Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

Find healthy, delicious salad dressing recipes including vinaigrettes and low-fat salad dressings. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Most Popular

Creamy Cilantro-Avocado Dressing

Rating: 4.58 stars
9
Use this tangy, creamy cilantro-avocado dressing on a salad of romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes and black beans, with crumbled tortilla chips or toasted pine nuts on top.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

Rating: 3.8 stars
1
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Honey-Tahini Dressing

Rating: 4 stars
3
Extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice are the backbone of this dressing, but it gets a unique toasty flavor from tahini.
By Ellen Ecker Ogden

Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Rating: 4.35 stars
4
Orange juice and cilantro yield a tangy dressing that you'll want to have on hand.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Avocado Buttermilk Dressing

This herbaceous and healthy salad dressing gets a tangy flavor from buttermilk, richness from avocado and brightness from fresh herbs. Try it on sliced tomatoes, cucumber salad or chopped chicken salad and as a dip for carrot sticks, celery, peppers and radishes--you name it! It would also make a great spread for sandwiches.
By Liz Mervosh

Caesar Salad Dressing

Rating: 4.5 stars
4
Double this recipe to have extra dressing on hand for tomorrow night's salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Sherry Dijon Vinaigrette

Rating: 5 stars
1
This healthy salad dressing takes just a few minutes to whip together and keeps for several days in the fridge. Try it with spicy greens, such as arugula, or any of your favorite dinner salads.
By Breana Killeen

Herb Vinaigrette

Rating: 5 stars
1
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.
By Stacy Fraser

Carrot-Ginger Vinaigrette

Rating: 4 stars
1
This Asian carrot-ginger vinaigrette recipe is so yummy, you'd never guess it contains 37% of the daily value of vitamin A from the carrots. Use this quick and easy ginger salad dressing tossed with zesty salad greens or Asian stir-fry greens.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette with Shallots

Rating: 5 stars
1
This healthy homemade salad dressing has just the right amount of sweetness without being cloying. Try it on a salad with fresh strawberries and spinach or arugula.
By Breana Killeen

Spicy Mediterranean Vinaigrette

Rating: 4 stars
2
Sweet raisins, honey and carrot juice balance the heat of crushed red pepper in this brightly colored vinaigrette.
By Ellen Ecker Ogden

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette with Lemon

Rating: 5 stars
2
A healthy, tasty homemade salad dressing is as simple as shaking a few ingredients in a jar.
By Diabetic Living Magazine
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Inspiration and Ideas

Our Top 10 Vinaigrettes That Will Make You Love Salad Again

Our Top 10 Vinaigrettes That Will Make You Love Salad Again
No more boring salads. Once you start making your own dressing, there's no going back.
Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette

Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette
This versatile vinaigrette combines sesame oil, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, and green onions for a quick and easy salad dressing. Serve over torn romaine lettuce.
Greek Salad Dressing

Greek Salad Dressing
Citrus Vinaigrette

Citrus Vinaigrette
Classic Dijon Vinaigrette

Classic Dijon Vinaigrette
Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Crunchy Chicken & Mango Salad

Rating: 4.5 stars
4

This Asian-inspired dinner salad has terrific crunch, thanks to sugar snap peas and napa cabbage. Give the dressing a kick of heat by adding a bit of sambal oelek, an Indonesian hot sauce that you can find in most large supermarkets and Asian grocery stores.

All Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

We could eat it by the spoonful.
By Carolyn Malcoun

No-Cook Black Bean Salad

Rating: 4.5 stars
3
A classic black bean salad is a must for picnics and potlucks. This vegan version gets its creaminess from blended avocado. Any mix of salad greens will work well, but try arugula if you want to give this hearty salad a peppery kick.
By Hilary Meyer

Flat-Belly Salad

Rating: 4.75 stars
3
This salad is a helpful tool for weight loss because it provides a good balance of fiber, protein and healthy fats from loads of veggies and beans, all tossed in a tangy apple-cider vinaigrette. To meal-prep these for lunch throughout the week, pack the dressing and the salad separately and make sure your veggies are thoroughly dried before packing them together.
By Hilary Meyer

Roasted Chicken Thighs, Potatoes & Scallions with Herb Vinaigrette

Rating: 5 stars
1
Roasting chicken thighs directly on top of the vegetables bastes the scallions and potatoes with delicious drippings in this healthy dinner recipe. Serve with steamed broccoli, sautéed spinach or a mixed green salad.
By Carolyn Casner

Roasted Gnocchi & Brussels Sprouts with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Rating: 4.81 stars
15
In this quick vegetarian dinner recipe, you can skip boiling the gnocchi--they'll cook through while roasting on the sheet pan with the rest of the ingredients. If you can't find Meyer lemons, use 1 small regular lemon in Step 2 and use 4 teaspoons lemon juice and 2 teaspoons orange juice in Step 4.
By Carolyn Casner

Spinach-Strawberry Salad with Feta & Walnuts

Rating: 4.33 stars
1
Sweet strawberries, salty feta and crunchy walnuts jazz up a simple spinach salad. The balsamic vinaigrette is incredibly easy; fresh shallots add more zip than you'll find in any commercial dressing.
By Carolyn Casner

Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Rating: 5 stars
1
Homemade poppy seed dressing pairs beautifully with tender spinach, crunchy almonds and juicy berries for a fantastically refreshing and easy spring salad. To make ahead, whisk dressing, combine salad ingredients and store separately. Toss the salad with the dressing just before serving. To make it a complete meal, top with grilled chicken or shrimp.
By Carolyn Casner

Greek Chicken with Roasted Spring Vegetables & Lemon Vinaigrette

Rating: 4.7 stars
10
This Greek-inspired chicken and vegetable sheet-pan meal is bursting with flavor. The chicken is coated in a mayonnaise and bread crumb mixture, roasted alongside asparagus, cremini mushrooms and grape tomatoes and then served with a lemon-feta vinaigrette.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Superfood Chopped Salad with Salmon & Creamy Garlic Dressing

Rating: 4.33 stars
3
Curly kale forms the base of this salad, but you could use chard or spinach. To the greens, add a multitude of chopped veggies, such as broccoli, cabbage and carrots. Finish with rich salmon for protein and a drizzle of creamy yogurt dressing to bring it all together.
By Carolyn Casner

Citrus-Lime Vinaigrette

Rating: 5 stars
1
Tangy and spicy, this citrus-lime vinaigrette with orange juice, jalapeno pepper, and fresh cilantro is perfect tossed with baby arugula.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Our Top 20 Salad Recipes with Vinaigrette Dressing

Each of these salads is dressed with a vinaigrette that adds acidity and flavor to your salad greens.

Basil Vinaigrette

Rating: 5 stars
4
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.
By Katie Webster

Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Rating: 5 stars
5
A blend of whole-wheat panko and fine cornmeal gives this healthy chicken recipe the perfect amount of crunch even though it's not deep fried. Making an easy homemade buttermilk ranch dressing recipe means you can skip bottled, which may have additives and stabilizers.
By Stacy Fraser

Our Top 10 Vinaigrettes That Will Make You Love Salad Again

No more boring salads. Once you start making your own dressing, there's no going back.

Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Rating: 4.5 stars
2
Spoon this tangy dressing over cooked broccoli, green beans, salad or poached fish.
By Ruth Cousineau

Big Beautiful Summer Salad

This gorgeous and healthy summer vegetable salad is loaded with pretty produce, including golden beets, avocado, corn, microgreens and radishes. Chickpeas and edamame add substance, and an herb-filled buttermilk-avocado dressing makes this salad really special. Serve it on its own for a light vegetarian meal or add grilled chicken for an easy weeknight dinner.
By Liz Mervosh

Greens with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Rating: 4.8 stars
3
Make a simple vinaigrette more interesting with freshly grated Parmesan.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Garlic-Dijon Vinaigrette

Rating: 4 stars
3
This garlicky mustard vinaigrette is great to have in your repertoire as it goes with almost anything. The recipe makes plenty so you can fix it once and then have it on hand for several days. The garlic is delicious but bold here; use fewer cloves if you want to tone it down.
By Ellen Ecker Ogden

Basic Green Salad with Vinaigrette

Rating: 3.5 stars
2
Make a larger batch of this basic vinaigrette to have on hand for salads throughout the week.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Crispy Chickpea Grain Bowl with Lemon Vinaigrette

Rating: 5 stars
3
Our favorite part of these vegetarian grain bowls is the tangy lemon vinaigrette, which ties together a satisfying combo of quinoa, toasted pumpkin seeds, and roasted chickpeas and kale. Whip them up for easy meal-prep lunches or a healthy and satisfying dinner.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

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.
By Breana Killeen

Snap Pea Salad with Lemon and Feta

Fresh greens, lemony vinaigrette, briny feta, and crisp radishes and pea pods all come together in this side salad that you'll want at every meal. We love Meyer lemons in this salad, but any variety will do.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Charred Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette & Hazelnuts

Our go-to trick for this crunchy, mustardy vegan side dish: Use a grill basket--it lets you cook all the things that would ordinarily fall through the grill grates, no skewering required. Pick one up from the hardware store or order one online for less than $15.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Roasted Chicken & Winter Squash over Mixed Greens

Rating: 4.5 stars
1
This hearty salad comes together with little effort, since the squash and chicken can roast together on the same sheet pan. Prep the dressing and the salad greens while the chicken is roasting.
By Andrea Kirkland M.S., RD
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