23 Delicious Paleo Salad Dressing Recipes
Post by Lucha: World traveler, culinary student and Media Director at Paleo Flourish Magazine. Lucha will try most food but prefers Indian, Thai and Mexican food above all else. She is currently either cooking, eating, grocery shopping, or browsing recipes on Pinterest.
Salads are great, but without a good dressing, you’ve just got a pile of raw (well, occasionally cooked) veggies. I’m often appalled by what goes into those store-bought dressings, so I’ve made a habit out of making my own. Luckily several genius Paleo-friendly food bloggers have figured out how to turn those classic dressings like ranch and caesar into ones that we can all enjoy!
The following list also includes some delicious vinaigrettes and other types of dressings. Here are our favorite Paleo salad dressing recipes!
Top 3 Paleo Salad Dressing Recipes
1. Almost Ranch Dressing
The secret ingredient in Rach’s “almost” ranch dressing is raw, unsalted cashew that she soaks overnight. A little planning ahead is involved, but if you want the perfect texture for your salad dressing it is well worth the effort. I’m not a big fan of dill so I’ll just stick with the chives as the main flavor booster of this rich and creamy vegan-friendly dressing!
2. Tangerine Lime Balsamic Dressing
I love this dressing recipe for how very simple it is. The title pretty much says it all. Two citrusy juices, plus balsamic and a bit of olive oil, of course, and you have a fresh, tasty, Top 30-friendly salad dressing that is fresh, light and perfect for a simple salad! The accompany salad recipes also seems to be the perfect match – simple, fresh and healthy. What more could you ask for?
3. Dijon Pear Vinaigrette with Warm Onion and Pear Chutney
It may require some work but this vinaigrette recipe looks positively AMAZING! If you don’t know how to make fruity chutney, this is the perfect opportunity to learn. You start by caramelizing onion and garlic (be patient!) and when browned, add the pears and maple syrup in the mix. Then you mix the vinaigrette parts separately and top a bed of greens with this delicious mix that also goes great with walnuts and dried cranberries. Remember to opt for the olive oil and NOT grapeseed oil as the latter is not Paleo!
Ancestral Chef’s Paleo Salad Dressing Recipe
Here are some delicious Paleo salad dressing recipes from our own site.
Citrus Salad Dressing
Homemade Paleo Honey Mustard Dressing
Paleo Ranch Dressing
Paleo Ranch Salad Dressings
1. Ranch Dressing Recipe
This ranch dressing is made with a base of coconut milk and Paleo mayo. If you don’t have Paleo mayo on hand there is another recipe linked in this one so you can make it first. (Or you can purchase Paleo mayo now online!)
2. Homemade Ranch Dressing
This recipe is more Primal than Paleo (unless you use non-dairy yogurt). Yogurt and mayo? Sounds like a very rich dressing!
3. Homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe
Not actually a dressing recipe, this is a great spice mix that can be blended with your choice of Paleo-friendly mayo or non-dairy cream or yogurt. I can think of a few more great uses for this spice mix too (marinade, anyone?).
4. Paleo Ranch Dressing Recipe
There is no mayo or thickener used in this recipe so I wonder if the consistency is good enough to hold. Several spices and olive oil are mixed in with coconut milk. It sounds delicious but may be better mixed in a salad as opposed to being used for dipping raw veggies.
5. Ranch Dressing
Ever since Paleo blogger Michelle learned how to make her own Paleo mayonaisse, her inspiration for delicious salad dressings has been unceasing! She succinctly describes her Paleo Ranch dressing recipe here and gives some recommendations on perfect accompaniments with which to serve it.
Vinaigrette and Italian Paleo Salad Dressings
1. French Tarragon Shallot Vinaigrette
Ah tarragon, one of the lesser-known (and in my opinion, totally underrated!) herbs that make this vinaigrette really POP! Also, there is some information on tarragon’s health benefits so you can learn more about it too.
2. Ginger Dijon Vinaigrette
This ginger Dijon dressing recipe is low on instructions and high on flavor! The ingredients list is also brief and you don’t have to go searching for any obscure items either.
3. Dijon Shallot Vinaigrette
I love recipes that strike that great balance of Dijon and honey and this one is phenomenal.
4. Italian Dressing Recipe
This recipe is the perfect base for whichever fresh herbs you choose to include. Lisa uses Italian flat-leaf parsley (keeping with the Italian theme) but also leaves it open in case you don’t have that or just want to use something else.
5. Easy Salad Dressing For Two
Here’s a simple vinaigrette from Grass Fed Girl that is perfect for a party of two and goes well with her Grass Fed Meatballs recipe (she provides a link in the post). Beware though that stevia may not be Paleo-friendly so opt for maple syrup if you are going to be strict about it.
6. Classic Greek Salad Dressing
Perfect for dripping over a Greek salad, this dressing should be shaken well and then left to soak in itself for a good 30 minutes.
Caesar Salad Dressing Recipes
1. Paleo Caesar Salad Dressing
This dressing recipe is sure to turn out tasting like a classic Caesar dressing. Coconut aminos, a common substitute for soy sauce, are OK to leave out if you don’t have any on hand (the recipe already includes salt).
Other Paleo Salad Dressings
1. Avocado Salad Dressing
Avocado and olive oil make this dressing quite thick and creamy.
2. Homemade Paleo Mayonnaise Recipe
Here’s a Paleo Mayo that can be used as part of a salad dressing emulsion or just on its own with any meat or roasted veggie dish!
3. Arugula With Strawberry Rosemary Dressing
Who knew that processing strawberries could make for such a tasty vinaigrette – a perfect sauce to accompany the slightly bitter but flavorful arugula!
4. Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe (Paleo, Gluten-Free)
Another great Paleo mayo recipe, this one includes avocado oil and Dijon (and has links to Brent’s favorite brands for both).
5. Warm Bacon Dressing
I always say, “everything tastes better with a little bacon”. This dressing actually uses the grease from the bacon instead of typical oil.
If you don’t want to make your own Paleo Mayo…
It’s annoying to have to make your own Paleo mayo whenever you want to create a new salad dressing, so our trick is to buy a jar of this Paleo mayo and keep it in your fridge ready for use – you can buy it on online or directly through Mark Sisson’s website!