It’s lunchtime and you’re trying your best to follow your New Year’s resolution, so you make a salad. If you then proceed to cover it in ranch dressing, you’ve defeated the purpose and might as well have made yourself a grilled cheese. Next time, leave the salad dressing at the store, because nothing you buy will be as healthy, or as tasty, as something you make.
Vinaigrette
Photo by Bernard Wen
Get the highest quality olive oils and balsamic vinegars from specialty stores like Seasons Olive Oil & Vinegar Taproom, which is located in downtown Lancaster. They’re more expensive than what you’ll find at the grocery store, but they are much healthier and definitely worth it. You can simply mix oil and vinegar together, or you can take it the extra mile and add some minced garlic, dijon or parmesan cheese.
Lemon Juice
Photo by Rebecca Block
Lemon juice is quite versatile as a salad dressing. You can use it solo or mix it with olive oil for something simple that goes with pretty much anything. If you prefer something sweeter, add a bit of honey to your olive oil/lemon juice mixture. Or you can mix lemon juice with soy sauce and sesame seeds for an Asian-inspired salad dressing that goes perfectly with an avocado salad.
Greek Yogurt
Photo by Krysten Dorfman
If you prefer creamier salad dressings, you can substitute Greek yogurt for the unhealthy ingredients that give your favorite salad dressings that smooth texture. Instead of buying ranch or Caesar dressing, try making them at home.
Tahini
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For a Mediterranean-inspired salad dressing, turn to tahini. Mix it with lemon juice, garlic salt and cayenne pepper for a delicious dressing that goes with almost anything. Add water or lemon juice as needed until it reaches your desired consistency.
Now that you have the salad dressing, what about the salad? Here are a few ideas: