It isn't a salad without some sort of dressing. Whether it be a tangy vinaigrette or a creamy dressing, making your own salad dressing at home sounds a lot harder than it is. I mean, it's so easy to just pick up a bottle at the grocery store. Why should you make your own?
Two words: mason jars. I love these glass jars, and while they may not be used for everything under the sun (mason jars don't do well in the oven), there is one type of food that can be prepared with only a shake. Mason jar salad dressings are almost comically easy. Just add your ingredients into the jar, seal it tight, and give it a shake.
Lyndsay Burginger
These dressings will bump up your salads making these healthy recipes a warm welcome to any kitchen. You'll never want to buy store-bought again.
Each of these three healthy dressing recipes have a five minute prep time and can be kept in the fridge for about a week. The olive oil might solidify, so make sure to take the dressing out in advance if you are planning to make this ahead of time.
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Lyndsay Burginger
If you are craving something with a touch of latin flair, this Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette is calling your name. Simply add lime juice, minced garlic, extra virgin olive oil, cilantro and red pepper flakes in a mason jar and give it a good shake.
We decided to pair this tangy dressing with fresh spinach, creamy avocado and crunchy tomatoes. The perfect work lunch.
Mason Jar Ranch Dressing
Lyndsay Burginger
Ranch is one of those must-have dressings in the fridge and this one is no exception. Our take on Ranch dressing is a bit more herbier than the store-bought, but we guarantee you'll love it.
Before adding everything in the mason jar, prepare the garlic paste. We like to use garlic pastes in salad dressings because it calms the harsh raw garlic flavor. To make the paste, mince up a clove of garlic then sprinkle on some kosher salt. Taking the side of the knife blade, press the garlic into the cutting board until a paste forms.
Lyndsay Burginger
Once the paste is made, add it to the mason jar along with mayonnaise, plain yogurt (you can also use plain greek yogurt), buttermilk, chives, parsley, dill, freshly squeezed lemon juice and salt and ground black pepper to taste. Shake to combine and then chill for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Italian Red Wine Vinaigrette
Lyndsay Burginger
If you had to use one salad dressing recipe for the rest of your life, this would be it. In a mason jar add red wine vinegar, olive oil, Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper are combined. The total time it takes to make this is less than five minutes, so it's on the table ASAP.
