9 Salad Dressings That’ll Knock Your Socks Off

Cooking with Jane, Resources, , ,

Just in time for sandal weather! : )

There is so much to love about homemade salad dressings! Whether you’re an old hat at whipping up a dressing, or feel hesitant to let go of your store-bought bottle, you’ll find some new, easy, and absolutely delicious salad dressing recipes below. All of them are fast to make, fresh, bursting with flavour, versatile, inexpensive, and use common ingredients found in the kitchen. You’ll soon discover that making salad dressing at home is super easy and fast and lovely and worth every bit of the (minimal) time it takes to make one.

I have my standard go-to dressings that I make (my favourite is the Tahini Lemon Dressing), but I’ll switch it up depending on what kind of salad I’m making. If it’s a coleslaw, I like the Sesame Ginger Dressing. If I’m having a grain bowl with roasted root vegetables and kale, I like the Herbed Yoghurt Dressing. With each recipe I’ll detail more about how I like to use each one, but you can definitely play around and see what you like best.

Below you’ll find links to several different salad dressing recipes, some of which have been kindly shared by CSA members*. I’ve also decided to highlight a salad dressing below that I think is perfect for this shoulder season. It’s bright and refreshing to help bring you into the warmer weather, but still has a bit of earthy sturdiness to it to give it a hardier feel (as this spring has been quite damp and chilly!).

A quick word on method and storage before we dive into the delicious. I make all of my salad dressings in a mason jar, shaken or stirred. If you are incorporating fresh herbs, it’s super useful to have a blender or food processor, but if you don’t, you can still chop up your herbs very finely and shake it up in a jar with your other ingredients. Once you’ve made your salad dressing it should keep for at least 3-4 days in the fridge. If it’s a simple oil and vinegar type dressing, it should last even longer. That being said, I think the fresher the better!

*Are you a seasoned salad dressing connoisseur and don’t see your favourite recipe here? Write it in the comments below, or share it on the Root Radical CSA Members Facebook group!

THE FEATURED RECIPE:

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Tahini Lemon Dressing

This recipe is bright and refreshing, nutty and creamy. It's perfect for the not-yet-hot springtime, when you want to have a fresh salad that is also hearty and grounding. Try it with fresh greens, toasted seeds or nuts (I like a mixture of pumpkin and sunflower), chèvre, and sliced apple or strawberries.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 freshly squeezed lemon about 2-3 Tbsp
  • 4 Tbsp tahini
  • 1-2 tsp nutritional yeast optional
  • 4 Tbsp water
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • sea salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and stir or shake to combine. You can add more water to thin to desired consistency.

Recipe Notes

Optional additions: I love adding fresh or dried dill to this recipe. Feel free to experiment with different herbs and find the ones you like! Also delicious as-is.

SALAD DRESSING RECIPES:

  1. MAPLE BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE – this recipe was shared by CSA member Kate. It’s simple, versatile, and perfect on a green salad with fresh sliced strawberry, walnuts, and chèvre.
  2. MISO SESAME GINGER DRESSING – an excellent recipe for spring, when it’s still a wee bit damp and cool. This dressing will spice things up with a hint of sweet and tangy. It’s delicious on a green salad, but really shines when used in a slaw with purple cabbage, carrot, cilantro, and red pepper. Feel free to add some fresh chili for extra heat!
  3. RANCH DRESSING – what kid (little or big) can say no to carrot sticks and ranch? Try out this recipe shared with us from CSA member Lori. A true crowd-pleaser.
  4. GLORY BOWL DRESSING – yep, this dressing is truly glorious. I love having it on a grain bowl with baked tofu, roasted veg, fresh cilantro, and steamed greens. It’s hardy enough to stand up to rice or quinoa and still pack a flavour punch, and adds a wonderful creaminess to any veggie you pair it with. This link provides the full recipe to the dressing and a suggested grain and veg bowl.
  5. SUNFLOWER AND HONEY SALAD DRESSING – whip up a batch of this for leafy green salads, or to drizzle on lightly steamed greens. The recipe makes a big batch, so you can have it on hand for whatever salads you plan to feast on!
  6. HERBED YOGHURT DRESSING – I love this recipe with roasted sweet potatoes. The tang of the yoghurt tempers the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and is just so darn tasty. As I mentioned above, I also enjoy this dressing on any kind of grain and root veggie bowls. If you keep it on the thicker side, it can also be used as a dip for pita bread and raw veggie sticks.
  7. HERB VINAIGRETTE DRESSING – this recipe is actually a template, and is super easy to use so you can get creative in your kitchen. I love using balsamic dressing when I’m eating the vinaigrette drizzled on fresh tomatoes, and love using the lighter red wine vinegar for salads with fresh berries. But really, you can’t go wrong!
  8. WHITE BALSAMIC DRESSING – creamy and perfect for a coleslaw!