7 Easy Homemade Salad Dressings

Is your fridge burdened with store bought salad dressings?

Have you ever made your own, or wanted to know how?

Did you know how simple and how much healthier it is?

Well, we've written a post on the basics that make up a salad dressing (click here to see post), but here are 7 of Wellness Mama's (wellnessmama.com) favorites that capture a good variety. Say good bye to just plain old Ranch from the store.

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 -1- Creamy Homemade Caesar 

• One egg yolk at room temperature (very important it is not cold!)
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard or mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, finely crushed
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
• 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• salt, pepper and spices to taste.

How to Make It:

1. Whisk egg yolk with whisk or blender on low speed.
2. Once creamy, add vinegar and other ingredients and blend until creamy.
3. Slowly add oil, stirring constantly until incorporated.
4. If it doesn’t incorporate well, your egg might still have been too cold!

Great with: Dark lettuces, chicken dishes, or on asparagus.

-2- Zesty Italian

• 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 small squirt of Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1-2 cloves finely minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp each of thyme, basil and oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Make It:

Pull all ingredients in small jar and shake vigorously.

Great with: any salad or as a marinade.

-3- Tangy Greek

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• small squirt dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp each of oregano and marjoram
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice

How to Make It:

Put all ingredients in small jar with lid and shake until well mixed.

Great with: dark lettuces, feta cheese, olives, and cucumbers. Also a good marinade for a cucumber and onion salad.

-4- Sweet Asian

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey
• pinch of dried ginger or 1/2 tsp fresh zested ginger root (preferable)
• spices to taste

How to Make It:

Put all ingredients in small jar with lid and shake vigorously. You can also mix in blender or small food processor.

Great with: Sesame chicken (as a marinade and dipping sauce), on a spinach salad with cashews, on cauliflower fried rice.

-5- Raspberry Vinaigrette 

• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
• 2 teaspoons honey

How to Make It:
Put all ingredients in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Great with: salad with feta and cashews, grilled chicken salad, marinade on pork.

-6- Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• one clove of garlic, finely minced
• small squirt of dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon honey (optional)
• salt, pepper and basil to taste

How to Make It:

Mix all ingredients in small jar or blender.

Great with: any type of salad or as a marinade on beef, chicken or pork.

 -7- French

• 1 squirt of mustard
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste (organic)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon of honey (optional)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder or small chunk of fresh onion

How to Make It:

Put all ingredients in a small blender and blend until smooth.

Great with: any type of salad (I like it on chef salads), kids like to dip things in this dressing.

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Other great things to throw on a salad:

• nuts: especially pecans, walnuts and macadamias
• olives
• chopped veggies
• chopped apples
• sliced strawberries or blueberries
• grilled or baked chicken
• sliced steak
• shrimp
• all of the above!