10 Yummy & Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

There’s no need to buy store bottled salad dressings – while they are convenient and some may taste okay, they can’t beat the taste and nutrition of homemade salad dressings. Plus homemade dressings are so easy to make, you’ll never go back to bottled dressing again! Here are a few of our favorites we’ve collected over the years (we’ve tweaked them a bit), plus a few original ones from our Mermaid kitchen!

Suggestion:  buy yourself some Mason or other air-tight jars; you can make some of the recipes right in the jar by just shaking, then you can store them in the same jar. The “shelf life” of homemade salad dressings varies somewhat. Generally, vinaigrettes can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Dairy-based dressings, and dressings made with fresh ingredients, like chopped onion, fresh herbs, tomato sauce and chopped hard-boiled egg, will keep up to 1 week.

Many of our recipes below use our Land & SEAsoning spice mix which contains :  organic seaweed powder, Hawaiian sea salt, Dried Hawaiian Seaweed, raw nori flakes, mushroom blend, onion powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, Garam masala blend, and roasted red chili powder. You can buy it at our store. Also, for any of these recipes, try sprinkling some Nori flakes for added nutrition, and you could add 1/2 teaspoon of moranga powder for a superfood boost.

#1: Mermaid Vinaigrette:  
Classic vinaigrette with our spin to it. In your jar, add 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Shake. Add in in 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil or avocado oil. Add a sprinkle of Land & SEAsoning for added zest. Shake well until everything is blended. Taste, adjust seasoning as needed.

#2: Ginger-Sesame
In addition to being a tasty salad dressing, this also makes for a great marinade on chicken, meat or fish. Use as a dressing on Asian slaws and salads or cold noodle salads. In your jar add the following ingredients – then shake well and chill:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (Coconut Aminos or Liquid Aminos would be better/healthier than soy sauce — read our blog about this here.)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
• Sprinkle some Land & SEAsoning to taste

#3: Roasted Garlic
Slice the top off 1 head garlic; drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil and roast at 400 degrees until tender, 35 minutes. Cool, then squeeze out the cloves. Make Mermaid Vinaigrette (# 1) in a blender, adding the roasted garlic and 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan.

#4: Shallot–White Wine
Make the Mermaid Vinaigrette (#1), replacing the red wine vinegar with white wine vinegar; add 1 minced shallot.

#5: Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing 
This dressing is packed with healthy fat and protein by using a base of whole milk Greek yogurt. If you’d like to make the dressing lighter, you can use low fat Greek yogurt. It does use a little bit of buttermilk to help give it that ranch flavor. Combine ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined and smooth, then store in jar and refrigerate.

• 3/4 cup whole milk plain Greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
• 1/4 medium onion, diced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced chives
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup—1/2 cup buttermilk

#6: Lemon-Dill
In a blender add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, and salt to taste. Gradually add in 1/4 cup each olive oil (or avocado oil) and vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons chopped dill. Store in jar and chill well before serving. This also makes a great seafood marinade.

#7: Olive
Make the Lemon Dressing from above but leave out the chopped dill. In a blender, add 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives and 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme.

#8: Truffle
Shake 1 tablespoon each Dijon mustard and champagne vinegar, 1 minced shallot, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Add in 1/3 cup truffle oil and 1/4 cup olive oil, shake well again until everything is blended.

#9: Carrot-Ginger
Cook 1 chopped carrot in boiling water until soft; reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain. Purée the carrot, reserved water, 2 tablespoons each rice vinegar and chopped peeled ginger, and 1 teaspoon each sugar, Coconut Aminos and sesame oil in a blender. Season with salt, water, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove, 4 anchovies and a couple of sprinkles of Land & SEAsoning in a blender.

#10:  Chili Lime Dressing
This is a great dressing for taco salads and anything that could use a little kick or heat. It’s also good for marinating shrimp or other seafood.

• Zest and juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons juice and 3 teaspoons zest)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Coconut Aminos
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Land & SEAsoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

There are so many more original and adapted recipes you can use to make fresh dressing – just experiment to get your version of Caesar, Italian, Balsamic Vinaigrette, or anything that might inspire you. Enjoy!