The Salad Dressing You Should NEVER Eat + 3 Healthy Alternatives

Gluten-Free, Healthy Tips, Salads, Vegan

I never buy salad dressing from a store anymore. “But it’s so convenient!”, you might say. It is convenient. It’s also detrimental to our health. Why would you want to eat something that is making you fatter, sicker and could even kill you?!

It’s time I rant about the store-bought salad dressings.

If you want to eat healthy, protect your body against inflammation, be fit and avoid nasty additives, I highly recommend you make your own salad dressing at home. Show your body how much you love it by treating it to delicious, nutrient-rich dressings. Trust me, your body will thank you for it by glowing on the outside and feeling amazing on the inside.

I decided to share with you my top 3 homemade salad dressing recipes. Please don’t make me choose the one I like the most. I don’t think I can. They are all extremely delicious and super easy to prepare. It’s like choosing a favourite child.

Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

All three of these salad dressings take only a couple of minutes to prepare, and they store really well in the fridge. So there is no excuse for you not to try making them.

I love to use the sun dried tomato tahini dressing for quinoa buddha bowls. It has a smooth and creamy texture (thanks to the tahini) and a rich flavour. You can find the recipe for this dressing here.

Sun Dried Tomatoes Tahini Dressing

If you like creamy dressings that are also spicy, you will love my chipotle avocado dressing. I usually make it for my rainbow salads. Doesn’t this green colour look amaze beans? For the full recipe of this avocado dressing, click here.

Chipotle Avocado Dressing

Last (but absolutely not least) is the basic lemon vinaigrette. This dressing goes perfectly with any salad! I also like to sprinkle it over sautéed and steaemed vegetables. It instantly elevates the flavour of the dish, adding a refreshing, zesty taste.

Lemon Vinaigrette

One of my favourite side dishes to make using this vinaigrette is a kale salad with pine nuts and currants. Simply tear kale into small pieces, cut the cherry tomatoes and add pine nuts, currants and some sesame seeds. Sprinkle this goodness with the lemon vinaigrette, close your eyes and taste it. Your taste buds will be singing!

Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

If you make homemade salad dressing as well, please share your favourite recipe in the comments. I would love to see it and will definitely give it a try!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Basic Lemon Vinaigrette
 
Print Recipe
Prep time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: ½ cup
Ingredients
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp water
  • salt and pepper
Directions
  1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk for 1 minute.
  2. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Notes
The vinaigrette will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 

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Comments

  1. Find out what salad dressing you should NEVER eat and WHY! I also share
    with you my 3 healthy alternatives.

  2. I love the vinaigrette (is that the proper spelling?) I make mine with
    olive oil, vinegar, mustard seeds, oregano, salt and pepper and shake the
    jar instead of whisking it. I prefer more liquid, lemony dressings, do you
    have a recipe for a creamy lemony dressing? Love your videos and your
    dancing at the end here =D

  3. OMG Olga the avocado colour is so pretty I love it so much and your videos
    and your tips

  4. Totally agree! I try to stay away from store bought salad dressings.
    Definitely learned over my 104lb weight loss journey! I’m surely gonna try
    your recipes, but over the coming weeks I’ll be sharing some of my own on
    my channel. Can’t wait for future videos 😀

  5. ALL of the dressings look heaps good to me. This is just what I needed,
    thanks for sharing! Btw, cute kitchenware 🙂

  6. Olga your accent is so amazing I wish I sounded like that haha I’m
    jealous..ps great video 🙂

  9. Everytime I make myself a salad for luch and use only olive oil and apple
    cider vinegar for dressing, I always enjoy it sooooooo much. I think this
    combo is my favorite. BUT your avocado dressing looks super yummy ! I will
    try it 🙂

  11. thanks for sharing such great information, I absolutely love your videos!
    Cannot wait to make these dressings for my salad in the future! I usually
    do a simple olive oil, lemon, agave, salt and pepper dressing 🙂

  12. That sun dried tomato dressing sounds sooo perfect to me! I’ve got to try
    it, but I don’t have tahini 🙁 Would I be able to use extra garlicky
    hummus?

  13. In the back of my mind I know it’s probably not good for me… But i’ve
    been hooked on Ranch Dressing…for forever lol. I have to say though that
    Avocado one looked awesome! I need to try this! 😀 Always enjoy your videos
    <3

  14. All the salad dressings look so yummy!! I’ll probably make the avocado one
    and the vinaigrette one the most.

  16. I am allergic to avocado, but I am looking forward to trying the “Basic
    lemon vinaigrette”. Does it have to be specific olive oil? What kind should
    I buy?

  18. Since I learned how to do your homemade caesar salad dressing in one of
    your videos, it’s all I’ve been using! These new additions will come in
    handy. Thank you do much! 🙂

  20. Love this video Olga! My family has always made our own salad dressing! 1/2
    cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. garlic (more if
    you want!), 1 Tbsp. salt, 1 Tbsp. Thyme (powder), 1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
    (powder). Mess around with the proportions to get the correct taste for
    you, but that’s basically it! I never really measure, so those are my
    estimates of what I usually put in. Also, you can change the combo of herbs
    you use (Oregano, Mint, etc.) to get different flavors! Enjoy!

  21. My go to dressing is the lemon vinaigrette, I add dried mint to mine, makes
    it taste refreshing. I LOVE avocado in salad but never thought to turn in
    into dressing. I enjoy adding guacamole into my usual salads and will try
    this avocado dressing. and im obsessed with tahini! Yum thanks for sharing.

  22. I always use the olive oil lemon and salt dressing on all of my salads.
    Sometimes I use red wine vinegar too 🙂
    I am going to try the avocado dressing though it sounds yummy!

  24. I always prepare vinaigrette for my salads, because I love lemon taste and
    it’s so easy and fast to do, but I really want to experiment other salad
    dressing recipes 🙂

  25. Great recepies! But can you please give us an options which dressing would
    be better for what kind of salad? It easy with lemon vinegrete, but first
    two…
    BTW, my favorite is third one. It easy, fast and always tasty!

    • Thank you so much Laura! It really means a lot 🙂

      I’m a big fan of Ella. I haven’t tried that dressing though. Both the salad and the dressing look insanely good! I should make if for lunch next week! Happy Easter to you as well <3

  28. wow what great idea for different flavers ! and the end of your video was
    hilarious ! thanks

  36. nice video!!!! i dont buy salad dressing from store any more, i eat salad
    with tahini and honey,lol

  38. What brand of olive oild you use? Your olive oil seems so light in color in
    the video. Teh extra virgen olive oil I buy here in Brazil is much
    “greener”. Love your recipes! I’m definately trying the avocado dressing
    for tomorrow’s salad!

  39. As a Registered Dietitian I have to say that this video is spot on, great
    nutrition info and recipes! 🙂

  40. Just tried the avocado dressing on my salad and it was delish!! Instead of
    chilli powder (which is very hard to find in Brazil) I used Cayenne peper.
    Love your recipes Olga!! Lots of love from Brazil

  42. Thank you so much for these recipes Olga.Loved all of them.They are so easy to make and taste so much better than the store bought dressings.

  44. so glad i found your channel! Ive tried the last one before but totally
    wanna try the avocado one! thanks for sharing this with us!

  47. Grilled veggies and blended with yoghurt is full of flavor. Like zucchini &
    eggplant or bell pepper

  49. Hi hi! Have you ever tried – Fionas fat free family feasts (search on
    google)? Ive heard some interesting things about it, my auntie discovered
    some excellent recipes with it.

  51. The worst store bought salad dressing I’ve ever bought was one made by
    Kraft. It was disgusting, like sweet chemicals. I make my own with extra
    virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar and a little mustard. You can’t
    beat it.

    I also make a simple pasta dressing by crushing a vege stock cube into a
    powder, mixing it in olive oil and adding some fresh garlic, and use that
    instead of pesto on my pasta.

  54. I’ve made the avacado dressing tonight and it was so good! I put in 4
    cloves of garlic though just because i love garlic anything. Hehe

  55. Even more dangerous in salad dressings is benzoate because when you mix
    sodium benzoate with ascorbic acid (which is in the salad leafs and
    vegetables themselves), a chemical reaction occurs. It turns the mixture
    into benzene. Which I read is bad stuff.