Salads are healthy and delicious on their own. But there are those of us who want additional flavors and for that folks, we have salad dressings! Unfortunately, a lot of these dressings are unhealthy and packed with excessive calories. If you switch to salads in order to reduce your caloric intake, that's great! Except that many people who switch to eating more greens, need salad dressings to give more flavor to their meals.
Homemade salad dressings are the best! So take your extra 5 minutes to whisk together a nutrient dense dressing for your salad. All the ingredients you will use for your dressing are fresh and clean, so you don't have to worry about excessive calories. You can simply enjoy your salad with your favorite flavors!
Lemon and Avocado Dressing
If you love avocado, you'll love this dressing! It is fresh , creamy and packed with healthy fats. And if you like spicing things up a bit, you can add a dash of hot sauce or hot peppers to it. You can mash your ingredients and then mix them together, or you can simply blend them and you're set, and ready to eat.
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- 1 cucumber
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil
- A pinch of salt and pepper
Strawberry Vinaigrette
If you like strawberry flavor, now you can enjoy it in your salads as well. This vinaigrette is summery, fresh, sweet and fruity! Mash your strawberries and mix the ingredients together, or throw them all in your blender and you're done!
Ingredients
- 1 cup of strawberries
- 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of freshly minced thyme leaves or basil
- A pinch of salt and pepper
Dijon-Shallot Vinaigrette
This classic salad dressing is very versatile. You can use it not just on your salads, but on your grilled meats and veggies too. It is slightly sweet and quite healthy too! Just whisk all the ingredients together and spread it on your salad.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of finely minced shallot
- A pinch of salt and pepper
Yogurt and Ginger Dressing
This is a bold salad dressing. The flavor is very potent and you need to taste it before you spread it over your salad. It is fresh, healthy and it gives you a metabolic boost! Just whisk all your ingredients together and you're done, it's as simple as that.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of freshly minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon of coconut milk
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon of honey
- A pinch of cayenne, salt and pepper
Citrus Vinaigrette
This is another fresh and summery dressing. It is great for sunny, hot days and it gives you a healthy Vitamin C dose. This is very easy to make. Just finely mince your ginger and mix all the ingredients together. It is incredibly versatile, so you can use it on any salad you like!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup of orange juice
- 3 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon of freshly minced ginger
Homemade Tzatziki Dressing
This is a very light dressing, and especially cooling in the hot summer days. You can use it as a dip for your veggies, as well as a salad dressing, so it is versatile too! Additionally, it is packed with probiotics and protein.
Ingredients
- 1 freshly grated and drained cucumber
- 1 or 2 cups of Greek yogurt
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of freshly minced dill
- A pinch of salt and pepper
The ingredients in these salads are natural and easy to find. While they look fancy (and they do have fancy flavors!), they are really easy to make and versatile to use. Spread them over your favorite salads and veggies to get a healthy and tasty kick out of them!
Garlic, ginger and cayenne give a metabolic boost, lime juice and orange juice ensure your daily dose of Vitamin C, and Greek yogurt give you the protein you need to build big and strong muscles. Take an extra of 5 minutes to make your own healthy dressing for your salad. It’s healthier and cheaper than any salad dressing you will find at the store.
Enjoy the benefits of a homemade salad dressing and choose your ingredients from the best source. Try to always buy organic, in order to make the most of what mother nature has to offer. Plus, making your own salad dressing will give you a creative boost in the kitchen. You will learn how to play with your favorite flavors and you will eventually create your very own healthy dressing! If you would invent your own unique salad dressing, what would you name it?
