Homemade salad dressings are one of the easiest things to make and you can prepare enough in advance to last all week.  Why buy bottled dressings that don’t taste near as good and have so many preservatives and ingredients that you can’t even pronounce!

I grew up with a simple homemade salad dressing consisting of smashed garlic with salt, lemon juice and olive oil.  I remember as a child I loved to pound the garlic with my mom’s mortar and pestle.   As much as I still love this simple and easy salad dressing, I like a variety and am always up to trying new recipes.

I have gathered a collection of 8 homemade salad dressings worth making this summer.  Summer produce is at its best from gardens and farmer’s markets – – don’t dress it with bottled dressing!  Give one of these recipes a try.

Fresh Herb Italian Dressing

Take advantage of the fresh herbs in your garden and try Laureen’s Fresh Herb Italian Dressing from Art and the Kitchen.

Basil Vinaigrette

This Basil Vinaigrette from Elise at Simply Recipes would not only be great as a homemade salad dressing but also perfect for potato or pasta salads.  

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

This Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette from Erin at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts sounds so flavorful.  The apple cider vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard add extra layers to this dressing.

Greek Vinaigrette

Greek Salad’s have so much salt in them from the Feta Cheese, Pepperoncini Peppers and Olives that you don’t need the added sodium from bottled dressings.  Make your own such as this Greek Vinaigrette from Katya at Little Broken.

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

I like to use a variety of vinegars and balsamic is a nice change from my usual red wine or apple cider vinegar.  Try this Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette from Damn Delicious if you are looking for a change.    

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing

This Poppy Seed Salad Dressing from The Kitchn is ideal for spinach salads with fruit such as strawberries and mandarin oranges.  

Tomatillo Avocado Ranch Dressing

I have never cooked with a Tomatillo before so this recipe for Tomatillo Avocado Ranch Dressing from Jen of Carlsbad Cravings intrigued me.  I am always looking to try new things so this salad dressing is on my list of new things to make.

Creamy Herb Dressing

For those that prefer a creamier dressing and want to try something different, this Creamy Herb Dressing featured on Bon Appétit may be of interest.  I personally wouldn’t use the raw egg yolk and would substitute mayonnaise in place of it.  

Do you have a favorite homemade salad dressing?