Make Your Own Healthy Salad Dressing

Learning to make dressings took my salads from ho-hum to oh-wow! I use ingredients I already have like nuts, seeds and dried fruits to create different dressings all week long. No combination is like the other, which keeps me eating a lot of salad.

Learn to Cook: Healthy Salad Dressing opens in a new tab

Looking for a delicious better-for-you salad dressing? Think beyond the store-bought bottle and make your own from scratch. Save money by using your imagination and what’s in your pantry (think nutrient-dense nuts and fruits!) to discover new flavor combinations.

Adding Flavor

It’s easy to make super-tasty salad dressings with healthy fats. When you choose one or more ingredients from each category below, it adds up to healthy and delicious! Simply purée all ingredients in a food processor or high-powered blender until smooth.

Tart. All types of vinegar, all varieties of fresh citrus, tomatoes, mustards, wines

Creamy. Avocado, nuts or seeds (raw or toasted), nut butter or seed butters (e.g. tahini), tofu

Salty. Tamari, olives, capers, miso, seaweed

Sweet. Fruits (dried or fresh), carrots, beets, coconut water

Seasoning. Garlic, ginger, hot peppers, onions, dried spices, fresh herbs

If you’re hungry for inspiration, check out a few favorites below and search our recipe database for more healthy salad dressings. opens in a new tab

Low-Fat Creamy "Caesar" Dressing opens in a new tab

Tip: Many of these combinations come together not only as versatile dressings for salads and slaws but also as dips for veggies or possibly as a sandwich spread.

If you’ve discovered how easy it is to make homemade healthy salad dressings, what’s your go-to flavor combination? 

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