Homemade Salad Dressings

[The YardFarmers]

Our lettuces are ready- yay! and we're eating salad every day. I like to have 3-4 salad dressings in the fridge ready to go. Do you have any delicious, homemade salad dressing recipes you could share? My son would especially like an italian dressing, but he doesn't like any that I have made. I kind of agree- they all seem to have a strong oregano taste. I have tried decreasing the herbs a bit, but now it just tastes oily. Thanks.

 

[freemotion]

I use more basil in my Italian dressing. When I first switched to homemade dressings, I had to take a trip to the store and read labels to see what flavor was missing from mine. It was.....sugar! Add a little sweetener at first (I use stevia) and gradually reduce it over time while you are training the families' tastes.

I love a spring salad made with leaf lettuce and chopped green onions, dressed simply with sour cream. If you don't use a salad spinner, the water on the washed lettuce is just enough to water down the sour cream. If you do spin it, thin the sour cream with a little milk. Add sea salt to the sour cream or salt the salad. YUM!

I mix half sour cream, half mayo, thin with a bit of milk, add to taste garlic and onion powders, salt and extra pepper, and romano or parmesan cheese for a Parmesan Peppercorn.

You can make a nice dressing with pesto, too, adding it to oil and vinegar with some salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders.

 

[Javamama]

Parmesan peppercorn sounds good!

Anybody have a Caesar recipe? I attempted it a couple times last week and both recipes were terrible. Blech! I ended up buying the least offensive one I could find at the grocery. I like Red Lobster's, but I'm sure it probably comes out of a bottle.

 

[Wifezilla]

I use chopped fresh stevia leaf in my dressing. I am an oil and balsamic fan. Chives are a wonderful addition.

 

[miss_thenorth]

We like this caesar recipe. I copied this from a website, don't know which one or I would give credit. I use a stick blender, and I use the anchovie paste.

Caesar dressing

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
3 or 4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 oz can anchovies, or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (anchovies are optional)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)
First off you need a blender to make this. It works out pretty well in a food processor, but the results with a blender are so much better that I never make it with a food processor, or rather, did so only once. Second of all, the anchovies are completely optional. According to Julia Child, who ate it as a child in the 1920's, prepared by Chef Caesar himself, the original Caesar Salad did not have anchovy in it at all. This was added later by an innovative chef whose name is lost to history. So if you like anchovies, add them, if you don't, just leave them out.

To prepare this dish, get out your blender. In it, combine the garlic, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and undrained anchovies, if you are using them. Put the lid on the blender and whirl it around until it is smooth. With the blender still running, begin pouring in the oil, in a small, narrow stream. The dressing will begin to emulsify, thicken and become creamy, sort of like mayonnaise. After you've added all of the oil turn the blender off. Measure in the pepper, Parmesan cheese, and salt to taste (if you used anchovies, you probably won't need salt. If you omitted the anchovies, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, according to how you like it). Blend briefly to mix in the seasonings. Scrape the dressing into a pint sized jar. Store in the fridge.

 

[sufficientforme]

French/Italian Salad dressing
off of recipezaar.com (I am a huge fan of this site and get tons of great recipes from there)
Ingredients

Spice Mix
Mix

* 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
* 1/8 teaspoon instant minced garlic
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried onion flakes

Dressing

* 1/2 cup canola oil
* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* 1/2 cup ketchup

Directions

1.Mix all the dry ingredients together.
2.Keep in airtight package until ready to use.
3.Can be stored for up to 6 months.
4.When salad dressing is needed, combine 1 packet of mix with oil, vinegar and ketchup in a blender at high speed for about 7 seconds.
5.Pour into a 2-cup container with tight fitting lid and allow to stand at room temperature for about 5 hours.
6.Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.
(I use grapeseed or EVOO in place of Canola oil in my dressings)
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Sgt. Pepper Best salad dressing

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons onions, minced
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 3/4 teaspoon dried mustard
* 3/4 teaspoon oregano
* 3/4 teaspoon basil
* 3/4 teaspoon sugar
* 3/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Combine all ingredients, may be served immediately or refrigerate for flavors to meld. It's sorta of a creamy Italian flavor.

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Sheila's best balsamic dressing

* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
* 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, ground
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1.Mix all ingredients EXCEPT oil together.
2.Add oil to mixture and mix well with whisk

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My family loves poppy seed dressing, throw a few strawberries in your fresh greens, a little red onion and some pecans or toasted almonds, this is our favorite summer salad.


Ingredients

* 1/3 cup Raspberry red wine vinegar Pomegranate is also great
* 1/2 cup sugar or sugar substitute
* 1 teaspoon dry mustard
* 3/4 cup vegetable oil (grapeseed or light Olive oil)
* 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
* dash of onion powder or fresh minced onion


Directions

Throw in a jar until combined, let rest if you have time if not it's still fantastic.

 

[The YardFarmers]

Thank you everybody. These all look good- I'm going to start trying them this weekend.

One of my children like this one>

Honey Mustard Dressing

1/4 cup mayo
1 T mustard
1 T honey
1/2 T lemon juice (I use white wine vinegar

 

[aggieterpkatie]

It's not gourmet by any means, but we've always made the same homemade one. It's also good on potatoes, veggies, fish tacos, and anything else you can think of!!

I don't even have an exact recipe. You mix ketchup and mayo together so they're the color of thousand island dressing. Then add chili powder, as much or as little as you like!

 

[sufficientforme]

It's not gourmet by any means, but we've always made the same homemade one. It's also good on potatoes, veggies, fish tacos, and anything else you can think of!!

I don't even have an exact recipe. You mix ketchup and mayo together so they're the color of thousand island dressing. Then add chili powder, as much or as little as you like!

This is a favorite at our house too except we use veganaise with ketchup add a dash of garlic and onion powder and a tsp. of sweet pickle relish and we call it "GOOP" for frys, hamburger sauce, etc. I am going to have to try with chili powder as you suggested!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

It's not gourmet by any means, but we've always made the same homemade one. It's also good on potatoes, veggies, fish tacos, and anything else you can think of!!

I don't even have an exact recipe. You mix ketchup and mayo together so they're the color of thousand island dressing. Then add chili powder, as much or as little as you like!

This is a favorite at our house too except we use veganaise with ketchup add a dash of garlic and onion powder and a tsp. of sweet pickle relish and we call it "GOOP" for frys, hamburger sauce, etc. I am going to have to try with chili powder as you suggested!

Ooh, I'll have to try it your way, though I'd switch the sweet pickle relish for dill.