Simple House Salad Dressing

Tangy, creamy, full of flavor, this house dressing is a staple in our real food kitchen. No junk in this bottle.

When I was working outside the home, I would often bring salads to work for lunch.  This was before I delved into real food and “healthy” was considered a bowl of greens drenched with store-bought dressing.   The dressing was often always full of canola oil, MSG and other nasties in all it’s noxious glory.  But I enjoyed my Cobb Salad, Caesar Salad, Ranch Salad and all the other salads of the world.

My refrigerator door looked like an aisle from the grocery store, with plastic bottles carefully lining the shelves boasting what only resembles a salad dressing.  In reality, those bottles were filled with ingredients that I would never consider putting putting on my plate yet here I was drenching my veggies in it.

Fast forward many years, I now make all of my salad dressings from scratch.  It’s insanely easy, fabulously cost-efficient, and rich in flavor.  And the best part is I have full control over every single ingredient that goes into the bottle. #momwin

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Speaking of ingredients…

Apple Cider Vinegar

This is the base of the dressing and I love adding it for it’s tangy flavor as well as it’s health benefits.  Apple Cider Vinegar is rich in enzymes, promotes digestion and supports a healthy immune system.  Be sure to choose raw, unfiltered, unheated, and organic vinegar that contains the ‘Mother.’ We love and use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar and it’s readily available in most grocery stores.

Mayonnaise

Only a tablespoon or two of this creamy deliciousness in this dressing!  You can choose to skip this ingredient but I wouldn’t advise — it adds thickness and rich texture.  I love adding mayonnaise to this House Dressing as it gives a richer consistency and adds another depth of flavor.  To streamline prep work, I make a batch of this dressing right after making my mayonnaise.  Without rinsing out my immersion blender, I just shake off the excess mayonnaise and move the blender to another jar meant for this dressing.

Never made mayonnaise?  It’s very easy with this simple recipe!

Seasonings

For starters, always start with good salt.  I love to use Celtic Sea Salt.  Sustainably harvested with no additives, Celtic Sea Salt is rich in natural minerals and trace elements.  I regularly purchase 5-pound bags from Amazon and stock up when they go on sale.  Even though the grind is coarse and the salt has a “damp” feel, this is still my go-to salt for most every dish.

The parsley, dill weed, garlic powder, and onion powder can be easily swapped if you have some dried ranch seasoning on hand (see recipe to that here).  Just a tablespoon of the pre-made seasoning will do and it gives just enough flavor without overpowering the rest of the ingredients.

Healthy Oil

In the recipe card, I include avocado oil however, I’ve been making this dressing with La Tourangelle’s Roasted Walnut Oil and it has an out-of-this-world flavor.  If you can get your hands on this oil, you’ve got it made, my friend.  The depth of flavor is unbelievable – it’s a nutty taste but the delicacy of walnut leaves out the bitterness.  Just pure love.

No Roasted Walnut Oil?  No worries, plain avocado oil will do.  Avoid canola or other “vegetable oils” (corn, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed oil).  Because of their high Omega-6 fat content, they are by nature less stable than other types of fats. As a result, they break down easily under stress such as heat, light or oxygen.  And even though we’re not heating this salad dressing, the reality is most industrial oils on the store shelves have already been processed at high heat therefore, are already denatured.  And oxidized fats are highly inflammatory to the body.  Therefore, I prefer avocado oil in most of my dishes.  Avocado oil is also great because it doesn’t have a strong flavor, making it suitable for any dressing.

Simple House Salad Dressing

Simple House Dressing

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 1 pint

Author: Anya @ Prepare & Nourish

Simple yet delicious House Dressing is a regular staple in our kitchen. We make this weekly to have a good supply on hand.

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Ingredients

House Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (buy here)
• 1 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt (buy here)
• 1-2 tablespoon mayonnaise (see recipe here or buy here)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley (buy here)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill (buy here)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (buy here)
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (buy here)
• pinch of black pepper (buy here)
• 1 cup avocado oil (buy here) OR roasted walnut oil (buy here)

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients for salad dressing in a pint size jar. Blend well with a whisk or immersion blender.*
2. Store in the refrigerator until use. Can be stored for up to a month in cold storage. If the dressing solidifies, add a few tablespoons of additional oil and mix with a fork until smooth.
3. Pour House Dressing over salad and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

*I prefer to make this dressing when I make my mayonnaise. Since theimmersion blender is already being used in the mayonnaise, I just move the blender to my House Dressing jar and add all the other ingredients and blend away.

Note: In order to make this GAPS diet, Paleo, or Whole30 friendly, be sure to find a mayonnaise with compliant ingredients.  All the more reason to make your own!

::: other condiments you might enjoy :::

Ranch Dressing Recipe – Fresh & Dried Herbs

Homemade French Onion Mix & Dip

Real Food Caesar Salad Dressing