A Magic Grid of Salad Dressings | Cup of Jo (2024)

God, I am in such a salad dressing rut – going to print this out and stick it on the cupboard at home!

Am I the only one who doesn’t know what to do with this simple summer produce? I could just eat a tomato sandwich, but what about everything else? What actually IS a summer salad put together with “market” finds?

For a creamy dressing I like plain yogurt, olive oil, blue cheese, a little vinegar, and either fresh basil or fresh dill —then just blend with an immersion blender and add a little water if it is too thick (depends on the thickness of your yogurt).

I never knew how much I needed this. This grid is a life saver!!

Oooooo… Thank you for this gem! I’ve become quite a salad dressing snob turning my nose at anything in a bottle – ew gross. One of my favorites is Whole Sisters’ “dump ranch” – a coconut based ranch dressing that is so much tastier than regular ranch. Also, sherry vinegar, walnut oil, olive oil, whole grain mustard, a pinch of salt – sometimes with a bit of maple syrup.

The vinegar seems to keep them going pretty well! I’ve kept my homemade dressings in a clean jar for up to a month. It may require topping up as it concentrates. Of course, depending on how much vinegar the dressing has, your mileage may vary.

Oh man… Another book I “need”! :D

This surpasses the periodic table and the London Underground map in its design. Inspired!

I throw everything into a bullet blender and it makes it so easy.
I also aim for fat-free (or use whole fat like nuts or half an avocado) by blending herbs with fresh fruit juice, salt and chili flakes. A favorite is cilantro and orange or pineapple in the bullet blender. Tomato tahini is good too.

Wonder how long they will keep in the fridge for! I’d to have a “my” house dressing on hand.

I LOVE this and also want to say thank you for linking to her book on Indie Bound!!

This is brilliant! Thank you so much :)

Thank you for this! Printing right now to post in my kitchen.

Caesar salad is pretty yummy with any homemade pasta or pizza night. Blend mashed anchovies with a little garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and plenty of grated Parmesan and pepper for great Caesar

Thanks. So when you guys add coconut milk to things, do you use the cans, and do you shake it to mix the hard cream into the liquid or just use the liquid part? I never know.

Can someone explain the difference between tamari, shoyu and soy sauce? Do I need to have all of them in my house or is one most versatile? Can anyone recommend a type or brand of whichever I should have?

This is GOLD! Thanks so much for posting. We eat a lot of salads in the summer and once in awhile I switch it up, and my sweet husband will say, “This dressing is DELICIOUS!” even if it’s simple.

Mint + lemon + olive oil + salt on lettuce/tomato/cucumber salad = summer bliss.

Veg Caesar: toss in blender, olive oil, hard boiled eggs, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice. It’s so delicious, especially good on grilled romaine. If you haven’t had grilled romaine, brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with lots of salt and pepper, straight off the BBQ, try it tonight. So good.

It’s technically the *sauce* for Korean tofu tacos, but it’s also an amazing salad dressing: 1/2 cup mayo, 2 T each Sriracha and maple syrup, chopped green onions (can leave out of you like). I can’t even describe how much I love this sauce.

these would make gorgeous posters/art to hang in a kitchen. does she sell prints of them?

My new dressing: a few tablespoons of good mayo (Who am I, Ina Garten?) and a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Whisk together with pepper and a pinch or two of your favorite dried herbs. (I like dried oregano and basil.) Makes a great dressing for pasta salad with chicken, olives, arugula and a cheese like feta or mozzarella pearls. Tangy and delicious.

Jenny! Please help! I see the delicious Lemon Tahini dressing above. I’ve made a similar one in the past, but I keep running into a problem: When I add the lemon juice to the tahini, it appears to…curdle? The tahini gets much thicker, like an almond paste. Sometimes it helps if I add the other ingredients first (maple syrup, water, or olive oil) but sometimes it still happens. Does this happen to you? What causes this? How can I fix it? This has confused me for years!!! :)

Pok Pok Thai Basil drinking vinegar is a game changer – I put it on EVERYTHING. Also great on rice with cilantro and ginger…credit to my dear friend Dysthe for introducing me…

These grids are gorgeous and I’m excited to try some, but DALS Money in the Bank Salad Dressing Will forever have my heart!

THANK YOU!!

Where does one find miso? Do I have to go to a special grocery store or can I find it at Trader Joe’s? What section of the store is it in? I’m excited to experiment with it! Thanks :)

But is she related to Caroline??

Thank you for this! I don’t like vinegar so I shy away from salad but most of these don’t have vinegar! I can’t wait to try them!

THANK YOU!! We have been in a dressing rut at home.

So fun – these look amazing! I’ll toss my super creamy balsamic dressing that uses raw walnuts as the base into the mix: You blend up big handful (1/4 cup maybe) of walnuts and then add in balsamic, maple syrup, dijon, garlic, salt and pepper. It’s really amazing. I will say, to get it really smooth you need a Vitamix/Magic Bullet/Ninja situation – but if you have one, it’s a really great creamy (dairy-free) dressing!

I cook all of the time, and dressing ruts are so REAL! I get stuck on the same two mustard vinaigrette’s, that I’ll just stop making salad for awhile until I’m not tired of those specific back-of-hand dressings. Enter this chart, and SALAD FOR DAYZ NOW!

As a super fan of the BAS (Big Ass Salad), this is amazing! Insert heart-eyes emoji. My go to is the classic: balsamic vinegar, raw honey (nuked for 10 seconds), Dijon mustard, good olive oil, salt and pep. Now I can’t wait to add some new tricks up my s-leaves! (see what I did there?)

I love this!! Suggestion for turning any salad into a substantial meal– add a couple of cups of cooked farro (I boil ahead of time, toss with a little olive oil and salt, and keep in the fridge). It is the perfect salad grain, imo. :)

MORE OF THIS!!!

THANK YOU!!! In such a dressing rut right now!! I hope lots of people post their own recipes, HINT HINT!!

I am a huge fan of making one’s own salad dressing. I do it 95% of the time. My favorite go to is equal parts lemon juice and olive oil, a small scoop of honey, salt, pepper, and a vigorous shake or wisk. Voila! So good – especially on a salad full of fresh summer produce.

I use oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil for my panzanella salad and simple green salads. My favorite for cold noodles is a miso ginger dressing from Smitten Kitchen. I JUST bought tahini, so I’m going to experiment with that!

Oh my, I think that lemon thyme will be AMAZING on my favorite salad of all time : fuji apples, pecans (toasted or sometimes candied), goat (or blue or feta) cheese, chicken, and diced bacon. I am forever trying to find its perfect salad dressing mate, and I think this might be it!! And I think the pesto vinaigrette will go well with the steak and summer peaches salad I make about this time of year. Thanks for the inspiration! Going to go daydream about salads now…

This is GOLD!

This is brilliant! TY