One of Susan's passions is cooking and creating new recipes for family and friends.

Homemade Dressings Are Better

Making homemade salad dressings not only taste better but will also cost you less money in the long run. True, it does take some extra time to whip up these dressings, but if you have the time, they are well worth it. In many cases, they will be healthier too.

Here are some of the homemade salad dressings that I make.

Cook Time

Caesar Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 3-4 cloves of garlic crushed
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup of mayonnaise
• Anchovies either the canned or the paste
• Use according to your taste or you can omit
• 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2–3 shakes of Worcestershire sauce
• Fresh ground pepper
• 1/8 cup – ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

This salad dressing can be made ahead and used when needed and I usually can keep it in the refrigerator for about 4–5 days. I sometimes will make a double batch if I know that I am going to be making Caesar Salad more than once in the course of 5 days.

1. Peel the garlic cloves and press with a garlic press into a bowl.
2. Add virgin olive oil, mayonnaise, anchovies, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and fresh ground pepper.
3. Whisk it all together really well, cover and refrigerate.
4. The Parmesan cheese can be added right to the dressing or added to the salad before serving along with bacon bits and or croutons.

Many times I will serve this salad without Parmesan, bacon bits, and croutons.

Ingredients for Salad Topping

• 1/8 cup of Parmesan cheese
• Bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 chopped tomato
• Croutons

Another Caesar Salad Dressing

Ingredients for Dressing

• ¼ cup of mayonnaise
• 1 tbs. Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp. anchovy paste
• Chopped garlic cloves (as many or as little as you like)
• Fresh ground pepper
• 2 tbs. red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup of olive oil

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients for salad dressing together with a whisk.
2. Tear up your washed romaine lettuce into a bowl and add salad dressing.
3. Top with the ingredients for salad topping.

With either one of the above salad dressings, many times I will make it a meal and add cooked sliced chicken breasts or turkey to the salad.

Spinach Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1- garlic clove minced
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. dried basil
• ¼ tsp. thyme
• Fresh ground pepper

Instructions and More

Whisk all ingredients together and toss with baby spinach.

Many times I will turn this into spinach Greek salad by adding garbanzo beans or chickpeas along with sliced cucumber, chopped tomatoes, feta cheese, and hot peppers.

This salad dressing also goes well with iceberg lettuce for Greek salad. Add all the same ingredients (plus black sliced olives) that you would for the spinach Greek salad except for the spinach.

Salad dressings are so easy to make if you have the basic ingredients. Many times I will just mix together ingredients that sound good together and add it to lettuce.

© 2011 Susan Zutautas

Comments

Susan Zutautas (author) from Ontario, Canada on September 19, 2012:

James, Thanks so much!

James Timothy Peters from Hammond, Indiana on September 18, 2012:

I love a good Caesar Salad, especially the dressing!

Great article. Thumbs Up & More.

AWESOME HUB!!!

I Tweeted it...

Susan Zutautas (author) from Ontario, Canada on July 31, 2012:

sgbrown and Vicki, Thank you both. Hope you enjoy the salads.

Victoria Lynn from Arkansas, USA on July 30, 2012:

I love Caesar salad dressing, but it's hard to find a good dressing. I'll try your recipes.Great hub. Very attractive!

Sheila Brown from Southern Oklahoma on July 30, 2012:

I love a good salad! These recipes look great. I especially like the spinach salad dressing. Going to try this very soon! Voted up and useful!

Susan Zutautas (author) from Ontario, Canada on March 25, 2012:

Thanks acaetnna :)

acaetnna from Guildford on March 25, 2012:

When I fancy trying some new recipes I know where to come. Thank you and bookmarking this hub.

Susan Zutautas (author) from Ontario, Canada on January 31, 2012:

Pinkchic, Thanks.

Sarah Carlsley from Minnesota on January 31, 2012:

These sound great! Thanks for sharing your recipes with us!

Susan Zutautas (author) from Ontario, Canada on June 08, 2011:

Chatkath,Tina and howcurecancer I am always trying different ways to make salad dressings as I eat a lot of salad and it seems to me more fun just to make my own.

Elena@LessIsHealthy on June 07, 2011:

Now, I can diversify more. Thanks.

Christina Lornemark from Sweden on May 01, 2011:

Those dressings sound so tasty! This article is bookmarked and I will try them. It is so great with new dressing recipes now when the summer season is coming! UP/useful.

Thanks.

Tina

Kathy from California on April 29, 2011:

I bookmarked Susan, these are great popular dressings that everyone loves-always need a new recipe! Thank you for sharing.

Susan Zutautas (author) from Ontario, Canada on April 29, 2011:

Bill, Ruby and Alicia Thanks so much for your comments and for reading.

KKGals Let me know how you like them. Sorry to say but no I do not have a recipe for Creamy Cucumber Dressing.

Susan Hazelton from Sunny Florida on April 28, 2011:

I like the looks of your salad dressing recipes. Rated up, useful and bookmarked. I have to try them.

You don't happen to have a recipe for Creamy Cucumber Dressing do you?

Linda Crampton from British Columbia, Canada on April 28, 2011:

Thanks for the recipes. I love making my own salad dressing - it's great to control the taste and to use healthy ingredients in the dressing. I'll be trying some of your ideas!

Ruby Jean Richert from Southern Illinois on April 28, 2011:

I particularly like the spinach salad dressing, looks delicious. Thank you for sharing.

WillStarr from Phoenix, Arizona on April 28, 2011:

Bookmarked!

Up and awesome.

Susan Zutautas (author) from Ontario, Canada on April 28, 2011:

RH I used to make the Caesar salad with raw egg but there wasn't any mayo in it. When I did this hub I tried to find that recipe but couldn't. I wasn't crazy about the raw egg either. Thanks for popping by :)

Kelly Umphenour from St. Louis, MO on April 28, 2011:

I do make my own dressing - it's so much better than the jar! I want to try your Cesar dressing - noted doesn't contain the nasty raw egg factor:) I love the optional additions too! Awesome for me!

Susan Zutautas (author) from Ontario, Canada on April 28, 2011:

sangre yes very easy to make thanks for stopping by to read.

nightbear very tasty.

LL You should try it it is very good.

L.L. Woodard from Oklahoma City on April 27, 2011:

That spinach salad Greek-style sounds like a great treat.

Susan Kaul from Michiagn, USA on April 27, 2011:

Oh I love the idea of putting Worcestershire sauce in the dressing. How unusual and delicious I bet.

Sp Greaney from Ireland on April 27, 2011:

These dressing are so easy to make. I always buy the shop brand. Making one of these the next time I have salad.