5 Fast From-Scratch Salad Dressing Recipes

Inspired by Michael Pollan’s recent article, No One Cooks Here Any More, I’m newly motivated to evangelize about easy, fast scratch cooking.

You say you don’t have time to make your own salad dressing? Pshaw.

If you have one minute—literally—you can throw together any of the five dressings below. And you’ll find these easy-to-make, homemade dressings far tastier than the strangely acidic, sour bottled versions you’ll find in the supermarket.

Ten-Second Sesame Garlic Salad Dressing Recipe
Lime Chutney Salad Dressing Recipe
Mustard and Herb Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe
Copywriters’ Kitchen Secret Ingredient Salad Dressing Recipe
Orange Sesame Salad Dressing Recipe

Once you’re a practiced hand at whipping up homemade dressings, you’ll save even more time and hassle: You can eyeball measurements and toss ingredients directly onto your mixed greens for speedy salads—and no clean-up

#1 Ten-Second Sesame Garlic Salad Dressing Recipe

A little of this intense sesame dressing goes a long way—use around a tablespoon of dressing for each individual salad.

Mix together:
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce

That’s it! For variety, try adding a splash of rice vinegar and/or a clove of crushed garlic.

Makes 1/2 cup dressing.

#2 Lime Chutney Salad Dressing Recipe

Sweet, pungent chutney and curry spices blend with tangy lime for a dressing that makes any green salad special. I love Lime Chutney Salad Dressing on spinach salad with chopped apples and walnuts.

Mix together:
2 tablespoons chutney—chop any chunks of fruit fine
1/2 cup sunflower oil or other mild oil—do not use olive oil for this dressing
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 lime—about 5 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon Madras curry powder

Makes about 2/3 cup dressing.

#3 Mustard and Herb Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe

A classic that works with all green salads—extra delicious when you toss with Crunchy Oven-Toasted Croutons.

Mix together:
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, basil or other herbs
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Makes about 1/3 cup dressing.

#4 Copywriters’ Kitchen Secret Ingredient Salad Dressing Recipe

The surprising ingredient in this otherwise traditional vinaigrette is honey.

Mix together:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of 1/2 lemon—about 2 tablespoons
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Makes about 3/4 cup dressing.

#5 Orange Sesame Salad Dressing Recipe

I love the mix of sweet citrus and toasty sesame. Try on sliced cucumbers or spinach salad with a handful of toasted slivered almonds.



Mix together:
1/2 cup sunflower oil or other mild oil—do not use olive oil for this dressing
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1 orange—about ½ cup
Finely grated zest of 1 orange—about 1 teaspoon
1 clove garlic, crushed
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Makes about 3/4 cup dressing.

Bonus: 5 Grilled Chicken Recipes

All of these dressings double as flavor-filled marinades for grilled chicken. For tips on how to speed chicken from fridge to grill in less than 15 minutes see my grilled grassfed chicken marinade tips.