Four Homemade Salad Dressings: Ranch, Italian, French, and Thousand Island

Making homemade salad dressing lets you skip the scary ingredients so your salad stays healthy. I started making salad dressing from scratch when we decided to cut high-fructose corn syrup and most preservatives from our diet.

At first, I stuck with a basic vinaigrette, but over time I found a few recipes and tinkered with them until everyone in my family was pleased. Turns out, homemade salad dressing is an easy thing to whip up while waiting for dinner to cook, and it tastes a lot better, too! So here is how to make homemade Ranch, Thousand Island, Italian and French dressings. Enjoy!

RANCH DRESSING

This Ranch dressing is wonderful on top of salads and also as a dip. Want to avoid double-dipping?  Put a generous dollop in the bottom of wine glasses or small Mason jars then insert celery and carrot sticks. It’s cute, and it allows everyone to double-dip to their hearts’ content.

Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix

Course: Seasoning Mix

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 4 minutes

Drizzled over a salad or served as a dip, this tastes just like the real thing!

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup dried parsley
• 1/4 cup garlic powder
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 2 tbsp dried dill weed
• 2 tbsp seasoned salt

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in an air-tight container.

To make Ranch dressing

• Combine 1 tablespoon of mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1/2 cup buttermilk in a Mason jar. Shake well. Let chill 1 hour before use.

To make Ranch dip

• Combine 2 tablespoons of mix with 8 oz. sour cream. Stir well. Chill 1 hour before use.

THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING

My recipe for Thousand Island dressing has a bit more zing than the commercial stuff. If you’d like to tone yours down, omit the dry mustard powder. Want more kick? Add a splash of hot sauce. And consider using my chili sauce recipe instead of the bottled stuff!

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Course: Condiment

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Servings: 1 cup

A zippy, creamy dressing to give your salad some kick!

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Ingredients

• ⅔ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• ½ teaspoon dried mustard powder
• ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 minced boiled egg optional
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Chill one hour before use.

ITALIAN DRESSING

I love to keep Italian dressing in the fridge for use on salads or to marinate chicken. Just pour it over boneless, skinless chicken breasts before baking, or shake chicken kebab fixings in it an hour or so before grilling. Yum!

Homemade Italian Dressing

Course: Condiment

Prep Time: 5 minutes

All the robust flavor of your favorite Italian restaurant's salad dressing, made fresh at home.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 cup light-tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute
• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 1 garlic clove minced finely

Instructions

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake madly.
• Let chill 1 hour before use.

American “French” Dressing

This recipe is nothing like the standard salad dressing served throughout France. Most salads there are dressed with a vinaigrette made from good quality vinegar, some oil, crushed garlic, a bit of Dijon mustard and a sprinkle of tarragon. I’m really not sure why we call this French dressing inthe States, but this very much like the stuff you’d buy in the store… only better!

French Salad Dressing

Course: Condiment

Prep Time: 5 minutes

A homemade version of the bottled French dressing you'd buy at the store...but better!

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Ingredients

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup ketchup
• ½ cup white sugar or honey
• ¼ cup good apple cider vinegar
• ⅔ cup vegetable oil
• ½ small onion minced finely
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake madly.
• Let chill 1 hour before use.

See, homemade salad dressing isn’t just simple, it can save you a bit of money. Plus, it’s healthier. Just remember to keep it refrigerated, mix well before each use, and toss it after one week if there’s any left.

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