Make your own salad dressing
I recently had a powerful realization, and that is the importance of making your own salad dressing. It’s really not difficult, it tastes better and more fresh than what you’ll buy at the store, and it doesn’t have any weird ingredients to preserve it forever or make it shelf-stable.
The choice feels natural to me now that I’m committed to the homemade dressing journey and have my repertoire built, but I recognize that others who aren’t here yet don’t understand the significance. They also may not realize how achievable this actually is.
Potential health benefits aside from dodging processed foods, the taste is definitely there as well as the incentive — whenever I have dressing that’s homemade, it makes me more excited about salad and it becomes an intentional side, rather than a reactive one.
A note about salad toppings: If I’m buying a salad or grain bowl, load me up. If I’m the one identifying, prepping, assembling and cleaning up, keep it simple. I don’t do a lot of toppings when I make salads and there are a lot of repeat offenders (hey tomatoes!). My non-negotiable is making croutons — this takes things to the next level and is a great way to use up old bread.
Here are the dressings I can’t stop making:
Classic Caesar — Whether you’re making a side salad or this is your entrée with some protein and a larger portion, this recipe is just amazing. It’s salt and tangy and bright. Naturally, you can serve it with croutons and more parm, but it’s also great as is if you’re busy.
Basic Vinaigrette — This is the perfect everyday dressing for all types of lettuce and pairs with most cuisines. My Mom shared this with me and I am forever grateful. You probably have all of these ingredients on-hand and the dressing will keep for awhile, so make a batch and be pleased with your preparation.
House Italian — This one is best with a crunchy, light lettuce and has the slightest sweet undertone. Similar to the above, you probably have all of these ingredients already and will be instantly transported to an old school Italian restaurant with checkered table cloths and carpet.
Greek Vinaigrette - This is a bit more tailored to Mediterranean meals, but truly tasty and easy on a collection of veggies or lettuce, like Romaine.
Avocado, Cilantro, Lime Ranch — A more involved, but very fun dressing. It reminds me of Chick-Fil-A’s Cilantro Lime Ranch dressing, which I have always loved. Note that the full batch makes a TON, so best to half or share with others since it will be tough to finish. An example of how we enjoyed this in the photo below — romaine, shredded cabbage, blackened salmon, tomatoes, red onion, croutons, delish.
Simple Salad — I’m constantly suggesting serving meals with a simple salad. For me, this truly means lettuce and a light dressing I make live and eyeball (i.e. no prep ahead of time and no measuring). I start by drizzling olive oil over the lettuce, then red wine vinegar and finish with seasoning — kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder and dried oregano — and finish by tossing.
