Yesterday I was blogging about National Salad Month and mentioning the benefits of making your own dressing – it’s quick, simple, can save you lots of money and is so much healthier than most you find on the market.

I’m a big fan of simple, fresh ingredients and I love that in moments I have a flavorful dressing that makes my salad more interesting. Here are just a few of the things I like to add:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice or one of my favorite vinegars. I like apple cider and white wine vinegar
• Fresh herbs – like parsley, basil, thyme or rosemary
• Minced garlic
• Lemon, lime or orange zest depending upon the dressing, for added flavor and pizzazz

Here’s a super simple dressing I made last week in my Vitamix blender.  It literally took about 5 minutes and the flavors are simply fantastic, especially the addition of the herbs:

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary,chopped
zest of 1 lemon, minced finely
salt and pepper to taste

What’s your favorite homemade salad dressing recipe? What do you do to add flavor without unhealthy fat and sugar? Do tell!

Filed under: Greens, Healthy Meals, Recipes, Vegetables