Homemade Salad Dressing Tips

This is salad season here in Iowa – we always make our own salad dressing.  It’s so expensive in those little bottles, and so full of stuff you don’t really want to eat!  Making your own is really, really easy, from ingredients most of us already have.

If you plan on serving a simple vinegar and oil dressing, you can simply combine all the ingredients in a jar with a screw-on cap (I recycle) and shake well.  The mixture will separate while standing; simply shake before pouring on your salad. 

If you want your dressing to stand for an hour, combine all the ingredients in a mini food processor or small bowl, and add the oil slowly while running the processor or whisking vigorously with a wire whisk.  

Use the same method for dressings made with mayonnaise or prepared mustard.

Greens that are sturdy, like romaine, cabbage and iceberg lettuces, taste best with mayonnaise or sour cream-based dressings.  Delicate greens like leaf lettuce, do better with thinner dressing like vinegar and oil.

You can make vinaigrette dressings your own by adding herbs from your garden and flavored vinegars or flavored oils.

Some of our favorite dressings are:
Myrna’s Italian Dressing (Use for everything)
Cider Dressing (a favorite)
Cream Dressing (old-fashioned)
Catalina Dressing (extra easy)
Creamy Thousand Island Dressing
Great Cole Slaw Dressings