Dressing can seriously make or break a salad. There’s nothing worse than putting in the time and effort chopping delicious veggies and washing lettuce just to have your salad ruined by the wrong dressing. When choosing bottled dressings, it’s easy to get misled by the and temptations, but when you look on the bottle you’ll often find that there is a lot of sugar and sodium and not a lot of actually healthy ingredients. Making your own dressing can seem like a challenging and daunting task, but most dressings have fewer ingredients than you think. Here’s 5 homemade recipes you can try this week for healthy AND delicious salads at home!

1. Chili-Lime Salad Dressing

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Zest and juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons juice and 3 teaspoons zest)

1. Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake until well combined.
2. Refrigerate and let flavors blend for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours, before serving.

2. Honey Poppy Seed Dressing

Prep Time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 cup

• 2 teaspoon black poppy seeds
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅓ cup olive oil

1. Whisk together black poppy seeds, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard and kosher salt.
2. Gradually whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil.
3. Serves well with salads that have fruit/nuts due to its sweetness.

3. Healthy Green Goddess Dressing

Prep Time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 cup

• 2 green onions (scallions)
• ½ green jalapeño pepper
• ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
• ½ cup lightly packed cilantro
• Juice from 1 lime (2 tablespoons)
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

1. Chop the green onions. Seed and dice the jalapeño pepper.
2. Place the green onions and jalapeno pepper in the cup of an immersion blender (or in a blender). Add the Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, kosher salt, and maple syrup or honey. Blend to combine. Transfer to an airtight container.
3. Dressing stores in the refrigerator for 1 week.

4. Avocado Ranch Dressing

Prep Time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 cup

• 2 large avocados
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, or lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste if needed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy, about 1 minute.
2. Use as salad dressing or vegetable dip!
3. Dressing stays good in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in an airtight container

5. Simple Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Prep Time: 2 minutes Yield: 1/4 cup

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or a more neutral-flavored oil like grapeseed, canola, or vegetable)
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or balsamic, apple cider, rice, sherry, or other wine vinegar)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• A turn of freshly ground black pepper

OPTIONAL ADD-INS:

• 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs like dill, basil, parsley, cilantro, mint, or thyme (dried herbs work, too, just use 1-2 teaspoons instead)
• A finely minced garlic clove
• 2 teaspoons finely minced or grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots, scallions, or onion
• 2 tablespoons finely grated or crumbled Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, Gorgonzola, or feta
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon horseradish, or 1/4 teaspoon Sriracha
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon sugar or honey

1. Add all of the ingredients to a small mason jar, screw on the lid, and shake until blended. You can also whisk the ingredients together in a bowl or whirr them together in a blender.
2. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Add to salad, toss, and serve.
3. Keep leftover dressing in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.