Save money with these 18 popular salad dressing recipes (and 1 secret)

Bottled salad dressing is common on the dinner table in households across America. While convenient, these prepared salad dressings are much more expensive than those you prepare from scratch. None of the most popular salad dressings are hard to make and many can be prepared using common ingredients you always have on hand.

Another secret to saving money (and waistlines) when preparing salad is to toss the salad with the dressing before serving. If you toss the salad well, you need only one to two tablespoons dressing for each cup of salad. If you let everyone pour dressing on his salad, you’ll generally need twice as much (or more).

In the following recipes for the most popular salad dressings in America today, we’ve provided two base recipes with a range of popular flavors and ingredients that you can adapt to what your family normally eats. You can make up a large batch of base dressing, then add the remaining recipe ingredients when you want to make salad, just two or three times a week if you have salad every night. Making salad dressing is also a great task for children to help prepare part of the meal.

Six Most Popular Creamy Salad Dressings

For each creamy salad dressing recipe, simply place the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together by hand, or in a salad dressing shaker or pint jar with a lid and shake, or in a food processor or blender and process until well-blended. Let salad dressing rest at least 30 minutes for the flavor to develop fully before using; flavors may continue to develop for several days in the refrigerator.

Creamy salad dressings made with fresh herbs and spices will keep about 3 days in the refrigerator, while dressing made with dried herbs and spices will keep about 1 week in the refrigerator.

Creamy Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Creamy Dressing (recipe below)
• 2 teaspoons minced onion or 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 small clove minced garlic or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 to 8 ounces (1/2 to 1 cup) crumbled blue cheese

Creamy Greek Salad Dressing (Tzatziki Sauce)

• 1 Base Recipe for Creamy Dressing (recipe below) made with 1 cup Greek or regular yogurt and no milk
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried oregano, marjoram, dill, or mint (or a combination)
• Additional 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Creamy Italian Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Creamy Dressing (recipe below)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano, thyme, basil, celery leaves, and parsley (any combination) or use 2 tablespoons dried mixed herbs or Italian blend
• Additional 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Peppercorn Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Creamy Dressing (recipe below) or Ranch Salad Dressing or Creamy Blue Cheese dressing
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons cracked or coarsely ground black pepper

Ranch Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Creamy Dressing (recipe below)
• 2 teaspoons minced onion or 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 small clove minced garlic or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh herbs or 3/4 teaspoon dried, such as parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, dill, or celery leaves (or any combination)

Thousand Island Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Creamy Dressing (recipe below)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste, ketchup, or finely chopped dried tomatoes
• 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped celery, pickle, parsley or chives (or a combination)
• 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped onion or red bell pepper (or a combination)

Base Recipe for Creamy Salad Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise or sour cream or yogurt (regular or Greek)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or fresh milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For thicker dressing, use 3/4 cup mayonnaise or sour cream or Greek yogurt and 1/4 cup buttermilk or fresh milk plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice. The Creamy Salad Dressing Base keeps about 1 month in the refrigerator, depending on the freshness of the dairy products used.

12 Most Popular Vinaigrette (Oil and Vinegar) Salad Dressings

For each vinaigrette salad dressing recipe, place the ingredients and 1/4 cup oil in a bowl and whisk together by hand, or in a salad dressing shaker or pint jar with a lid and shake, or in a food processor or blender. Then add the remaining 1/2 cup oil and mix again until smooth and slightly thickened. Vinaigrette prepared in a food processor or blender will generally get thicker than those shaken in a jar or whisked by hand. Let salad dressing rest at least 30 minutes for the flavor to develop fully before using; flavors may continue to develop for several days in the refrigerator.

The Base Recipe for Vinaigrette keeps indefinitely in the refrigerator. Fresh herbs, garlic, cheeses, and eggs decrease the storage life of a vinaigrette to about 3 days.

Balsamic Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below), made with 2 tablespoons red wine or cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried basil, oregano, rosemary, or marjoram (or a combination)

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 4 to 8 ounces (1/2 to 1 cup) crumbled blue cheese

Caesar Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below) made with white wine vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 large clove minced garlic, mashed to a paste with the salt
• 9 anchovies (or one 2-ounce tin or jar), drained and very finely chopped (or 3 tablespoons anchovy paste)
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Catalina or Red French Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 1/2 cup ketchup or tomato paste
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup minced onion or 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika or chili powder (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
• 1 clove minced garlic (optional)
• Dash of Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Garlic-Parmesan Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 2 to 4 cloves minced garlic, mashed to a paste with the salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Greek Vinaigrette

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 2 cloves minced garlic, mashed to a paste with the salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried oregano, marjoram, dill, or mint (or a combination)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Honey-Mustard Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 2 teaspoons honey

Italian Vinaigrette

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 1 large clove minced garlic, mashed to a paste with the salt
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh oregano, thyme, basil, celery leaves, rosemary, and parsley (any combination) or use 2 tablespoons dried mixed herbs or Italian herb blend
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below), made with fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried herbs such as parsley, chives, tarragon, thyme, oregano, or basil (or any combination)

Onion Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 1/3 to 2/3 cup sugar, or to taste
• 1 to 1½ cups finely minced sweet onion

Thai-style Peanut Salad Dressing

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below), preferably made with rice vinegar and/or fresh lime juice
• 1/4 to ½ cup peanut butter (any variety)
• 2 tablespoons honey or sugar, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Raspberry Vinaigrette

• 1 Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (recipe below), made with raspberry vinegar
• 1/4 cup crushed fresh raspberries (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

Base Recipe for Vinaigrette (Oil and Vinegar) Salad Dressing

• 1/4 cup red wine, white wine, cider, or rice vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice (or a combination)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard or 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• A few grindings of black or white pepper (optional)
• 3/4 cup very fresh olive, canola, safflower, or vegetable oil

Note: the addition of mustard not only enhances the flavor, it helps emulsify the dressing (gets the oil and vinegar to combine — which they do not want to do) and to keep it from separating later. However, you may omit the mustard, as well as substitute a coarse grain mustard.

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