Why would anyone make their own healthy dressing recipes? I mean, you could simply buy all the sauces you need at the grocery store.

True.

But have you ever checked the ingredient list on commercial dressings, dips, and sauces? Absolutely horrifying!

But this doesn’t mean you’re doomed to eat dry, boring salads from now on.

In this article, you’ll discover 31 healthy dressing recipes that are insanely tasty. From classic dressings, to Ranch dressings, vinaigrettes, and various sauces, we’ve got you covered!

None of the recipes listed in this article call for junky oils, stabilizers, or emulsifiers since these exert nasty side-effects on the immune system. And the best part is that these healthy dressing recipes come together with very few ingredients and not much work.

 

A. Classic Healthy Dressing Recipes

1. Balsamic Dressing

Mix some sweet tangerine juice with sour lime juice and voila! You’ve got a unique healthy dressing that will transform even the most boring summer salad.

The salad in this recipe is super easy to make. You’ll only need sun-dried tomatoes, olives, nuts, and some mixed salad greens.

Tip: Don’t like soggy salads? Then, dress your salad right before serving.

Suggested modification:

• Instead of the olive oil, you can also use avocado oil.

2. Citrus Salad Dressing

Thanks to this ready-in-5-minutes recipe, dressing your salad couldn’t get any easier. All you need for this healthy dressing is some lime juice, orange juice, olive oil and seasonings you like. Mix everything in a salad bowl. And that’s it.

Suggested modification:

• For a completely different twist on this healthy dressing, replace the lime juice with 1 teaspoon of orange zest. And use the juice of 2 oranges instead of 2 tablespoons of orange juice.

3. Greek Salad Dressing

This Greek salad dressing wouldn’t taste the same without some Greek-style chicken. Want to know how I prep mine? Just follow the instructions below.

As ingredients, you will need:

• Skinless and boneless chicken breast (2, halved)
• Extra-virgin olive oil (½ cup)
• Lemon juice (obtained from ½ a lemon)
• Garlic clove, minced (1)
• Dried oregano (¼ tbsp)
• Paprika (⅛ tsp)
• Lemon, sliced (½ or 1)
• Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Proceed as follows:

1. Combine the olive oil, garlic clove, paprika, lemon juice, dried oregano, salt and black pepper in a bowl.
2. Place the chicken breasts in a glass or plastic container and pour the marinade over them.
3. Make sure that your marinating container is well closed before sending it in the fridge for an hour or overnight.
4. Preheat your oven to 400 F.
5. Place the chicken breasts side by side in a roasting pan, covering each piece with a slice of lemon.
6. Bake for about 30-40 minutes.

Tip: If you have an oven-safe dish, marinate your chicken in it so that you don’t have to worry about transferring it afterwards.

Did you know? A real Greek Salad actually comes together with small bites of juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, sliced green peppers, salty Kalamata olives and feta cheese. Dried oregano and a salad dressing are then gently drizzled on top.

4. Zesty Ginger Dressing

Have you ever thought of using apple cider vinegar (ACV) to make a healthy dressing? Many people find it hard to do so because of the ACV’s overpowering taste.

But you won’t even taste the ACV in this healthy dressing thanks to the coconut aminos and olive oil. Pretty cool, right?

Suggested modification:

Instead of using light-tasting olive oil, stick to regular extra virgin olive oil. Why? Well, because light-tasting olive oil is produced at high temperatures using chemicals. If you really don’t care about EVOO’s taste, you can use macadamia oil instead but this oil comes with a hefty price tag.

Great to know: The essential oils in ginger roots are more abundant in and near the skin. So, you’ll want to avoid peeling your roots too aggressively. The best way to peel the ginger, and get the most out of it, is to gently scrape its skin with a teaspoon instead of using a knife or a veggie peeler.

5. Creamy Dill Dressing

This recipe calls for egg-free mayonnaise. But since the stuff we have here is loaded with chemicals, I use some of my own homemade mayonnaise when prepping this creamy dill dressing. Check out my egg-free mayonnaise below.

As ingredients, you will need:

• Coconut butter, slightly warmed (1 cup)
• Filtered water, warm (1 cup)
• Extra-virgin olive oil (½ cup)
• Garlic cloves (6-8)
• Unrefined salt (½ teaspoon)

Proceed as follows:

1. Throw all the ingredients in a blender.
2. Whiz on high for about 1 to 2 minutes until you obtain a thick sauce.
3. You can either choose to refrigerate it for 20 minutes or let it cool down for an hour.
4. When using this mayonnaise in a salad dressing, add in a drizzle of water to make it thinner.

Great to know:

• This mayonnaise works wonders with some fries, veggies and grilled chicken.
• This mayonnaise will tend to harden when refrigerated. So, you’ll want to warm it gently, or let it reach room temperature, before using it.
• For a perfect creamy dill dressing, don’t forget to cover it and refrigerate it for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours. This will allow the flavors to meld.

6. Creamy Avocado Citrus Salad Dressing

If you love avocados, then you definitely need to try this healthy dressing.

Thanks to the lime juice present in this recipe, you can keep this dressing for up to a week without the avocado turning completely brown. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge – this will help retain the avocado’s bright green color.

Suggested modifications:

• Don’t like avocados? No worries! You can either sub them with some Greek yogurt or some coconut yogurt if you’re dairy free.
• For a less sweet version of this recipe, use half the amount of honey and add some fresh ginger.

7. Vegan Lemon and Cashew Dressing

You’ll be surprised to see how absolutely fantastic this special dressing tastes on a kale salad mixed with dried cherries or cranberries!

Planning to refrigerate this dressing? Make sure to use it up within 5 days otherwise it won’t taste that great…

Tips:

• To soften your cashews, soak them in filtered water for at least 2 hours. Once you’re done, rinse them carefully and discard the soaking liquid.
• If you end up with a super runny dressing after trying out this recipe, don’t panic! Just add an additional cup of soaked cashews to your mixture and it’ll be perfect.

Did you know? People usually soak their cashews in boiled water for 10 minutes when in a hurry. Unfortunately, this rapid way kills all the live enzymes present in cashews, making them harder to digest.

B. Ranch Dressings

8. Easy Ranch Dressing

Want a simple healthy dressing that’s made with only 5 ingredients? Since this homemade ranch dressing is free from preservatives, it will last up to 1 week in the fridge.

Tips:

1. For your mayonnaise to look like the ones in the pictures, use a food processor instead of an emulsion blender. Not doing so might result in your mayonnaise looking like oil.
2. Invest in some good olive oil so that your healthy dressing won’t have too much of a strong taste.
3. The temperature and the size of the egg you’re using makes a huge difference in getting the right consistency. If your dressing is too runny, add one more egg yolk to your mixture. Proceed by blending the yolk and the dressing together until you obtain a fluffy and thick dressing.
4. Instead of using only dried dill, use 1 tablespoon of the homemade ranch mix (see just below). This will leave your ranch dressing bursting with flavors.

Homemade Ranch Mix

Mix all the following ingredients together and keep in an airtight container.

• Dried parsley (1 tablespoon)
• Dried dill weeds (½ teaspoon)
• Garlic powder (1 teaspoon)
• Onion powder (1 teaspoon)
• Dried onion flakes (1 teaspoon)
• Ground black pepper (½ teaspoon)
• Dried chives (½ teaspoon)

Suggested modification:

• As mentioned earlier, avoid using light-tasting olive oil. Instead, use avocado oil or macadamia oil.

9. Almost Ranch Dressing

This healthy dressing proves that dairy free and vegan dressings aren’t always boring and tasteless. Fresh herbs and lemon juice – just what you need for a tangy flavor!

Great to know:

• In this dressing, the cashews act as a thickener. So, don’t forget to add them unless you don’t mind ending up with a much thinner dressing with a consistency like that of coconut milk.
• If you’re allergic to cashews, no worries. Just refrigerate your coconut milk and use the cream to get a thick, healthy dressing.
• Thinking of subbing the cashews with some almonds? Don’t forget to blanch and soak them prior to using them. Otherwise you’ll obtain almond butter!

10. Homemade Ranch Dressing

Nothing beats a good homemade ranch dressing, free from preservatives and additives. Dijon, mayonnaise and yogurt – 3 ingredients that pack such a flavorful burst that you’ll never go for store-bought ranch dressings ever again.

Suggested modification:

• Make this dressing dairy free by subbing the plain yogurt with some coconut milk yogurt.

11. Ranch Dressing and Dip

Do you know what makes this ready-in-5-minutes ranch dressing so special? Well, it’s so creamy and deliciously rich that, once you taste it, you’ll rave about pairing this healthy dressing with all your summer salads and veggie sticks.

Great to know: To avoid having a runny dressing, make sure to use both the fat (the solid matter) and the liquid found in the coconut milk can. However, you should know that the thickness of the coconut milk varies from brand to brand. And since this dressing is free from added thickeners and emulsifiers, it won’t come out as thick as the store-bought ones.

12. Coconut Milk Ranch Dressing

Not a coconut fan? You can still try this healthy dressing. You see, the subtle coconutty flavor will gradually fade away as the flavors of the various herbs meld.

Suggested modifications:

• For a brighter and fresher note, sub the apple cider vinegar for some lemon juice.
• Add a lovely tang to your dressing by using half a can of coconut milk and replacing the other half with some homemade coconut yogurt. Here’s how you prep it: simply add a tablespoon of sauerkraut juice to some coconut milk and let it ferment overnight.

C. Caesar Dressings

13. Easy Caesar Dressing

Don’t worry about the anchovies in this recipe. There’s just a few so they won’t taste strong. If you’re not a fan of these little fishes, you can accompany your salad with some shrimps or chicken instead.

Tips:

1. Since this recipe calls for raw eggs, this healthy dressing can be refrigerated for up to one week.
2. Although this dressing keeps well in the fridge, freezing it isn’t a good idea.

Suggested modifications:

• Don’t have anchovies at home? No problem! Just use 1-2 teaspoons of anchovy paste.
• Again, use extra-virgin olive oil, macadamia oil, or avocado oil instead of light-tasting olive oil.

14. Healthy Caesar Dressing

If you like your Caesar dressings to be very piquant, then this healthy dressing fits the bill.

Tip: Can’t seem to get the egg and oil to thicken up? Just sub these ingredients with ½ cup of avocado mayonnaise for a scrumptious healthy dressing.

15. Special Caesar Dressing

Toss some romaine lettuce, kale, and grilled chicken with this healthy dressing and you’ll feel like you’re eating a Caesar salad from a fancy restaurant. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Suggested modifications:

• For a thicker dressing, blend some cooked turnip with the ingredients mentioned in the recipe.
• Instead of fish sauce, you can use anchovy paste.
• Can’t tolerate fish? Just sub the fish sauce with some coconut aminos.

16. Ready In 5 Minutes Caesar Dressing

This healthy dressing adds so much zing and zip to salads that it will soon become a mainstay in your kitchen. Egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, anchovy paste and Parmesan are the stars of this recipe.

Suggested modification:

• Instead of using store-bought Dijon mustard, you can make your own. Or you could purchase a Dijon mustard which contains nothing but vinegar, water, mustard seeds, salt, and pepper. You see, commercial mustard sauces rely on lots of chemicals, artificial flavors, and sweeteners like HFCS to cut costs.

D. Vinaigrettes

17. Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette

Have you ever tried a tomato vinaigrette before? If you haven’t, you definitely have to try this recipe. It’s super easy to make and calls for everyday use ingredients.

Tip when not using a blender or food processor: For a classic oil based vinaigrette like this one, add the salt before the oil so that it gets a chance to dissolve in the apple cider vinegar. Then, slowly drizzle the oil while whisking vigorously.

Suggested modification:

• If you can tolerate cheese, mix in some crumbled feta cheese or Parmesan cheese.

18. Dijon and Shallot Vinaigrette

Make any ordinary salad stand out with this punchy vinaigrette. But remember: if possible, either make your own mustard sauce or select a brand that doesn’t contain loads of nasty ingredients.

19. Chipotle and Lime Vinaigrette

Accompanying your loaded sweet potatoes with this chipotle vinaigrette: that’s the real deal! Fresh cilantro, crushed garlic, chili powder, cumin, and honey – these simple ingredients combine together for a succulent taste.

Suggested modification:

• If you don’t like sour and zesty vinaigrettes, cut back on the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar.

In the video below, learn a simple way of prepping some delicious homemade sweet potato fries.

20. Pumpkin and Maple Vinaigrette

This is a wonderful dressing that you’ll want to enjoy on a salad of spinach, toasted pecans, and honey crisp apple slices.

Serving suggestion: This dressing does wonders when drizzled over some mixed greens, pomegranate, pears, red grapes and grilled chicken.

21. Blueberry Vinaigrette

This isn’t your usual vinaigrette! The balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and blueberries add a lot of flavor to an otherwise everyday salad. Feel free to mix any veggies you want as this vinaigrette tastes delish on just about everything.

E. Sauces

22. Honey Mustard Dressing

Are you always making your honey mustard dressing with honey, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar? How about adding some garlic mayonnaise, cilantro and olive oil to it?

Suggested modification:

• For a completely different twist of this dish, replace the olive oil with some coconut oil.

Serving suggestion: For a scrumptious lunch, accompany this healthy dressing with mixed greens, slices of smoked salmon, thinly sliced raw beets, and some red onions.

23. Lemony Chive Mayonnaise

This lemony chive mayonnaise goes perfectly well with some French parsnip fries. Prep some of your own by following the instructions below.

As ingredients, you will need.

• Parsnips, peeled and cut into evenly French fries (1 pound)
• Coconut oil (1 tablespoon)
• Dried Oregano (1 teaspoon)
• Ground black pepper (1 teaspoon)
• Cayenne pepper (1 teaspoon)
• Unrefined salt (½ teaspoon)

Proceed as follows.

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Line one baking sheet with tinfoil and brush some coconut oil over it.
3. Trim the ends of the parsnips and cut them into evenly French fries.
4. Place the parsnips into a bowl and toss with coconut oil and seasonings until they’re evenly coated.
5. Spread the fries on the baking sheets with some space in between each fry.
6. Cook for 15 minutes.
7. Toss the baking sheet and allow to cook for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Serve hot.

24. Homemade Pizza Sauce

Once you’re armed with this pizza sauce, you’ll never look back to the store-bought ones. Not only is this sauce addictive but it can be stored in the freezer up to one whole year!

Suggested modifications:

• If you’re lucky to get your hands on naturally sweet tomatoes, omit the coconut sugar when making this pizza sauce.

Great to know: Whenever you want to place a jar in the freezer, don’t forget to leave 1 inch of headroom from the top of the jar to prevent the glass from shattering.

25. Tomato Salsa

This tomato salsa is such a versatile sauce! You can pair it with guacamole, grilled fish and a taco salad, use it as a topping or even as a dipping with cucumber slices and pepper strips.

26. Avocado and Lime Sauce

Jalapeno pepper is the super star ingredient in this lime sauce. Fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro leaves, chipotle seasoning, garlic, and cumin will definitely wake up your taste buds. So get ready to experience a burst of flavor with every single drop of this sauce.

Suggested modifications:

• Add some seared shallots and one roasted garlic clove when blending all the ingredients together.
• Don’t have olive oil on hand? Just sub it with some avocado oil.

27. Serbian Roasted Ayvar Sauce

Ever heard of an Ayvar sauce before? This yummy sauce is made using simple ingredients such as red peppers, eggplants, garlic cloves, extra virgin olive oil, and some fresh lemon juice.

28. Creamy Turmeric Sauce

This creamy, dreamy turmeric sauce owes its rich flavor to full-fat coconut milk and a combination of garlic powder and onion powder.

Suggested modification:

• For an even greater taste, halve the amount of salt, add 1 teaspoon of celery seed, a dash of cayenne pepper and a pinch of ground jalapeno.

Note: If you don’t usually eat turmeric, you may find this sauce to be a little too strong.

29. Homemade Taco Sauce

Have you ever wanted to make some of your own taco sauce? Well, here’s your chance. This taco sauce is so simple to make (and tastes so delish!) that you’ll find it a money saver to prep some of your own.

30. Raw Tzatziki Sauce

This Tazatziki sauce works wonders when accompanied with some lamb kofta or chicken patties. Definitely worth trying!

Great to know: Homemade sauces that contain fresh herbs often turn brown within one day and unlike dressings, can’t be refrigerated for one week.

31. Nomato Sauce

If you can’t have tomatoes, then, you’ll love this nomato sauce made with cooked beets. Perfect with meatballs over some zucchini pasta.

Want to make some of your own butternut squash puree? Here’s how I prep mine.

As ingredients, you will need.

• Butternut squash, halved
• Coconut oil (½ tablespoon)
• Dried sage (½ tablespoon)
• Grass-fed butter (1 tablespoon)

Proceed as follows.

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2. Peel and chop half a butternut squash into equal sizes.
3. Toss the chopped squash with ½ tablespoon of coconut oil and ½ teaspoon of dried sage.
4. Roast the squash for about 30 minutes until fork tender, flipping it over halfway through the cooking process.
5. Throw the cooked squash to a food processor and add 1 tablespoon of grass-fed butter. Give it a whiz until you obtain a puree.

Note: If you’re on the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Paleo protocol, you’ll want to omit the grass-fed butter.

Now, I’d like to know: what’s your favorite dressing?