Salad dressings were the very first recipes we did for Just One Bite at a time and I thought I’d share with you our fabulous 6 Healthy Salad and Dressing Recipes that will make your taste buds dance with joy!   At first I  thought salad dressing would be really diffficult to create with too many ingredients but how wrong was I. (Now you know that doesn’t happen very often…ha ha)

I soon realised that there’s no need to stick to the usual lettuce, cucumber, and tomato for a family side salad topped with a dollop of store bought mayo. Boring!  And now that I know how easy healthy homemade salad dressings are to make I wanted to share them with you even more.

Get ready to create a tantalizing super side dishes from Mexican Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette to oen of our other faves our Quick Cucumber Salad with Asian dressing which is on repeat here at home alllllll….the time.

These irresistible favorites will have you coming back for more, time and time again. Each salad below not only has the salad recipe but has it’s own (easy to make) dressing that you can whip up in minutes.

Why Make Your Own Tasty Dressings?

Making your own homemade healthy salad dressings are super quick and means you know exactly what’s going into it. No mystery ingredients!  So say goodbye to store-bought salad dressings packed with unhealthy additives, preservatives, and sneaky added sugars. Not to mention, they can really break the bank!

So before we get into the 6 Salad recipes below here are some guaranteed tips to make your dressing recipes work everytime.

Necessary Kitchen Equipment You’ll Need For the Dressings

Mason Jar or Airtight Container

Most of the times a jar is all you’ll need to mix up your simple ingredients and a good shake. Just throw in your flavourful ingredients, seal it, and shake until it’s smooth and creamy.

Whisk and bowl

For a thicker style creamy dressing the whisk comes in handy.

 Blender or food processor

For delicious dressing made with nuts and large amounts of fresh herbs like the Green Goddess dressing, we whip out the blender or food processor. (super easy and quick and well worth the effort).

Basic Essential Ingredients for Healthy Salad Dressings

Oils – Extra virgin olive oil,  Avocado oil (often used when a flavorless oil is needed) and sesame oil for the real Asian flavour taste. Using good quality olive oil will make your homemade dressing even more delish. We don’t ever use vegetable oil for our dressings or low-quality oils.

Acids & Vinegar –  Lemon juice and vinegar are often the tangy main ingredients of a salad dressing. I love to use rice wine vinegar as it’s not overpowering but still with a little zing.  The ratio of vinegar in your dressing matters. Too much acid makes it harsh. Too little makes it oily and dull. Usually 3 parts oils to 1 part acid. Other acids generally used in homemade salad dressing recipes are:

• Red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar as well.
• Balsamic vinegar is one of my faves and can be a dressing just on it’s own.  Though this Maple Mustard and Balsalmic Dressing is so yumm!

Salt and Pepper – seasoning your dressing is a must. Salt can vary especially if using sea salt flakes so tasting as you go will help you season to perfection. Fine black pepper or cracked pepper for a more intense flavour.

Sweetness – Maple Syrup or Honey – While honey is our go to most of the time maple is another lovely option.

Fresh Citrus Fruit Juice – lime juice is awesome for adding that citrusy tang.

Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream – Greek yoghurt has it’s very own tangy freshness while sour cream is more of a rounded out flavour or use a vegan option if you like too.

Spices – Turmeric, onion and garlic powder are great flavour adds too.

Condiments – Dijon mustard – adds a really nice flavor and thickens to your vinaigrette dressings. Whole grain mustard perfect for Honey Mustard Dressing, which is our most favorite salad dressings.

Soy Sauce – light and dark soy are perfect for Asian style dressings and add colour too.  Kecap manis is slightly thicker and sweeter soy sauce so may need adjusting when using this soy sauce.

Herbs – Love love love using fresh herbs.  The aroma from freshly cut mint, coriander and dill is awesome.  Though dried herbs often kick butt too.  While fresh is always great we do use dried dill in our  tzatziki recipe when we don’t have it in the garden.

Anchovies – love them or hate them when used homemade dressings it adds so much flavour without that fishiness.

Onions, garlic and Shallots – these strong flavours can pack a punch. Eschalots, slightly milder, spring onions and red onions are a little more intense but add lovely colour and sharpness.  Garlic is quite personal and can taste a bit raw and too strong.  To tone down the garlicky taste, pop the garlic cloves into a cup of just boiled water and let sit for 5 or 10 minutes, drain and then crush, chop or blitz as needed.

Salad Toppings

1. Mexican Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette Dressing

This Mexican Pasta Salad with Lime Vinaigrette Dressing makes a generous family sized bowl of veggie goodness with that Mexican flavour. Loaded with corn, sweet capsicums, salty olives, fresh coriander, black beans and crunchy shallots topped with a beautiful Lime Vinaigrette Dressing gives it a zingy tang and just the right amount of sweetness.

2. Quick Cucumber Salad with Asian Dressing

Looking to elevate your salads? Prepare to be wowed by the mind-blowing flavors of our Quick Cucumber Salad with Asian Dressing. This tantalizing combination of ingredients will take your taste buds on a journey they’ll never forget. Make crunchy goodness with just a few ingredients.

3. Green Goddess Salad Recipe

Prepare to have your taste buds transformed with this mind-blowing Green Goddess Salad Recipe! Say goodbye to your preconceived notions about cabbage and cucumbers.

Original recipe is from Melissa Melissa Ben-Ishay Prepare yourself, my friend, for a salad that will tantalize your taste buds with its fresh, crunchy, and flavorful goodness! And rather moorish too!

4. Cauliflower Rice Salad with Turmeric Vinaigrette Dressing

If you’re tired of boring salads, get ready for a flavor explosion with this Cauliflower Rice Salad with Turmeric Vinaigrette Dressing! It’s a tantalizing mix of chunkiness, crunchiness, tanginess, nuttiness, sweetness, and irresistible freshness. Colorful salad can be a great side dish for fried chicken, but also a satisfying meal on its own.

5. Roasted Pumpkin Rocket and Feta Salad

Spice up your BBQ with a delicious Roasted Pumpkin Rocket and Feta Salad.

This mouthwatering salad recipe, drizzled with a tantalizing balsamic dressing or glaze, will become your go-to dish! And guess what? If you happen to have some leftover roasted pumpkin from last night, this recipe is even faster and easier to whip up!

6. Roasted Beetroot and Goat Cheese Salad

The Roasted Beetroot and Goat Cheese Salad recipe is a perfect match – simple, flavorful, and delicious.

Prepare your taste buds for a tantalizing combination of creamy goat cheese, roasted beets, peppery rocket, crunchy walnuts, and avocado, all dressed in a heavenly honey mustard vinaigrette. The colour combo in this salad is a visual delight too!

How Long Will Leftover Salads Last?

Don’t let that salad go to waste! Keep it fresh and fabulous by storing it and its dressing properly in an airtight container in the fridge.  If you can keep your dressing separate from the salad this will help to avoid them getting on the soggy side.

Be warned, some salads have a short shelf life and may turn into a yucky mess within days! Salads packed with hearty ingredients like cauliflower, carrots, roasted veggies, and pasta will stay fresh and fabulous for longer!

How long do homemade salad dressings last?

Did you know that homemade salad dressings can last up to a whole week in the fridge? But wait, there’s more! The thing is it’s all about the kind of ingredients you are using. If your dressing is packed with fresh herbs, onions, or tomatoes, it’s best to enjoy it within two or three days.

However, if your dressing is all about that perfect blend of oil and vinegar, you’re in luck and those kind of dressings tend to be safe to use for a longer period of time. So go ahead, get creative with your dressings and savor the flavors for days to come!

Salad Toppings

Now you have these favorite homemade salad dressings to put on your fresh salad loaded with leafy greens, can you add even more deliciousness?  Of course you can.  Toppings can take a simple salad and turn it into something even more exciting.

• Cheese – Feta cheese adds a creamy and kind of salty uplevelling you could say.  Great with roasted veggie salads and balamic vinegar dressings. Grilled Halloumi,
• Parmesan is perfect shaved on the top of pasta salads, Caesar salads
• Nuts and Seeds –  A handful of nuts and seeds can add texture and healthy fats to your salad. Toasted almonds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, pistachios, pumpkin (pepitas), cashews, walnuts, hemp and even chia seeds.
• Chia seeds
• Croutons toasted baked or fried with a hint of garlic.  Adds another dimension and honestly could we enjoy the Caesar salad without croutons?  (yeah….nah!)
• Bacon crisps – salty, crunchy and adds more texture.  Yummo.
• Dried fruits – cranberries, raisins and dried apricots add a pop of colour and sweetness.
• Proteins – boiled eggs quartered, rotisserie chicken
• Plant based proteins – chickpeas spiced and baked, black beans, kidney beans and cannelinin beans, tofu, quonoa and edamame add a lot of protein to a plant-based salad.
• Seafood – grilled prawns,  canned tuna and beautiful crab meat.