DIY Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

Concoct your own signature dressing!

Why ruin the great crunch, flavor, and weight loss benefits of your favorite salads by piling on fattening, creamy dressings? In our opinion, storebought bottles of Ranch and Thousand Island dressings are out. Clean eating ingredients with light, refreshing flavors are in. Enhance the natural flavors and textures of the fruits, veggies, grains, and cheeses in your salads with our healthy salad dressing recipe. Follow the formula in our infographic for a topping that’s sure to delight your taste buds.

First you’ll want to choose a healthy oil for the base of your salad. Pick one that has its own health benefits and pairs well with your salad. Olive oil is excellent for a more Mediterranean feel. Walnut oil brings a nutty flavor to salads with a fruit component. Flaxseed oil is versatile and offers a host of nutritional benefits. Then, add the acid of your choice. Balsamic vinegar provides sweetness, wine-based vinegars are light and refreshing, and citrus juices add zest.

Then, the fun really begins. We think that mustard is an outstanding addition to any dressing. Creamy and delicious, it’s low in calories, but delivers texture that can’t be beat. Whether you choose the sweetness of honey mustard or the depth of Dijon, you can’t go wrong. Balance it with a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup, add depth with seasonings such as garlic, shallots, or herbs, and finish with salt and pepper. You’ve just created your own, signature salad dressing. Enjoy!

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Kym Votruba

More by Kym

7 Comments

  1. I don’t like mustard. Is it ok to make without, or should I substitute it fir something? My favorite dressings are sweet onion and raspberry vinegrette. Would love something like that without all the sugars!

    1. Yes, AHJ, you can make dressing without mustard. Adding honey or maple syrup is a great way to add sweetness without using refined sugar.

    1. Yes, however Dijon or whole grain works best. I would suggest decreasing the vinegar to 3 teaspoons since yellow mustard is often more “tangy”.

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