousand Island Dressing
This was a favorite of mine as a kid, and it was such a happy day when I figured out how to make it on my own!
Just Like Store Bought Thousand Island Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole sour cream
- ¼ cup organic ketchup
- Juice of 1 lemon about 2-3 TB
- 1- 1 ½ TB raw honey local if possible!
- ¼ cup finely chopped pickles I like using Bubbies or my own fermented pickles, so we get the natural fermented probiotics!
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ black pepper
Instructions
- Everything into a pint jar and stir together. Store in the fridge. If you want a thicker Thousand Island for spreading on a sandwich or wrap add more sour cream.
Notes
Fiesta Salad Dressing
This is such a fun change up for taco salad night! Creamy and so satisfying!
Fiesta Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup of your favorite salsa we get Mateo's at Costco
- ½ avocado
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ⅓ cup whole sour cream
- 2 tsp taco season I use my homemade blend
Instructions
- Everything into a processor or blender to blend together. Store in a pint jar in the fridge. If you want it thicker for spreading on sandwiches or wraps add more avocado or sour cream.
Notes
if you don’t already have one! You can wash up and have ready to go salad everyday of the week in your fridge! My routine is pick from the garden and wash up right away, into the salad spinner, and into the crisper in the fridge! It keeps much longer!
It is hard to try these as most of these contain dairy.
Hi Amber! Bummer – I have so been there – dairy free for about a year while healing some tummy issues. 2 of the 5 recipes on here are dairy free – the Italian and French dressings. I hope those work for you! If you can do eggs you could make mayo to replace the sour cream in the other recipes – I probably should have added that to the post and may still add it in. I have done it that way with the Thousand Island before. I have a close nephew that is egg free so I just don’t use a lot of eggs right now.
Oh! And the Fiesta Dressing you definitely can leave out the sour cream and it still is super yummy! You can add a little more of the avocado or even some coconut milk yogurt if you wish! So theres 3 to pick from 🙂
Thanks!!!! 🙂
No problem – I hope you find something that will work out 🙂
Even if someone is egg-free we can make our own mayo using AquaFaba from the drained bean water. It emulsifies just like egg and makes a great mayo. Wonderful list of good dressings. Thank you!
Thank you for the tips Janet! You’re welcome!
I can’t wait to try these. There are so many great options and so easy to adapt for allergies. Thank you!
Thank you Jessica! Thanks for stopping by!
ok I love these all! So where do you get your bubbies? Do you make at home or buy somewhere?
Hey Emily! I just get them at our health food store. I do like making fermented pickles in the summer though when pickling cucumbers are out at the farmer’s markets and my house is warm enough to ferment well 😉
We tried the french dressing this week and YUM! Turned out great, tastes like a better version of the bottled stuff I remember from being a kid! 😉 Great recipe 🙂
Steph that is awesome! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
Thank you so much for these recipes! I can’t wait to try them. Dressings, along with homemade mayo, have been something I’ve wanted to start making at home for my family for a while now. This is just the push I needed to start.
Hi Shelley! That’s great! Here is a great simple mayo to use too! https://www.raisinggenerationnourished.com/2014/09/simple-egg-free-mayonnaise/
I’ve been GF/DF for awhile & have been making my own dressings for a couple of years. When a recipe calls for sour cream, I use one of the great Non-GMO non-dairy alternatives and the results are great. Everyone loves my dressings over anything bottled and I even create dressings to meat some people’s requests. Glad to add these to my repertoire; I seldom write exact amounts down…I’m a create as I go kind of cook.
I am also dairy free. I make my own Milk Kefir, when I want to make it thicker like yogurt or sour cream I use heavy cream with my milk. Once the ferment is done is is about 99% lactose free, which I have had no issues with. I use the thicker Milk kefir for the sour cream in these types of dressing and it is tasty!
Great idea Lena!
Is the 2 TBS for the italian dressing mix a misprint? I just used it, as directed, to make your recipe for the homemade olive garden salad dressing and it’s crazy salty. Thanks
I meant to say, Is the 2 TBS of salt for the italian dressing mix a misprint? I just used it, as directed, to make your recipe for the homemade olive garden salad dressing and it’s crazy salty. Thanks
Hi Jill! Yes it is 2 TB but you can certainly half it if you need. I have made the dressing for multiple people and have not had that complaint before but we all certainly have different taste buds 🙂
Is the 2 TBS of salt for the italian dressing mix a misprint? I just used it, as directed, to make your recipe for the homemade olive garden salad dressing and it’s crazy salty. Thanks
Thank you for all these recipes. I have a question about storing your fresh picked lettuce. After you spin the lettuce, do you do any additional drying of the lettuce? What do you store your lettuce in? Thank you.
Hi Sue! I just store it in the crisper drawer in the fridge!
How long does the “ranch” dressing last in the fridge?
Hi Dawn! I try to use it up within a week!
I’m trying to find the thousand island recipe but it only gives the heading & instructions but the ingredient list is missing. Where can I find it
Hi Stephanie! It is on there but for some reason some of my older posts don’t pull up right mobile – can you try it desktop and if it still doesn’t work for you I will hop on my computer and copy/paste it here for you! I apologize for the inconvenience!
Thanks for these. My girls just started school and I am wanting to send more veggies with their lunches This certainly would be cheaper than buying jars and jars of crappy dressing at the store. And batter!
That’s great Lisa!
Oh my goodness, this is hands down the best ranch I have ever had! I made some this morning to go with the veggies I take to work with me for my afternoon snack, and I had to restrain myself from licking the bowl afterward. So good! Looking forward to trying the other recipes as well.
That is fantastic Christine!
Love the Italian seasoning mix and the dressing! I’ve never been fond of rosemary in commercial Italian seasoning mixes and find that yours is perfect! Look forward to trying the other dressing recipes.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Mary!
Is there a substitute for the honey in the Thousand Island dressing?.
Hi Norma! You can use maple syrup or coconut sugar – if you are sugar free you could use Swerve but just add a little at a time to your taste 🙂