The Ultimate Frugal Salad Dressing Formula

Homemade salad dressing? For something that is honestly so simple, very few people seem to make it.

Growing up in my home, like many homes, we tended to go for store-bought salad dressings. And why not? It was quick, it was easy, and they tasted good enough. But as I got older, I learned to love my grandmother’s homemade salad dressing more and more.

When I was younger, the salad wasn’t typically my favorite part of a meal. But when I went over to my grandma’s? I loved it. I devoured it. And eventually, I started asking how to make it. That was when my eyes opened to a whole new aspect of cooking that I’d known nothing about before.

The basics of homemade salad dressing

The easiest way to make a homemade salad dressing is simple. A lot of it you kind of play by ear (or is that tongue, since it’s by taste?) Everyone is different, so it only makes sense that we like slightly different things. The following are just the basics for your salad dressing, but they can be elaborated, changed, and adjusted based on what you and your family like. 

• 2 tablespoons oil 
• 1 tablespoon of something acidic (think vinegar or lemon juice)
• Half a tablespoon of something sweet.
• Some simple herbs
• Chopped up garlic and/or onion (this can be fresh or dehydrated, and for onion, I especially love using red or green onion.)
• Salt-and-pepper to taste.

Mix all your ingredients together, and that’s just about it!

Everything I’ve listed above can be adjusted. This is just the basic salad dressing formula I start with. From there, I may find that there needs to be a little more vinegar, a little sweeter taste, or even a little more herbs. When all is said and done, though, it is super easy!

Let’s break it down further.

If we break into the nitty-gritty of homemade salad dressing, here is what you need to know…

Oils

I recommend using a higher-quality oil, such as avocado oil or olive oil. Some other good ones you can try are pumpkin seed oil (this one is packed full of flavor), liquid coconut oil, or any other high-quality oil.

The Acid/Vinegar

Think fancy vinegar. Here are some great ones to use; 

• apple cider vinegar
• red wine vinegar
• white wine vinegar
• balsamic vinegar
• red wine
• lemon juice
• lime juice

Something sweet

How much you use will kind of depend on what type of sweetness you use. I typically recommend a 1/2 tablespoon, but if you like a little less sweet or are using something like white sugar, I’d recommend starting with less.

• white sugar
• brown sugar
• maple syrup
• honey
• agave syrup
• Or, if you’re feeling very creative, you can try crushing a handful of raspberries for a raspberry vinaigrette.

Herbs

I recommend keeping it simple here. I keep it to 1-2 types of herbs. Fresh will give you the best flavor, but dried works just as well! If you are using dried herbs, though, I’d try and let the dressing sit for about five minutes or more while you get the rest of the salad prepped so the flavors can meld a little more.

Here are some of my go-to herbs.

• thyme
• rosemary
• sage
• oregano
• basil
• parsley

Prefer creamy salad dressings to vinaigrette?

That’s no problem at all. This formula is easily customizable into a creamy dressing that will leave your family wanting more.

Instead of using oil, substitute 2 tablespoons of oil for 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or 1 tablespoon of mayo (depending on how thick you want your dressing to be)

Do you make homemade salad dressing?

I’ll admit, I don’t make it as often as I should (maybe that’s because I don’t eat that much salad these days?) But every time I do, I devour it in one sitting.

Do you make homemade salad dressing? Have you ever before? If not, do you think you’ll try now? To me, there’s nothing quite as good as a homemade salad dressing.  Let us know about your favorite homemade salad dressing in the comments.

About Chloe Morgan

Chloe Morgan grew up living with a tight budget. In her late teens and early 20’s, all the lessons she’d learned started to slip, like it does for many college-age students on their own for the first time with their first credit card. As she’s gotten older, she’s started to deal with the repercussions and has taken on a frugal way of living, keeping her costs low, as she pays off debt and saves for her future. Chloe lives on Vancouver Island, Canada, with her dog, Rhea. 

Check out her Simple Debt & Budget Trackers, and her other work on TheOrganicPrepper.com and TheFrugalite.com where she writes about food, frugality, finances, and self-reliance, or her work on Medium, where she writes about lifestyle, mental health, and writing.