Thursday, June 10, 2010

Homemade Salad Dressing


I love salad dressing. Ranch and Italian will always be favorites of course, but I also really enjoy "fancy" dressings. When they go on sale for super cheap we usually pick up several varieties of vinaigrettes and creamy dressings - red pepper, balsamic, bacon ranch, avocado, Greek, Asian sesame, creamy Italian - my mouth is watering.

But these sale-and-stock situations are pretty rare for us. So what do I do when we run out of all our fun salad dressings and I want to have a delicious salad? I make my own salad dressing, of course!


This particular recipe was originally titled Buttermilk & Onion Salad Dressing, but I didn't have buttermilk powder or dried minced onion. So this is basically just a yummy, creamy dressing without a real name.

Homemade Salad Dressing
1/2 cup dry milk powder (or use dry buttermilk powder)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried minced onion (if you've got it, use it)
1 tsp. monosodium glutamate (optional, I didn't add this)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. dried parsley leaves (yikes, we're out. I substituted Italian seasoning)
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice (omit if you're using buttermilk powder)
1 cup water

In a large bow, combine all dry ingredients. Add mayonnaise, lemon juice, and water, and blend thoroughly with a wire whisk. Pour into a 1-quart container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate overnight (skipped this step, we used it right away!). Makes about 3 cups.

This makes a somewhat thin dressing. If you prefer thicker dressing, start with about half the amount of water and add more until you get the desired consistency.

I only made a half batch of this, because we really didn't need a full 3 cups of dressing. Then I served it over a salad made of pasta, green leaf lettuce, tomato, carrot, olives, pepperoni, and Colby Jack cheese. Delicious!

8 comments:

Ally's Sweet and Savory Eats said...

Yum! This dressing looks really good, as I love ranch. I need to start making my own!

Kimmie said...

I love when everything for dinner was made from scratch with no mixes and this looks delicious.

I have never made a creamy ranch dressing without a "ranch dressing packet". Can't wait to try this out.

We have been doing Bountiful Baskets and so there is always ingredients to make LOTS of salads.

Hope things are going great with being a new mom again!! It looks like your eating healthy and well!!

You're recipes/photos are always so great and make me want to make them up.

Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day!!

Katy ~ said...

I am loving this dressing. It's so good to see recipes for salad dressings being posted; it was kind of lost and forgotten art. So good to see them spotlighted again so that we can enjoy their natural, full goodness. Thanks so much for sharing. This looks like a keeper!

~~louise~~ said...

"Yummy, creamy dressing without a real name" is right up my alley. That's how the store bought Ranch Dressing found its beginnings and look at it now!!!

Thanks for sharing, Stephanie...

Mary Bergfeld said...

What a lovely recipe. It looks beautiful and sounds delicious. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

~~louise~~ said...

Hi Stephanie!

Just wanted to take a minute to personally invite you to play the Picnic Game over at my blog. Hope you can join us. Louise:)

~~louise~~ said...

Oh I am just thrilled Stephanie! You're Invited and You are bringing the letter G! "See" you there!!!

Juliana said...

Oh! Your salad dressing sure looks yummie, I am sure that tastes much better than the bottles one...nice looking salad :-)