A good salad lives or dies on the dressing. I've watched people spend real money on greens, then drown them in something out of a bottle that tastes like sugar and gum. That's backwards. The dressing is the part you actually control, and it's the part that decides whether the salad tastes like something or nothing.
None of these take more than a few minutes and a whisk or a jar with a lid. That's the whole secret to homemade dressing: it isn't harder than store-bought, it's just a step people skip out of habit.
Start with ranch or Italian if you're new to this. Both come together fast and both keep in the fridge for a week, so there's no reason to reach for the bottle again once you've made your own.
Dressings
- How To Make Ranch Dressing
- How To Make Caesar Dressing
- How To Make Italian Dressing
- How To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
- How To Make Honey Mustard Dressing
- How To Make Thousand Island Dressing
- How To Make Creamy Honey Comb Lemon Dressing
- How To Make Blue Cheese Dressing
- How To Make Roasted Red Pepper Garlic Dressing
From the Blog
Who Is Writing This
I am Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary education in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-Time 4-Diamond Chef. More about me here.
If a recipe is missing something you needed, or a step did not make sense, tell me. Get in touch and I will fix it.
Cook Bolder, Serve Wiser, Eat Better.
Tools for the Job
You do not need much, but what you do need has to be sharp. These are the collections in the shop that cover the work in these guides.