A common question I get is “What dressings are okay to use? Do you have any suggestions? What are some clean eating salad dressing ideas?”
It’s so easy.
It really is.
Make your own healthy homemade salad dressing recipes quickly and easily.
Below I share with you some of my favorite simple homemade dressing ideas you can make on your own.
Note: There are affiliate links in this post. See full disclosure.
I always make my own salad dressing andI recommend it to many people. The reason being is most dressings on the market can be processed and filled with stuff you don’t even need!
Make your own healthy salad dressing recipes bycombining an oil/fat, an acid, seasonings and spices. Here are examples. But get creative and try new combos. (Then, see recipe ideas below).
MAIN COMPONENTS OF A SIMPLE HOMEMADE DRESSING:
FATS/OILS: Olive oil, flaxseed oil[See on Amazon], sesame oil, avocado oil[See on Amazon], avocado, sunflower oil.
ACID: Balsamic vinegar[Seeon Amazon], red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, rice wine vinegar, coconut vinegar (balsamic)[See on Amazon], lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice.
SEASONINGS/SPICES:Sea salt, ground black pepper, dried herbs, fresh herbs, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic powder, dried onion flakes, Sriracha hot chili sauce[See on Amazon], miso.
EXTRAS: Mustard, minced garlic, minced scallion/green onion, berries, mango, tofu, nuts/seeds[See on Amazon], nut butter, vegetable broth, water, nut milks, honey[See on Amazon].
Make your own clean eatingsalad dressing recipes:
The following simple homemade dressing recipes make enough for 1 medium salad or more. If you have leftovers, always put in an airtight container [See on Amazon] in the fridge. They’ll probably stay edible for about a week.
Red Wine Vinaigrette:Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle onto salad greens and veggies.Simple homemade dressing.
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp flaxseed oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- dash oregano
- dash basil
- dash sea salt[See on Amazon]
- dash ground black pepper
Spicy Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing:Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle onto salad greens and veggies. Clean eating salad dressing – mustard vinaigrette.
- 1/2 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- dash ground black pepper
- dash sea salt
- dash crushed red pepper flakes
Balsamic Raspberry Dressing: Whiskall ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle onto salad greens and veggies. This recipe might make enough for more than one salad.Store any leftovers in fridge.Simple homemade dressing, clean eating salad dressing balsamic raspberry dressing.
- 1 TBSP raspberries, mashed with a fork
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar[See on Amazon]
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp honey[See on Amazon](or other sweetener)
- dash sea salt
- dash ground black pepper
Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing:Creamy cilantro lime dressing. Add all ingredients except water to a blender and blend. Add water to thin in 1 tsp increments until thinned to your liking. Add more seasonings, lime, cilantro, etc if needed until it tastes just right.This recipe might make enough for more than one salad. Store any leftovers in fridge. Enjoy this creamy cilantro lime dressing with avocado.
- 1/4 avocado, peeled
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 small limes, juiced
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- dash sea salt
- dash ground black pepper
- dash ground cumin
- 1 tsp honey[See on Amazon](or other sweetener)
- water, to thin
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:Whisk everything together well in a bowl. Drizzle on salad and enjoy.Simple homemade dressing – clean eating salad dressing cilantro lime vinaigrette.
- 1/2 small lime, juiced
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp finely chopped cilantro
- dash sea salt
- dash ground black pepper
Mango Lime Dressing: Throw everything into a blender and blend until smooth. There might be leftovers (store in fridge) orinvite a friend over and enjoy this dressing over a salad together.
- 1/4 cup mango chunks
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp chopped sweet onion
- 1 tsp chopped green bell pepper
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 tsp honey (or other sweetener)
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- dash crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
Sweet Chili Lime Dressing: Whisk everything together well in a bowl. Drizzle over salad greens – this goes good on a salad with a sweet fruit like sliced mango.
- 1 tsp Sambal chili paste[See on Amazon]
- 1 tsp honey (or other sweetener)
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- dash sea salt
- 1 TBSP avocado oil[Seeon Amazon] (or olive oil)
Lemon Vinaigrette: Whisk all together and enjoy over a salad. There may be leftovers. Just store in the refrigerator to use within the next week. Clean eating lemon vinaigrette. Simple homemade dressing idea.
- 1 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- dash sea salt
- dash ground black pepper
- dash garlic powder
- dash dried oregano
Healthy Ranch Dressing (raw, vegan, paleo): Blend up everything (except chives) in a blender until smooth – making sure to add water slowly, blend a bit, check consistency and add more or less than listed if needed. Stir in the chives. Enjoy this clean eating ranch dressing.
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/3 cup almost-boiling water
- 1 1/2 TBSPfresh lemon juice
- 1/2 TBSPapple cider vinegar
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 tspdried dill
- 1/8 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 TBSPfinely chopped fresh chives
Spicy Sweet Peanut Dressing:Clean eating peanutsauce or dressing. Whisk all ingredients (except hot water) until smooth. Then add hot water in 1 TBSP increments at a time until at a desired consistency. Enjoy.
- 2 TBSP salted natural chunky peanut butter
- 1/2 TBSPsoy sauce
- 1 TBSP honey (or other sweetener)
- 1/2 TBSP limejuice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Hot water
- squirt Sriracha chili sauce[See on Amazon] (if you like it spicy add more)
As you can see, it’s easy to make your own clean eating salad dressing recipes! Just a few ingredients you can keep on hand include vinegars, oils, lemon/limes and spices/seasonings. This way you can always whisk something up in a hurry. Here’s a quick chart to check out and start experimenting with making your own healthy homemade salad dressing recipes & mixes.
Hope you enjoy these healthy homemade salad dressing recipes. If you have any comments about what kind of clean eating salad dressing you like – share the link or recipe below in the comments. I am sure we’d all love to see what else we can whisk up.
You can totally share the infographic below on your site, but don’t forget to give me credit for it (http://healthyhappysmart.com). Thanks and enjoy!
