6 Homemade Paleo Salad Dressings That Will Make You Forget The Bottled Dressings

Several years ago I posted about DIY Salad dressings and it became very popular. Since then, I’ve changed my eating habits a bit and the original website I posted that on is no longer around. These Homemade Paleo Salad Dressings however are here to stay.

Lemon, Sesame Ginger, Basic Vinaigrette, Ranch, Honey Mustard, Sweet Balsamic

Homemade Paleo Salad Dressings Variations and Uses

The basic recipes below are easy and super versatile. Here are the prep notes, variations and uses for each basic recipe below so you can get the most out of them.

#1 – Basic Vinaigrette

Dijon mustard helps this dressing to not separate as readily. You will still need to shake or whisk before using. For salad jars, just shake a little before opening jar.

• Herb Vinaigrette – add 2 tsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh, chopped herbs

• Garlic Vinaigrette – add 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp pre-minced)

• Caesar-esque Dressing – Cut olive oil to 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup mayo (regular, homemade, or vegan). Stir in 1/4 parmesan cheese or 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (for vegan).

Uses for Basic Vinaigrette – Quick marinade for any meat. If using on seafood, only marinate 15-30 minutes. Poultry up to 8 hours and red meat (beef, lamb or pork) up to 24 hours.

#2 – Ranch Dressing

1. Chipotle Ranch – Omit the Dill weed and add 1/2 tsp chipotle powder and 1 tsp smoked paprika.

2. Tex Mex Ranch – Sub 1 tsp cumin for the dill weed and combine all ingredients in a blender with 1 tbsp lime juice, 1/2 cup chopped green onion, 1 chopped jalapeno or 2 tbsp green chiles and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro.

3. Ranch Dip – Sub 1/2 cup dairy free yogurt or sour cream for the milk.

Uses – Drizzle dressing or dollop dip over baked potatoes as a Whole30 sub for sour cream, use as a dairy free pizza base, serve with Buffalo chicken or cauliflower.

#3 – Honey Mustard

This is the only one that is not Whole30 friendly. You can certainly try softening 3 dates in hot water and blending it all together instead of using the honey to make it so. I haven’t tried that, but it would be a close sub if you’re really needing a honey mustard fix.

• Tarragon Honey Mustard – Add 1 tsp dried tarragon.

• Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce – Sub mayo for the oil.

Uses – Of course, it can be use as a dipping sauce for oven fried chicken tenders (Like these Grain Free Chicken tenders) or as a Carolina style (tomato-free) barbecue sauce.

#4 – Sweet Balsamic

My favorite way to use this is one is on salads. You could also use it to marinate steak for fajitas if you like that sort of sweet taste like you get at Tex Mex restaurants. 

#5 – Lemon Vinaigrette

• Lemon Herb Marinade/Dressing – Add 2 tsp each minced garlic, rosemary and thyme. Especially GREAT on poultry and seafood.

• Greek Lemon Dressing – Add 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic and 2 tsp dried oregano. If you eat dairy, add 1/4 crumbled feta or blend it all together to make a creamy dressing.

Uses – Keep grilled meats extra juicy by using half as marinade before cooking then drizzle more on after cooking. Marinate veggies in lemon vinaigrette and toss with feta or parmesan (or toasted slivered almonds if vegan) to make a quick slaw that goes great with roasted and grilled meats.

#6 – Sesame Ginger

• Sweetener Free Asian Sauce – Omit maple syrup and instead of cooking, blend 2 pitted dates with all the other ingredients. The dates will naturally thicken the sauce without cooking.

• Peanut (or “Peanut”) Sauce – Sub 1/4 cup peanut butter mixed with 2 tbsp hot water for the oil. If you are Paleo or Whole30, use almond butter instead and use the Whole30 variation above.

Uses – Marinate poultry or seafood. Grill with pineapple or make kebabs by threading pineapple, red pepper and onion chunks with marinated poultry or seafood. Serve peanut sauce with veggies for dipping or with these Thai Chicken Satays.

Author: Christi Flaherty

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6 Paleo Salad Dressings

Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min

See above for variations and uses for each dressing.

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Ingredients

Basic Vinaigrette

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Ranch Dressing

• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp granulated onion
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp Italian herb blend
• 2 tsp dried dill weed
• Lots of freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup GMO free mayo (regular or vegan)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp milk (regular or dairy free)

Honey Mustard

• 1/4 cup yellow mustard (or 2 tbsp each Dijon and Yellow for spicier version)
• 2-3 tbsp honey (to your taste for sweetness)
• 2-3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (balance sweetness to taste)
• 1/3 cup light olive or avocado oil
• lots of freshly cracked black pepper
• sea salt to taste

Sweet Balsamic

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey (omit for W30)
• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp Magic Salt

Lemon Vinaigrette

• Zest of 2 lemons
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Sesame Ginger

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey (your choice)
• 1 tsp granulated garlic or 2 tsp minced fresh garlic
• 1 tsp powdered ginger or 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, optional
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/3 cup avocado or light olive oil
• sea salt to taste

Instructions

Basic Vinaigrette

1. Shake all ingredients in a jar until well blended. If Dijon is not mixing in, whisk well then shake again.

Ranch Dressing

1. Whisk everything together well and taste. Add more salt if necessary and if it doesn’t taste tangy enough, add more apple cider vinegar.

Honey Mustard

1. Start with the smaller amounts of honey and apple cider vinegar. Whisk all ingredients together or shake in a jar. Taste and add more honey or vinegar to get it to sweet and tangy level you want.

Sweet Balsamic

1. Shake together in an 8 oz jar. If you want a sweeter dressing for W30 version, substitute 1 pitted date for the honey and blend until smooth.

Lemon Vinaigrette

1. Whisk everything together well in a small bowl or shake in a jar.

Sesame Ginger

1. Whisk the coconut aminos, maple syrup, ginger and garlic in a pan over medium heat until it is reduced by half. Whisk in apple cider vinegar and oils then add sea salt to taste.

©2024 Christi Flaherty, Flaherty Culinary Concepts and realfoodsanity.com. All Rights Reserved. No part may be reproduced, used to create a derivative work, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written consent of the author.

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