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These 9 healthy salad dressings are so easy to make at home! From green goddess to strawberry poppyseed, to creamy balsamic, and more, there’s something that everyone will love while also being dairy-free, and sugar-free.

Homemade Salad Dressing

Finding good quality salad dressings can be surprisingly difficult! Most salad dressings are made with oils like canola oil, soybean oil, or have ingredients that aren’t the freshest. Higher quality dressings are out there, but they can be expensive and sometimes hard to find.

Luckily, you can easily make salad dressings at home to control exactly what ingredients go into your dressing, and customize your own flavors!

These dressings are all gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and many are AIP (when black pepper and seeds are omitted)  and whole30 (when ingredients like honey are omitted).

How long can you keep homemade salad dressing?

Generally speaking, dressing like vinaigrettes will last for up to 2 weeks. Dressings that are dairy-based or that have fresh vegetables, herbs, or fruits will last about 4 days to a week. As for dressings that have fresh avocado, those tend to go a bit faster!

Keep in mind that fresh, homemade dressings don’t have preservatives and will need to be kept in the fridge.

What is the best blender for making homemade salad dressing?

It depends on the dressing for sure! Here are some options…

  • For dressings that have solid fruits or vegetables and need more blending, use a blender like a Vitamix or Ninja blender.
  • For dressing that are mostly liquid you can use an immersion blender, or simply shake in a jar!

“My dressings are separating and hardening in the fridge! What do I do?”

This is totally normal for homemade dressing, and it’s actually a sign that the oil you’re using is good quality. Simply leave the dressing out on the counter for a bit, run it under warm water for a few minutes and shake to recombine.

What’s the best container to store homemade salad dressing?

I like to store dressings in bottles like this, but you can also use mason jars, weck jars, or whatever container you prefer!

Can you freeze salad dressing if you don’t use it all at once!

A lot of salad dressings do freeze well, yes! I’ve found that the Ginger Dressing below freezes very well.

The best way to freeze salad dressings are to freeze them flat in a freezer-safe bag for easier storage, or quicker defrosting.

9 Homemade Salad Dressings

1.Raspberry Vinaigrette

This raspberry lemon vinaigrette is a tart, bright and smooth dressing! It’s the perfect dressing for Spring and Summer, or really any time of year if you’re craving something fresh and light.

How to store it: Store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Serve it with: A salad with fruit like this blackened chicken salad.

 

2. Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Dressing

I used to work in a Japanese restaurant in college, and I fell in love with this dressing! It’s my absolute favorite dressing, and I love being able to make it at home. This version is made with fresh vegetables, good quality oils, and no soy sauce.

How to store it: Store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.  You can also freeze it flat in for a month or so.

How to serve it: Serve with a salad with romaine and shredded carrots for that Japanese restaurant feel! I also really like adding it as a topping to rice.

3. Dairy-Free Ranch

Ranch is such a staple! We always have to have ranch in our house to serve over salad and with vegetables. Ranch is traditionally made with dairy, but this version is made with a dairy-free yogurt for a creamy texture.

How to store it: Store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.

How to serve it: You can do just about anything with ranch dressing! It’s perfect on any simple salad of your choice, and as a dip for a myriad of different vegetables.

4. Lemon Turmeric Dressing

This lemon turmeric dressing is bright, tangy, and has a bit of a kick from the turmeric. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory spice that has a beautiful flavor and color and it pairs well with flavors like ginger.

How to store it: Store it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

How to serve it: You can serve this dressing with simple salads with chicken or fish.

 

5. Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing

This dressing is perfect for Spring or Summer! It’s made with fresh berries, poppy seeds and is naturally sweet.

How to store it: Store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

How to serve it: This dressing would pair well with salads with ingredients like mixed greens, arugula, tomato, and chicken.

6. Green Goddess Dressing

This Green Goddess is packed with herbs and flavor! It’s perfect for light, fresh spring salads.

How to store it: Store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

How to serve it: You can serve this dressing with a salad with seasonal spring ingredients like beets, radish, sprouts, and mixed greens, spinach, or arugula. It would also be a great addition to a spring pasta salad like this one. 

7. Italian Dressing

Everyone needs a basic Italian dressing recipe to throw together for a good base to any Italian salad. This recipe is so easy to just combine in a jar and store for longer than dressings with fresh ingredients.

How to store it: Store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

How to serve it: You can serve this dressing with Italian salads with ingredients like black olives, red onion, tomato, and mozarella. It’s also perfect for a simple Italian pasta salad with similar ingredients.

8. Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing

Avocado dressing is another one of those dressings that make a great staple for so many meals. It packs a big flavor punch, and is really easy to make at home.

How to store it: Store it in the fridge for 1-2 days.

How to serve it: You can serve this dressing with Taco salads, or with burrito bowl inspired salads.

9. Creamy Balsamic Dressing

We all probably have a basic balsamic dressing that we can make, but this version levels up the classic with a creamy element with added yogurt! I used coconut yogurt, but you can also use Greek yogurt or another plant-based yogurt.

How to store it: Store it in the fridge for 4-5 days.

How to serve it: You can serve this dressing with Italian salads with ingredients like black olives, red onion, tomato, and mozarella. It’s also perfect for a simple Italian pasta salad with similar ingredients.

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9 Healthy Salad Dressings to Easily Make At Home

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
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Ingredients

Scale

For the Dairy-free Ranch Dressing

  • 1 cup dairy-free yogurt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp dried dill
  • 1/2 tsp chives
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the Lemon Turmeric Dressing

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For the Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds

For the Green Goddess Dressing

  • 3/4 cup coconut yogurt
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup parsley
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1/2 cup herb mixture (dill, mint, and taragon)
  • 3 sprigs of chives
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves

For the Italian Dressing

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the Cilantro Lime Avocado

  • 3/4 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1/2 medium avocado
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

For the Creamy Balsamic

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup coconut yogurt
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

For the Dairy-free Ranch Dressing

  1. Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk together until fully incorporated.
  2. Serve immediately or store for 4-5 days in the fridge.

For the Lemon Turmeric Dressing

  1. Add the ingredients to a container with a lid and shake well until fully incorporated. Shake again before serving.
  2. Serve immediately or store for up to 14 days in the fridge.

For the Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing

  1. Add all of the ingredients (reserving the poppyseeds) to a highspeed blender and blend until the strawberries are fully blended.
  2. Stir in the poppy seeds and pour into a container.
  3. Serve immediately or store for 4-5 days in the fridge.

For the Green Goddess Dressing

  1. Add the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until all of the herbs are fully blended.
  2. Serve immediately or store for 4-5 days in the fridge.

For the Italian Dressing

  1. Add the ingredients to a container with a lid and shake well until fully incorporated. Shake again before serving.
  2. Serve immediately or store for up to 14 days in the fridge.

For the Cilantro Lime Avocado

  1. Add the ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blend until fully combined.
  2. Serve immediately or store for 1-2 days in the fridge.

For the Creamy Balsamic

  1. Add the ingredients to a large container and lightly blend with an immersion blender.
  2. Add to a container. Serve immediately or store for 4-5 days in the fridge.