Quick + Healthy Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes

Recipes

Nov 21

Written By

Why make your own salad dressing?

When you’ve gone to the effort of growing fresh, flavorful greens in your garden or picked up a beautiful bundle of local lettuce at the farmers market, you don’t want to smother it in store-bought dressing. You want something that highlights the flavor, not hides it. Store‑bought dressings often hide sugar, preservatives, and artificial ingredients that undermine your salad’s natural goodness.

These three simple homemade vinaigrettes come together in minutes, use clean pantry staples, and let your greens shine. And, they’re each easy to customize with seasonal herbs or flavors you love.

Once you try these, you’ll wonder how you ever settled for anything from a bottle.

Homemade Vinaigrette Recipes

Basic Vinaigrette

¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup white wine vinegar (if you like a litte bite, add another splash!)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 teaspoon of thyme (optional)
Squeeze of lemon or orange

Italian Vinaigrette

¾ cup olive oil
1/3 cup white or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

Balsamic Vinaigrette

¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1-2 Tablespoons of honey
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon of pepper

Substitutions + Add-Ins

1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard
Substitute dried for fresh herbs
Add minced garlic or shallots
Use a flavored balsamic
Use a nut oil in place of Olive oil: Flax, Walnut, Hazelnut, Avocado, Sesame

You now have three versatile, homemade vinaigrettes you can mix up in a flash, no fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients needed. Whether you're using homegrown arugula, fresh spinach, hearty romaine, or seasonal lettuce mix, these dressings will elevate your salad game.

Start with one base recipe, then experiment: add herbs, switch oils, try citrus zest. It’s easy, healthy, and a delicious way to bring your garden (or market finds) to the table.