Here are my eight favourite easy salad dressings – great to keep in the fridge because they last for weeks! Toss with leafy greens, chopped salads, or drizzle over roasted and steamed veg. From French Vinaigrette to Balsamic and my go-to Asian Sesame, all of these take minutes to make.
Salad Dressing Recipes – standby essentials!
Whether it’s a quick side or a full meal-salad, having a dressing on hand is super handy! But most only last a few days because they use fresh ingredients like garlic or lemon that either spoil of lose flavour after a few days.
But there’s no need to grab a preservative-packed bottle from the shops! Some dressings naturally keep for weeks – no tweaking needed, just classic recipes made without quick-spoiling ingredients:
French Vinaigrette – A zingy classic made with vinegar, mustard, and oil. Sharp, simple, and so good, probably my most made classic dressing.
Honey Mustard Dressing – Sweet, tangy, and creamy, everyone’s favourite all-rounder. Particularly great with steamed greens because it’s a bit creamy so it’ clings better.
Asian Sesame Dressing – Soy sauce based dressing, great on anything from leafy greens to noodle salads. Probably my most used dressing.
Balsamic Vinaigrette – Tangy balsamic classic. A go-to for a reason.
Italian Salad Dressing – The one I pull out to impress! Full of flavour. Requires a bit more effort but boy it is worth it!
Pomegranate Molasses Dressing – Sweet-tart and bold, this one adds a Middle Eastern twist to salads and roasted veg.
Maple Dressing – Smooth and mellow with a hint of sweetness. Pairs beautifully with autumn salads and roasted roots.
Poppyseed Dressing – Summer favourite! Sweet and creamy with beautiful nutty flavour from the poppyseeds. Perfect for upgrading any salad!
Psst Standby dressings aren’t just for quick side salads. Like this gorgeous brown rice, shredded kale and broccoli and roasted pumpkin salad with the Pomegranate Dressing. Everybody say YUM!
Ready-to-use salad dressings
All of these salad dressing recipes keep for at least 2 weeks in the fridge. Fantastic standby to make a quick side salad or a more satisfying salad meal! I’ve create a separate post for each recipe so it’s easier to find later. 🙂
Italian Salad Dressing (left) – One of the all time favourite classics, made with dried herbs, garlic powder and parmesan cheese, the shelf life of this dressing is the shorter of 2 weeks or the parmesan cheese used. Don’t skip the parmesan! It really “makes” this.
French Vinaigrette (right) – The eschalots in this are an essential flavouring! The good news is that it continues to soften and flavour the dressing for 2 weeks. Beyond this, the dressing doesn’t go bad but the eschalot flavour fades. This is a really stunning restaurant classic.
Honey Mustard Dressing (left) – Made with mustard, honey, vinegar and olive oil, this beautiful dressing lasts for 3 weeks without the flavour fading. The consistency of this dressing is gorgeous – thick and creamy. And it’s not super sweet, it’s tangy with a touch of sweet.
Balsamic Vinaigrette (right) – The simplest of all dressings, one to know by heart. This one will last for up to 4 weeks, subject to the olive oil you use (see bottom of post re: olive oil shelf live).
Pomegranate Molasses Dressing (left) – A personal favourite, this is made with pomegranate molasses which has a syrupy consistency and is sweet and tangy. A classic Middle Eastern condiment that’s increasing in popularity throughout Western countries. Very sheik, vereeeee tasty! Great on leafy greens, roasted veg, beans, couscous, rice, quinoa.
Asian Sesame Dressing (right) – Probably my all time most used dressing because it’s made with just soy sauce, sesame oil, white vinegar, olive oil and sugar, and you can eye ball the measurements. Great to use for leafy greens, shredded greens or chopped veggies. And sashimi salads!
Maple Dressing (left) – Made with maple syrup, this is a fabulous tangy dressing with a touch of sweet. I use it on everything – leafy greens, chopped salads and roasted vegetables. I’ve kept this for over 2 weeks but see no reason why it won’t last for longer. Extra perfect with roasted pumpkin and sweet potato!
Poppyseed Dressing (right) – One of my favorites for summer! The poppyseeds aren’t just for aesthetics, they add a gorgeous nuttiness to the dressing that intensifies the longer the dressing is left to infuse. This keeps for 3 weeks, probably 4 but I haven’t tried that myself.
My kitchen has been a glorious vision this week. Mounds and mounds of greens, bottles and bottles of salad dressings. I ate salads for morning tea, lunch and dinner 3 days straight while I was preparing this post. Remember – 8 salad dressings. Eight. EIGHT!!!! EIGHT!!!! (Tested, photographed, filmed = 30+ batches)
I realise that most people don’t need a recipe video for how to make dressings, so this isn’t a recipe video. It’s to give you a visual of how handy it is to have ready-to-use dressings on hand, and salad ideas. Who ever thought that this former finance gal would one day be swooning over how beautiful salads are?☺️
Watch how to make it
How long can you keep homemade salad dressing?
I thought it would be useful to pop in a section here with some general information about the shelf life of homemade salad dressings.
Basically, the shelf life of the ingredients used in the dressing determines how long a dressing stays good. The two most common ingredients in dressings that go off / lose flavour are garlic and lemon juice. Fresh garlic is one of the things to watch out for – it can actually cause a nasty form of food poisoning called botulism. So please, be extra cautious with anything with raw garlic in it left in the fridge for more than a few days. Cooked and dried garlic is fine, and query store bought minced garlic because it’s been processed to extend the shelf life, but I don’t know if there is any consequence on shelf life once mixed with other ingredients.
Lemon juice loses acidity and flavour pretty quickly – within 48 hours in my experience. And the same applies to lime juice and other juices used in dressings.
So all the salad dressing recipes I have chosen are made with ingredients with a long shelf life. However, even these still need to be used within 3 weeks. The biggest factor is actually the olive oil. Good extra virigin olive oils should be consumed within 30 days after breaking the seal of the bottle because they start to lose flavour. This doesn’t apply as to normal olive oils used for cooking which don’t have as intense a flavour.
❤️TELL ME WHICH ONE YOU LOVE THE MOST!!!❤️
What’s are you go-to salad dressing recipes?? Do you make big batches so they’re ready to use on demand like I do?
Tell me which of these appeals to you the most!! – Nagi xx
LIFE OF DOZER
Dozer is very, very lucky that it never snows in Sydney… 😂 Can you believe someone gifted this hat to me? To ME. Not to Dozer.
This post is brought to you in partnership with David Jones, celebrating the launch of the Preprepared Fresh Produce line. The crispest of the crisp greens, fresh chopped ready-to-roast vegetables, pre-shredded slaws. A life saver during the busy festive season!
The maple dressing was a big hit! Unexpected and delicious,
For me its Pmegranate use to have tree in my garden loved .
And in Europe we have mulberry syrup also good in salad. Delicious!
But still No One is Dozer love the pic. Thanks.
Have I missed something? I can’t find the actual recipes just a list of ingredients but not amounts.
The name of the dressing is a hyperlink which takes you to the recipe page. So just click on the name of the dressing you like and off you go.
Oh my the poppy dressing is to die for xxx
Favourite is the Asian sesame dressing. Made a couple and gave them away to friends too.
Thanks and keep the yummy recipes coming …
So happy that I came across this post. Can’t wait to try them all! I’m sure that they are delicious. I’m never disappointed with your recipes. 😊
Hi Nagi
Using your Asian dressing over a quinoa salad
Let’s see how that turns out
Xx Zia
Love to know what you think! N x
I didn’t know about fresh garlic causing botulism – whoops. Thanks for the heads up!
I love your Asian dressing – it has become our family’s favorite thing (besides enhancing salads, we love it on mashed potatoes – it makes the potatoes sing with taste.)
Yes – it can be quite serious! I’m so glad you love the Asian dressing – that’s such a great idea on the potatoes!
I just printed the salad dressing recipes. I am excited to give them a try!
Love to know what you think Rebecca!
I look forward to trying all of these!
I work for a family support service and have been using some of your recipes to cook for young parents in our young parents group. I find that your recipes are always easy to follow, made using ingredients I can purchase from any supermarket and above all else…. delicious without fault!
The young people I cater for are going home and making these recipes by themselves and are achieving a great sense of confidence and pride producing mouth watering food for their families. Most of the young people I have been working with didn’t know how to cook or hadn’t been shown and were cooking ‘frozen freezer meals’ and eating take away.
Now they are all engaged in cooking, excited to try new recipes and requesting cooking lessons from me!!! I like to use recipes the whole family can enjoy for dinner and then leftovers can be lunch box ready. I have so far cooked your:
Baked Mac n Cheese, Creamy Chicken and pasta salad, spinach and ricotta rolls, sausage rolls, Chinese zucchini pancakes and quiche toast cups. This week, we are cooking Chinese corn soup with chicken.
I am a foodie at heart and love to cook, usually I try the recipes first before preparing for group (can’t serve up lack-luster meals after all) but since I started following your recipes, I have 100% confidence that each dish will be a hit, every time. In fact, I have had to start doubling up my servings so the staff can have some too!!
I plan to cook my way through your entire recipe collection and will enjoy every finger licking minute of it!
Thank you for having the guts to follow your dream. I hope to do the same one day!
Hi Nagi,
I happened upon your website as I was searching for a homemade dressing for pasta salad. I used your recipe for Italian dressing and it was SOOOO good!!! It’s definitely a keeper!
I like how you use simple ingredients that you would normally have around the house, but end up with such a delicious result. I will definitely be coming back to your website to try other great recipes!
Also I love Dozer! But I’m perplexed as to why somebody would give you a hat like that when you live in Sydney! 😄
Ha! ha! ha! ha! When I was scrolling down to check if Dozer (as if he wouldn’t be) was here I wondered what the black and white fuzzy thing was coming up. I couldn’t help myself from laughing so hard. Yes, and to not only think, but know that we DON’T get snow here in Sydney makes it all the more comical. It would have come in handy this past month with the COLD winds that we’re having even though the sunshine has been wonderful.
I’ve copied and pasted all your beautiful dressings here as I intend to try them all over this coming summer, can’t wait not only for summer, but to taste these dressings.
Black and white fuzzy thing?? Was my site playing up?? 😥
Wonderful Simple recipes. Your are saving my life!
What a wonderful compliment Laura, thank you! N xx
Hi Nag, This is the best dressing EVER! I’ve modified it so it’s Plant Paradox compliant (using coconut aminos for the soy sauce and Trivia for the sugar) and would like to share it with one of the Plant Paradox Facebook Groups if you don’t mind. I’ll be happy to give you credit. Thanks for this awesome recipe! I love it!
What wonderful feedback Tina, I’m so pleased to hear that, thank you! Of course you can share it! N xx
Hi Nagi, can you share a salad recipe that would be perfect for each of your salad dressing. Also can you share a salad that I can use for any sandwich like a taco, burger, etc. Lastly, my daughter loves chicken Asian salad – appreciate if you can share a recipe.
Many thanks
Hi Mary Ann! That is a terrific idea 🙂 I’ll work my way through them all! N xx PS Search “Chinese Chicken Salad” – you’ll get a couple of options! N x
Wowsers! Just made the Italian Dressing and it’s SO tangy & delicious.
Where do I find your recipes for different dressings please
I LOVE HEARING THAT!!!! Thank you for letting me know Jaci! N xx
Hi Nagi! Thanks for share all this healthy recipes! I’ve already made the Honey Mustard Dressing. It’s tasty and creamy. Eating salad became enjoyable. It was my first choice. In some weeks I’ll tell you which one I like the most. 🙂
That’s wonderful to hear Janayna! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
I used to work in the David Jones Food Hall (though it’s in a different spot now and looks nothing like it used to). I worked on the chocolate counter. The best bit was that we got to eat any chocolate that had been broken! It was HEAVEN. Of course, I soon got over the excitement and didn’t wish for broken chocolates anymore. (A bit like when I lived at the top of Collaroy Plateau and had an expansive view over the coastline. You start not to notice it as much when walking past all the time. Sad, isn’t it? But it’s how our brains work- they crave novelty but soon learn to put things in the ‘routine’ box.)
DREAM JOB!!!!! it’s so true what you say, I’m in Mona Vale and starting to take the view a bit for granted 🙁 It’s not good!!
French dressing or Dijon/Champagne vinaigrette is a family favorite but so many of the store-bought versions are full of additives & stupidly expensive. Your French dressing is the first I’ve encountered that doesn’t taste less than. I’ll confess, the second time I made it, I used 1 TBS of dijon in the small batch ~ a bit more than you recommended ~ and it was a universal hit. I suspect your version is better suited to a crowd but regardless, the recipe has great bones. Thank you.
I enjoy your humor, humility, inspiration & amazing culinary talent.
Cheers to you & yours (including adorable Dozer)!
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed the French Dressing Fiona! Thank you for reading and trying my recipes….and you get extra points for mentioning DOZER in your message, ha ha ha! Hope you have a great weekend – N x
How do you wash those bottles when you finish the salad dressing. I have a hard time getting something with a narrow mouth like that really clean.
Hi Susan, I use a brush that’s for cleaning a baby’s bottle, works well by getting right down in to bottom.
Hi Susan! I bought narrow brushes 🙂 So I soak in soapy water then I clean the inside with the brushes!