Salad Dressing

The other day I went through the fridge and threw out old and expired food.  There were about 4 jars of salad dressing in there that I got rid of.  I usually buy a jar of dressing for a recipe and only use part of it, we don't eat a lot of salads around here on their own so after I used the few tablespoons, they sit in the fridge until I throw them out.

I decided to share some recipes for homemade salad dressing in hopes of this being my own little resource for dressing when I don't want to buy a jar (that will inevitably go to waste).

To begin, I love buttermilk ranch dressing but I was always contrary to making it because I didn't want to buy a whole carton of buttermilk to use about 2 tablespoons.  I now substitute plain yoghurt for the buttermilk and I can't tell the difference.

Ranch Dressing
3/4 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp chives or green parts of green onion, chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth, or shake well in a mason jar.

(Pasta salad with peas, asparagus, bacon, feta, and ranch dressing)

These next two are great for dressing a plain green salad with whatever toppings you want (dried or fresh fruit, toasted nuts, feta or goat cheese, croutons, etc.).

Orange Vinaigrette
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp grainy dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth, or shake well in a mason jar.

(Mixed greens, feta, figs, walnuts, and the orange vinaigrette)

Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth, or shake well in a mason jar.

Warm Bacon Mustard Dressing (Best for a spinach salad)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1/3 cup honey
2 strips crisply cooked bacon, crumbled

Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat.  Stir in shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes.  Whisk in vinegar, dijon mustard, and honey.  Stir in the crumbled strips of bacon, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until warmed through.

Poppy Seed Dressing (Good for a coleslaw, or a salad with fresh fruit)
2 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp poppy seeds
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Whisk together in a small bowl until smooth, or shake well in a mason jar.

Curry Dip (rather than dipping vegetables in a purchased dressing)
Equal parts mayonnaise and plain yoghurt
Curry powder (to taste)
Juice from half a lemon

Stir together the mayo and yoghurt.  Add as much curry powder as you want, based on taste and the amount of dip you're making.  Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir to combine.

That all being said, when I make this broccoli salad I will continue to buy the bottle of honey mustard dressing.  I make this quite often in the summer and since I use about half a bottle for the recipe, then it won't go to waste here.

I'll probably also buy Caesar dressing for now because it is another thing that I make often enough so I won't throw out the dressing, or I'll just buy the salad kit that comes with the package made for that amount of salad.