Recipe

5 Healthy Salad Dressings You Can Easily Make at Home

By Kayla Zhang at St. Louis University

You've already heard about the bad reputation store-bought salad dressings have. You get it, store-bought dressings give your salad some actual flavor, but they have large amounts of fat and sugar in them.

Pouring large amounts of fatty and sugary store-bought dressings can sabotage all your health efforts, but spending hours at the grocery store to find the healthiest dressing isn't the best strategy either. Whether you're on the go or wanting to try something new, make one of these healthy salad dressing recipes to give your salad some personality and understand exactly what you're eating. 

1. Creamy Avocado Cilantro Vinaigrette

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • 1 lemon - juiced
  • 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 3/4 cup olive oil

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Cut an avocado and spoon out the avocado into a blender or directly into a jar or bowl.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Add olive oil and white wine vinegar.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Blend or mix the ingredients together in a blender or with a spoon.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Add in lemon juice and dried cilantro, and then blend or mix again.

Kayla Zhang

Step 5

Add salt and pepper based on your taste preferences.

Kayla Zhang

2. Sweet Mango and Lime Dressing

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 mango - pitted and sliced
  • 1 lemon - juiced
  • 1 lime - juiced and zested
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Cut the mango in half and spoon the flesh into a blender.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Add fresh lemon and lime juice.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

If juicing the fruits by hand, cut the lemon and lime in half. Hold the lemon/lime over the blender with one hand, and then place the other hand underneath the lemon/lime. The hand underneath will catch the seeds as you squeeze out the juice (shoutout to Giada for this tip).

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Add white wine vinegar and olive oil. Blend.

Kayla Zhang

Step 5

Add paprika and garlic salt. Adjust the salt based on taste preference.

Kayla Zhang

3. Mediterranean-Style Dressing

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 Roma tomato or 5 grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Cut tomato(es) and throw them into a blender or mash with a fork in a bowl.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Add olive oil and white wine vinegar.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Stir and add in Dijon mustard.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Add in dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir.

Kayla Zhang

4. Strawberry Mint Dressing

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 cup pureed strawberries
  • 1 teaspoon chopped mint
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Slice strawberries and mint leaves and throw them into the blender. Blend.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Add olive oil and vinegar to the jar.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Add the blended strawberries and mint to the jar.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Mix and add in dried basil.

Kayla Zhang

Step 5

Add salt and pepper. Stir.

Kayla Zhang

5. Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Servings: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 lemon - juiced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Kayla Zhang

Step 1

Mix the olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Kayla Zhang

Step 2

Add the honey and Dijon mustard to the mixture.

Kayla Zhang

Step 3

Add lemon juice to the mixture.

Kayla Zhang

Step 4

Add salt and pepper to the mixture. Stir.

Kayla Zhang

Choosing to eat a salad over a warm, cheesy pizza is already a big sacrifice. But you shouldn't have to worry about whether or not your sacrifice went to waste because of the salad dressing you used. Your salad dressing should not be taking you a step back from your health goals. With these healthy salad dressing recipes, your efforts should pay off and may even lead to making more healthy choices in the future.