5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

These 5 Healthy Salad Dressings will last in the fridge for up to 2 months! Try Italian, ranch, balsamic, honey dijon and ginger sesame.

Ingredients and substitutions

Italian dressing

Canola oil – or another neutral cooking oil like olive oil or avocado oil.
White wine vinegar – use red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
Honey – maple syrup or agave will also add some sweetness to your salad dressing.
Parmesan cheese – nutritional yeast is a great dairy-free substitute.
Italian seasoning – use a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram.
Onion powder – garlic powder would also be good.
Garlic flakes – swap out for some garlic powder or even freshly minced garlic.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

Ranch dressing

Sour cream – you could also use plain Greek yogurt, but the flavour will be different.
Canola oil – or another neutral cooking oil like olive oil or avocado oil.
Lemon juice – freshly squeezed lemon juice is best but bottled lemon juice will work in a pinch.
Garlic flakes – swap out for some garlic powder or even freshly minced garlic.
Dried parsley – try using dried oregano or basil instead.
Dried dill – tarragon has a similar flavour.
Onion powder – garlic powder would also be good.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

Ginger sesame dressing

Rice vinegar – swap out for apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Sesame oil – you can use a neutral oil like olive oil, but then your dressing won’t have the same flavour.
Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best substitutes for soy sauce.
Brown sugar – make your own brown sugar using a combination of white sugar and molasses.
Garlic flakes – swap out for some garlic powder or even freshly minced garlic.
Dried ginger – fresh ginger would also be good.

Honey Dijon dressing

Dijon mustard – yellow mustard can be used but has a milder flavour.
Honey – maple syrup or agave will also add some sweetness to your salad dressing.
Canola oil – or another neutral cooking oil like olive oil or avocado oil.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

Balsamic dressing

Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like canola oil.
Balsamic vinegar – use a bit of honey and red wine vinegar instead.
Honey – maple syrup or agave will also add some sweetness to your salad dressing.
Dijon mustard – yellow mustard will work but has a milder flavour.
Salt & pepper – to taste.

How to make healthy salad dressing

Step 1: Prep your ingredients.

Step 2: Pour everything into a mason jar.

Add ingredients of choice to a pint-sized mason jar and place the lid on.

Step 3: Shake to combine.

Shake jar well to mix up dressing.

Step 4: Add to your salad and enjoy!

Store in the fridge for up to 2 months!

The best salad dressing recipe formula

While these five salad dressing recipes give you a great variety to choose from, you can start to make your own combinations once you understand the basic formula for healthy homemade salad dressings.

Get creative with this standard formula:

Two parts oil – I use canola oil in many of these recipes, but you can use sesame oil, extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil and more.
One part acid – vinegar, lemon juice or lime will all do the job here.
One part sweetener or emulsifier – honey and maple syrup are great natural sweeteners. If you don't use a sweetener, make sure you add an emulsifier like mustard or Dijon mustard to ensure that the oil and acid blends well together.
Salt and pepper – always add these, unless you're using a savoury ingredient such as soy sauce.
Herbs – Your choices here are pretty much endless. Garlic, parsley, ginger, dill – there are so many different possibilities!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the healthiest dressing for salad?

Healthy salad dressings are typically oil and vinegar based because they contain the least processed fats and sweeteners. All the recipes in this post are super healthy and taste great so you have lots of options.

Why should you make your own?

If you’ve taken the time to make a big healthy salad chock full of fresh veggies, you don’t want to ruin it with a salad dressing with questionable ingredients. Making your own healthy salad dressings is the best way to ensure your salad is fresh and nutritious. Store-bought dressings usually have a lot of refined sugar, are high in bad fats and calories, and contain chemical preservatives.

Why should you use mason jars?

Mason jars are perfect for salad dressing recipes. With glass, you don’t have to worry about any nasty chemicals leaking into your food from unsafe plastics, and they’re easy to wash and reuse. They're also dishwasher safe. If you buy the mason jars with a wide mouth, you can even get a utensil down in the jar! Plus, the ring and lid seal tightly, so you can give the jar a good shake before using the dressing.

How long does salad dressing last in the fridge?

These healthy salad dressings will last in the fridge for up to 2 months. That means you can always have a few on hand. Just as you would buy a few varieties at the store, make several flavours and rotate to keep your salads fresh.

If you use just oil and vinegar in your dressing, it will be shelf stable. The vinegar is acidic enough to keep it fresh. However, if there are any fresh ingredients like garlic, dairy products or fresh herbs, it should be refrigerated.

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5 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

Ingredients and substitutions