9 Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes

Many salad dressings are land mines for your diet: Trans fat, sugar, preservatives, and artificial flavors pop up on nutritional labels, wreaking havoc on otherwise healthy green dishes. Choosing fat-free varieties isn't a great idea, either, because certain nutrients in vegetables can't be absorbed without fat. Instead, get the most out of your salad by whipping up these easy, figure-friendly dressings that use natural ingredients and heart-healthy olive oil. They'll add flavor to your greens for less than 50 calories per serving.

Watch the video: How to Make Your Own Salad Dressing
 

Try this recipe: Creamy Lemon-Avocado Dressing

Avocado fans will love this seriously creamy, satisfying dressing that's packed with good fats. To give it an unexpected kick, shake in some hot sauce.

Ingredients: Avocado, English cucumber, fresh lemon juice, avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil, a few shakes of hot sauce (optional), salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Try this recipe: Strawberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Blend a few simple ingredients and say so long to ho-hum salads, thanks to this sweet, fruity dressing. 

Ingredients: Fresh strawberries, balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, raw honey, Dijon mustard, fresh thyme leaves or chopped fresh basil, salt and freshly ground pepper

Try this recipe: Classic Shallot Vinaigrette Dressing

With classic salad dressing ingredients like Dijon mustard, shallots, and sherry vinegar, this recipe is incredibly versatile.

Ingredients: Sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, raw honey, extra-virgin olive oil, shallot, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Try this recipe: Gingery Turmeric Yogurt Dressing

Before using this dressing, taste it on a piece of lettuce. That's the best way to make sure the flavor is bold enough to stand up to your salad ingredients.

Ingredients: Extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, fresh ginger, plain whole-milk yogurt or coconut yogurt, ground turmeric, cayenne, raw honey, salt and freshly ground black pepper

Try this recipe: Avocado Goddess Dressing

Is there anything avocado can’t do? You can whip it into guacamole, smoothies, and even brownies. Here it’s used to give classic Green Goddess dressing an extra-healthy makeover. This tangy mixture can be used as a dip for veggies, sauce on grilled fish, or dressing for salad.

Ingredients: Extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, anchovy, ripe avocado, English cucumber, fresh parsley, fresh tarragon, fresh chives, lemon juice, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Try this recipe: Citrus Vinaigrette

Though there are several competing flavors in this recipe—sweet honey, sour soy sauce, and tart lemon juice—it is surprisingly versatile. Plus, honey may help ease a hangover or clear up a cough. Try serving it over a mixed greens salad or drizzled on top of steamed vegetables.

Ingredients: Orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, low-sodium soy sauce, Dijon mustard, honey, minced peeled fresh ginger

Try this recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Dressing

If you want to add some excitement to your salad, this recipe can be the answer to your prayers. The savory vegetable broth and tangy Dijon mustard add flavor to the smoky, roasted red peppers—a great source of antioxidants. Dashes of thyme and black pepper add a new dimension of spiciness to the dressing.

Ingredients: Vegetable broth, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, black pepper, roasted red peppers

Try this recipe: Cucumber Yogurt Dressing

For a light topper for salads, dip for veggies, or even a sauce for lamb or fish, this cucumber yogurt dressing is a perfect fit. Similar to a tzatziki, this dressing adds a dose of probiotics to your meal. And to pump up the protein, swap the low-fat yogurt for plain Greek.

Ingredients: Cucumber, low-fat yogurt, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper, dried dill

Try this recipe: Shallot and Grapefruit Dressing

The sweet, mild flavor of shallots is the perfect complement to the tart grapefruit juice in this tangy dressing. Sugar and cilantro make a surprising, zesty addition to the mixture. It's perfect with goat cheese, and on top of this mixed greens salad.

Ingredients: Olive oil, shallots, fresh grapefruit juice, fresh cilantro, sugar, freshly ground black pepper, olive oil