23 Salad Dressings & Vinaigrettes You'll Want to Make All Summer Long
Looking for a new way to dress your salads this summer? These creamy dressings and bright vinaigrettes are the perfect way to add citrus, herbs, garlic and more to your go-to salad components. Recipes like Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette and Vegan Ranch Dressing pack a punch of flavor in every bite.
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Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
While a 1-to-2 acid-to-oil ratio is common for vinaigrette, shifting it to 1-to-1½ yields a dressing with a brighter flavor and fewer calories. That means for every ½ cup of acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, use 3/4 cup of oil. Here's a good all-purpose take on the formula.
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Cucumber Herb Vinaigrette
As the base of this herb-spiked dressing, pureed cucumber provides a mellow grassy flavor and a luxurious texture. Pureeing vegetables into a salad dressing is a great way to give it body (and to sneak in more low-cal vegetables). Experiment with tomatoes, arugula and/or roasted garlic to create your own dressing magic.
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Creamy Roasted Garlic Dressing
Made with mellow roasted garlic and chicken broth, this creamy dressing is perfect with a simple salad of romaine lettuce and red onion rings or with a main-dish salad.
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Tahini Dressing
Tahini adds richness to this creamy dressing. Its nutty flavor will enliven any salad.
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Mint Vinaigrette
This brightly flavored lemon-mint vinaigrette recipe is an ideal dressing for mixed green salads or grain salads, such a quinoa or freekah, topped with fresh fruit.
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Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
Orange juice and cilantro yield a tangy dressing that you'll want to have on hand.
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Vegan Ranch Dressing
Serve this creamy vegan ranch dressing alongside fresh or roasted veggies for dipping, as a spread for vegan sandwiches or as a salad dressing for hearty greens. It's also great with Vegan Cauliflower Buffalo Wings.
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Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette
Pick your favorite herb (or two!) to feature in this easy lemon-herb vinaigrette that's perfect tossed with grilled veggies.
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Balsamic Berry Vinaigrette
Sweet balsamic vinegar combines with strawberry preserves and Greek yogurt to make this bold and fruity dressing, perfect for salads with sturdy greens like spinach and romaine.
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Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
This lemony dressing gets a refreshing herbal lift with chopped fresh basil. Serve it with ripe summer tomatoes for an easy side salad.
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Easy Lemon Feta Vinaigrette
Pucker up with this easy lemon vinaigrette with salty feta cheese and a dash of honey. Serve over simple mixed greens or on a dinner salad with chickpeas or chicken.
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Grilled Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette
This easy lemon-herb vinaigrette pairs nicely with grilled meat and veggies alike. Mix and match your favorite herbs to adjust the flavor to fit your meal. Grilling the lemon before juicing it brings out the fruit's sweetness and concentrates its flavors. But if you're not already planning to fire up the grill, this dressing is just as good with plain lemon juice.
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Citrus Vinaigrette
This versatile citrus salad dressing gets a touch of natural sweetness from orange juice, which balances the acidity of the lemon juice. Use it in coleslaw for a mayo-free dressing, or drizzle it over winter greens with dried fruit and nuts.
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Basil Vinaigrette
Drizzle this basil salad dressing over sliced tomatoes or cooked green beans. Or toss it into a grain salad for a pop of fresh summertime flavor.
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Olive Orange Vinaigrette
Minced olives add a briny flavor to this healthy homemade salad dressing. The dressing keeps for several days in the fridge, so make a big batch to use on your favorite dinner salads and side salads. Try it on a salad with sliced red onion and fresh oranges.
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Parsley-Lemon Vinaigrette
Parsley has a lovely grassy flavor--but feel free to use any herb, such as cilantro, rosemary, basil or dill, in this healthy salad dressing.
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Herb Vinaigrette
This fresh herb vinaigrette dressing recipe is great tossed with mixed greens or as a dressing for cold pasta salads. To make a vegetarian version, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
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Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette
Here is a great, all-purpose salad dressing. The pleasing pungency of Dijon mustard makes it a good match for slightly bitter greens, such as escarole, chicory, radicchio or Belgian endive. It also makes an irresistible dipping sauce for crunchy vegetables (especially fennel) and crusty whole-wheat bread.
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Classic Dijon Vinaigrette
This is the ultimate classic red-wine vinaigrette. Be sure to use the best olive oil you have!
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All-Purpose Vinaigrette
Use this vinaigrette to dress any combination of mixed greens. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.
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Citrus-Lime Vinaigrette
Tangy and spicy, this citrus-lime vinaigrette with orange juice, jalapeno pepper, and fresh cilantro is perfect tossed with baby arugula.
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Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
This roasted red pepper vinaigrette recipe has a Spanish zing with the addition of sherry vinegar and smoked paprika. Purchased jarred roasted red peppers make this salad dressing recipe quick, or you can make it extra-special by roasting your own red peppers.
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Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette with Lemon
A healthy, tasty homemade salad dressing is as simple as shaking a few ingredients in a jar.