26 of Our Tastiest Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best vinegar for salad dressing? ›

White wine vinegar

This vinegar has a much mellower flavor than red wine vinegar and lacks the sharp tang of its sister vinegar. White wine vinegar is best used with more delicate salads and any situation where you want to add a hint of vinegar, but do not want that flavor to overwhelm the dish.

Ranch Dressing

The ranch is hands down America's most beloved salad dressings. It is made from a number of ingredients such as buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, onion, chives, salt, and pepper. A creamier and richer version often features sour cream or yogurt for enhanced taste.

As a matter of fact, I frequently just drizzle a little olive oil on my salad, followed by some vinegar and salt, and then toss the greens. It's delicious. The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.

This oil and vinegar recipe calls for salad oil, which means anything from safflower oil to canola oil to grapeseed oil. You could, of course, use something with a bit more of a distinctive flavor, such as walnut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil.

Apple cider vinegar makes a great 1:1 substitution for white wine vinegar in any dish that might benefit from sour apple notes. Try it in German potato salad or warm farro salad, or use it in the pickling liquid for giardiniera or the marinade for sheet pan honey-Dijon chicken and vegetables.

This pair not only enhances the flavor of your meals but also brings with it a host of health benefits. Apple cider vinegar is known to possibly aid digestion and control blood sugar levels, while olive oil is packed with heart-healthy fats.

And at the top of that list? Caesar dressing. Made up of mayonnaise, cheese, salt and oil (and all too often, anchovies), Caesar tends to be one of the least healthy options out there. Those ingredients cause it to be high in both saturated fats and sodium.

French dressing is the oldest one on our list, but vinegar and oil dressing goes back nearly two-thousand years to ancient Babylonia.

ACID: Traditionally, vinaigrettes are made with vinegar, often one derived from wine. But any kind of acidic ingredient can fill in, including citrus juice, tomato puree or soy sauce. OIL: The oil in a vinaigrette can be neutral, such as grapeseed, or nutty, such as walnut.

What can I use if I don't have salad dressing? ›

Red wine vinegar and an olive oil blend. It's how a Jersey Mike's sub gets its exquisite zing. It's how bites get boosted, and a great sub becomes an even better one. The Juice adds that certain something extra.

90% canola oil, 10% olive oil. I used to manage Subways so I know these things. Or, you could pick up a “to-go” packet and check. Also, their oil and vinegar is 2 parts oil blend to 1 part vinegar, in case you want to recreate it at home.

For instance, you could use one tablespoon of cider vinegar and three tablespoons of olive oil. Or you could make a big batch of dressing and use 1/4 cup of vinegar mixed with 3/4 cups olive oil.

Wine vinegar: or red vinegar; it is the most classic form of vinegar. Use it with delicate salads (lettuce). As its flavor is strong, you can mix it with other ingredients like honey, orange juice or soy sauce before emulsify with oil.

Meyer Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil + Mango Pulp Vinegar- a sweet, citrusy flavor combination that's great for summer salads, chicken, fruit salads, and salsas.

Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is made from reduced grape juice, so it contains all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from the fruit. This makes it one of the healthiest, most nutritious dressings you will ever encounter. Polyphenols are among the many antioxidants in balsamic vinegar.