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Salad dressing recipes: 3 homemade dressings in 5 minutes

Nov 4
3 min read

Updated: 2 hours ago

Three glass jars of homemade salad dressing: lemon herb vinaigrette, honey mustard and creamy caesar






Lemon herb, honey mustard and creamy caesar — 5 minutes each

A jar of homemade dressing costs about a third of a bottled one and tastes like a different category of food. These three cover almost every salad you will make: a sharp lemon herb vinaigrette for greens, a honey mustard for anything with chicken or bacon in it, and a creamy caesar built on Greek yogurt rather than raw egg. Each takes five minutes and keeps for a week.

Why this one works

  • The 3:1 oil to acid ratio is the only rule that matters for a vinaigrette. Everything else is seasoning.

  • Mustard is not just flavour — it is the emulsifier that keeps the dressing from separating in the jar.

  • Greek yogurt in the caesar means no raw egg, no food safety anxiety, and more protein.

At a glance

  • Prep time: 15 min

  • Cook time: 0 min

  • Total time: 15 min

  • Yield: 3 jars, about 3/4 cup each

  • Protein: 1g per serving

  • Calories: 118 per serving

Ingredients

Lemon herb vinaigrette



  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • 1 small garlic clove, grated

  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs: parsley, dill or chives

  • 1/2 tsp honey

  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

  • Black pepper

Honey mustard

  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard

  • 3 tbsp honey

  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise

  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Creamy caesar

  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

  • 3 anchovy fillets, mashed to a paste, or 1 tsp anchovy paste

  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • 1 garlic clove, grated

  • 2 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tbsp water, to loosen

  • Black pepper

Instructions

  1. Set up three jars. Any clean jam jar with a tight lid works. A jar is better than a bowl for all three of these because shaking emulsifies far more effectively than whisking.

  2. Lemon herb vinaigrette. Put the lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, honey, salt and pepper in the first jar and shake to combine. Add the olive oil, seal and shake hard for 20 seconds until it thickens and turns opaque. Stir in the herbs last so they stay bright.

  3. Honey mustard. Combine the Dijon, honey, vinegar, mayonnaise and salt in the second jar and shake. Add the olive oil and shake hard for another 20 seconds. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon.

  4. Creamy caesar. Mash the anchovies and garlic together into a paste first — this is what gives caesar its savoury backbone. Add to the third jar with the yogurt, Parmesan, lemon juice, Dijon, olive oil and pepper. Shake, then add water a teaspoon at a time until it pours.

  5. Taste each one cold. Dressings taste different at fridge temperature than at room temperature. Chill them 10 minutes, then taste on an actual lettuce leaf rather than a spoon and adjust salt and acid.

  6. Store. Seal and refrigerate. Shake hard before every use, since all three will separate.

Notes and swaps

  • The vinaigrette keeps 2 weeks, the honey mustard 2 weeks, and the yogurt caesar about 5 days.

  • Olive oil solidifies in the fridge. Take the jar out 10 minutes before serving or run it under warm water.

  • Skip the anchovies for a vegetarian caesar and add 1/2 tsp of capers plus an extra pinch of salt instead.

Nutrition per serving

  • Calories: 118

  • Protein: 1g

  • Carbohydrates: 3g

  • Fat: 12g

  • Fiber: 0g

  • Sugar: 3g

  • Sodium: 180mg

Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed and will vary with brands and portion sizes.

Want the rest of them?

This recipe comes from our collection of tested everyday dinners — every one with a grocery list and make-ahead notes included.



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