With summer well underway it’s time for light meals and lots of salads too. The great thing about salads is that you can top them with anything from shrimp and chicken to cheese and the perfect salad dressing. If you recently received a basket of cheese and aren’t sure how to put that Gorgonzola (blue cheese) to good use, check out the blue cheese recipe below. If you’re looking for something creamy, this ranch recipe is for you. Alternatively, if you’re looking to keep it on the lighter side, you’ll enjoy this easy balsamic vinaigrette recipe, as well as the Italian dressing recipe below.

Blue Cheese

Ingredients

  • ½ cup of mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup of blue cheese (crumbled)
  • ¼ cup of sour cream
  • ¼ cup of whole milk
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  • In a bowl, combine the milk, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and sour cream.
  • Mix well.
  • Add the crumbled blue cheese before mixing again.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Keep this salad dressing properly chilled.

Ranch

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of mayonnaise
  • ½ cup of sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon of dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon of dried dill
  • ½ teaspoon of dried chives
  • ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon of pepper

Method

  • Combine all of the ingredients together before covering and allowing to cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • While the recipe calls for dried ingredients, you can use fresh chives, parsley and dill if you enjoy a stronger flavour. Just take care to chop them up extra fine.
  • Avoid the use fresh garlic or onion. The powdered varieties will blend in better and help enhance all of the delicious flavours.
  • Add salt and pepper as per the recipe. If you would like more, you can always add after tasting. Remember you can always add salt to a salad but you can’t remove salt from your salad dressing.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup of olive oil
  • ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic (minced)
  • 2 teaspoon of s brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • ½ teaspoon of pepper

Method

  • Blend the vinegar with the salt, pepper, sugar and garlic until the salt and sugar has dissolved.
  • Now add the oil very slowly to the mixture while mixing. Take care not to add the oil too quickly or the mixture will separate.
  • A great tip to remember is that a blender works best. You can set it on the lowest setting while adding oil slowly from the top until all incorporated.
  • Adding sugar is optional. However, it helps bring balance to this salad dressing due to the acidic flavour of the vinegar.

Italian Dressing

Ingredients

  • Oil
  • White vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic salt
  • 1 tablespoon of onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon of dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon of pepper
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon of celery salt
  • water

Method

  • Start by combining all of your dry ingredients in a bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, combine ¼ cup of white vinegar, 2/3 cup of oil and 2 tablespoons of water.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of the dry mixture to the liquid mixture and mix well.
  • The rest of the dry ingredients can be set aside in an airtight container so that you can make another batch when needed.
  • This salad dressing is light and works well with just about every type of salad.

These are a few of the most popular recipes for you to enjoy this summer. The right salad dressing will depend on your personal preferences and each has its own pros and cons. Some are higher in calories than others so keep this in mind if you are watching your diet.