Tired of sad desk salads or bags of greens that wilt in the back of the fridge? These vegan salad dressing recipes are here to fix all that. Don't think of them as dressings - think of them as salad sauces. We're packing wicked flavor into every bite and never ever compromising on flavor. If you want to save some cash, eat better, and fall head-over-heels in love with veggies, save this post for later!
The difference between a decent salad and a great one is really all about the dressing. Think about it. Even plain ol' iceberg lettuce can be delicious with the right sauce.
Without the dressing, even the believed Caesar is just Romaine, croutons, and parmesan. Dressing is what elevates the ordinary, turning humble ingredients into a dish you can't stop thinking about.
I'm all about helping people fall in love with veggies and these vegan salad dressings are the ace up my sleeve. You'll find yourself wanting to eat more salads just to get another serving of that vegan Ranch or creamy lemon poppyseed. Once you get to that point, my friend, you're hooked (and isn't that the goal?).
Below, I'm sharing all of my healthy salad dressings including simple vinaigrettes, creatively creamy concoctions, oil-free dressings, and so much more.
You'll find all of these dressings featured in the salads on the blog, so you'll know exactly what to do with them. Plus, I've been making many of them for years, so you can trust that we're talking about A+ flavor here.
I have no doubt that you'll find a new favorite (or five). Just be sure to leave a comment below to let me know which one you like the most!
Here's why homemade salad sauces are best
Homemade dressings don't just taste better - they are better. No mystery ingredients, no plastic bottle taste, just real flavor that makes even bottom-of-the-crisper-drawer salads taste special. Here's why you'll never want to go back to the bottled stuff again.
So much healthier
All the other reasons are important, but we've got to start here. Have you seen the list of ingredients in bottled dressings? They load them up with gums, additives, flavorings, and preservatives to help them taste "fresh" as they sit on the shelves for months on end.
Your homemade dressings can be made with the highest quality of ingredients and with real, whole foods. We're talking single-ingredient foods like tahini, olive or avocado oil, fresh citrus, vinegars, dried herbs, and more.
These are ingredients you'll actually want to put in your body because they're good for you!
Taste incredible
If you've only ever had store-bought dressings, you may not even be aware of just how much fresher everything will taste.
My recipes often include lots of highly flavorful ingredients, like fresh herbs, citrus, tahini, and different vinegars to get just the right balance of flavors.
I won't lie - sometimes I just want to drink them (or at least lick the spoon).
Quick and easy
Everyone needs to learn how to make at least a simple vinaigrette. Once you see how easy it is to whisk or blend a few ingredients together (and how much better it tastes), you won't want to bother with anything else.
Affordable
Especially if you're looking for vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free options, you can easily break the bank trying to find dressings that fit your needs. At a certain point, it's way cheaper to just make your own!
Less waste
No new plastic bottles. No trip to the store. Just shuffle on over to your pantry or fridge to grab whatever you need.
Dressings are also a great way to use up some veggies that are starting to soften or to make the most of that bunch of cilantro that's *this close* to going bad.
Best Homemade Salad Dressings
Homemade Vegan Ranch Dressing
If you're a Ranch lover, step away from the super-sized bottles of Hidden Valley. I promise - making your own ranch tastes so much better!
You can still dip and drizzle to your heart's content, but without any of the animal products.
Mediterranean Salad Dressing with Dried Herbs
Whenever I need a super quick dressing with a bold flavor, this is my go-to. It's truly a pantry recipe, relying on basics like white vinegar, dried herbs, and maple syrup, but it adds a major kick to literally any dish.
It's ideal for Greek or Italian salads loaded high with summery veggies, olives, and more.
Sweet Citrus Mint Dressing
One advantage of making your own dressings is that you can use ultra-fresh ingredients, like fresh lemon and lime juice and heaps of mint and cilantro, instead of bottled or dried ingredients.
All that freshness equals major flavor. This citrus mint dressing is so refreshing and vibrant, I often find myself thinking about it during the depths of winter.
It's bold enough to use as the sauce for this Kale Pasta Salad with Beans but without overpowering any of the ingredients.
Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette
Balsamic vinaigrette is one of the most popular dressings ever, and if you're a fan, this is your sign to start making your own. My version is still super simple, but has an elevated and refined flavor profile everyone always loves.
My secret ingredient? Prunes. That concentrated, jammy fruit flavor works so well with the balsamic vinegar, especially with a a little fresh mint for an aromatic note.
I make this one all year long and can never get enough of it. It's especially well-suited for sweet flavors, like fresh berries, roasted squash, and dried fruits. Try it in my Strawberry White Bean Salad in the summer or my Pomegranate and Lentil Salad in the winter.
Puttanesca Vinaigrette
This simple vinaigrette tastes anything but simple. We're packing in major flavor here with the briny olives and capers, red onions, and sweet roasted red peppers.
It's like a vegan version of puttanesca in dressing form, and the flavor is so good, I would gladly eat it with a spoon or drizzle it over some crusty bread. So good!
Homemade Italian Dressing
Made with red wine vinegar, dried herbs, maple syrup, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil, this red wine vinaigrette tastes just like the dressing at your favorite Italian restaurant.
It's herby, vibrant, and slightly sweet, perfect for serving alongside cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and more in your favorite green salads, pasta salads, and more.
It's the ideal dressing for my Vegan Tortellini Pasta Salad, infusing the pasta with a tanginess that brings it all together.
Lemon Chive Dressing
The combination of fresh chives and lemon juice is always pleasing. I love this one on fruity summer salads, simple green salads, and so much more. Perfect for spring and summer!
Maple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
With maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil, this homemade salad dressing couldn't get much easier.
I love the fall-inspired flavor notes, too. It goes great with apples, pears, roasted squash, and more.
High Protein Vegan Caesar Dressing with Tofu
Who doesn't love a classic Caesar salad? This dressing is naturally creamy thanks to tofu, which blends up perfectly and adds plenty of protein.
I like to add hemp seeds, capers, nutritional yeast, and a few other ingredients for just the right sharpness and layers of flavor. No eggs, cheese, or anchovies required!
Lemon Garlic and Herb Dressing
If you crave light and bright flavors, this dressing is for you! It leans more savory with all the fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon juice, and couldn't be much easier to make.
Perfect for pasta salads, potato salads, green salads, and literally anything else. One of my summertime faves!
Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
This naturally creamy dressing is made by blending cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and a little sugar. As the mixture blends together, it turns into this bold green sauce ready to add tons of flavor to your next taco salad, this fruity Tropical Kale and Quinoa Salad, and more.
The fresh herbs and lime make it so refreshing and bold, and that little bit of sweetness works like magic when paired with fresh fruits or sweet roasted veggies.
Easy Dijon Dill Vinaigrette
This Dijon dill dressing is more of a classic French-style vinaigrette with sharp Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, vinegar, oil, and some seasonings. All those fresh herbs scream summer and I find myself adding it to roasted veggies, this Dill Pickle Potato Salad, and so much more.
It's sharp and punchy without being too much, you know what I mean?
Sweet Red Onion Vinaigrette
My sweet red onion vinaigrette is easily one of my favorite salad dressing recipes because it blurs the line between dressing and pickles.
As the red onions hang out in the slightly sweet and tangy dressing, they start to mellow out and soak up all that flavor.
It's the perfect savory note for fruity summer salads, like my Strawberry White Bean Salad, although it'd also work great with heirloom tomatoes, green beans, and so many more options. It's easy, too!
Roasted Tomato + Red Pepper Dressing
That concentrated umami flavor you get from roasted tomatoes and red peppers makes this naturally creamy dressing extra special. The veggies, white balsamic, and maple help it skew a little more sweet while the smoky savory notes add depth and richness.
Plus, it's an easy way to add more veggies to your salad, too!
Oil-Free Salad Dressings
Many vegans try to eat SOS-free, which means we avoid salt, oil, and sugar. Fortunately, there are lots of great ways to get a rich, creamy dressing without any added oil, like relying on tahini, vegan yogurt, avocado, tofu, or even just a blender!
Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing
Tahini is one of my all-time favorite ingredients. It's just ground sesame seeds, but they add a nutty flavor and subtle bitterness that makes any dish more interesting. It also makes homemade salad dressings naturally creamy without any yogurt or mayo.
This creamy tahini dressing is bright, creamy, and aromatic, and makes the perfect garnish for Middle Eastern-inspired dishes, like falafel, kebabs, and more.
Vegan Tahini Caesar Dressing
Classic Caesar dressing is anything but vegan, but life is too short to never eat a Caesar salad again.
This version uses tahini and vegan yogurt instead of egg for that rich creaminess and I love how the fresh lemon juice, capers, and maple syrup add that classic bite.
Creamy Orange Tahini Dressing
This is one of my favorite dressings, and really couldn't be easier. Tahini stands in for the olive oil, so this recipe is naturally creamy yet totally oil-free. The combination of maple syrup and fresh orange juice helps add dimension and depth.
I like to use it in this Vegan Chopped Salad with tons of crunchy veggies, but it deserves to be added to all of your favorite salads.
Southwest Tahini Lime Salad Dressing
Tahini and lime are truly a match made in heaven. You get the nuttiness of the tahini, the brightness of the lime, loads of fresh cilantro, and just enough sweetness to mellow it all out. It's creamy, dreamy, and the star of any salad.
I especially love it in the Mexican Corn and Bean Salad, but if you're into Southwestern, Tex Mex, or Mexican-inspired flavors, this is one to keep in your fridge at all times.
Peanut Lime Dressing
Peanut dressing is always welcome, especially if you like Asian-inspired flavors, like my Udon Salad.
The combination of peanut butter, lime juice, sweet chili sauce, and soy sauce is a legitimate flavor bomb and can do way more than just dress a bed of greens.
Drizzle it over lettuce wraps, grain bowls, noodle salads, skewers, spring rolls, and more.
The flavors taste even better the longer they sit, so make a big batch and let it hang out in the fridge and call it "meal prepping." You'll find plenty of reasons to use it up!
Creamy Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
There's an art to making creamy vegan dressings, and this one is stellar.
Yogurt, lemon, poppyseeds, maple syrup, and a little S+P is all you need for the best strawberry salads, my favorite Lemon Blueberry Poppyseed Salad, and more.
P.S. It tastes way, way better than the poppyseed dressing from the store, too!
Creamy Yogurt Herb Dressing
For this recipe, dairy-free vegan yogurt is infused with fresh mint, dill, lemon juice, maple syrup, and simple seasonings, which makes it taste incredibly fresh.
It's one of those summery salad dressings you find yourself coming back to again and again.
I especially love it with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes, like in this Dill Cucumber Yogurt Salad, or you can drizzle it over falafel, gyros, skewers, and more for a Greek-inspired meal. Cue the warm Mediterranean breeze.
Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing
Avocados are naturally rich in fats, which you can use to make a dairy-free yet totally creamy salad dressing. Pair them with vegan yogurt for a little extra creaminess, and add lots of dried herbs, fresh cilantro, and a little lime juice for brightness.
Serve it instead of ranch on your favorite salad or do yourself a favor and try this Vegan Buffalo Chickpea Salad. The avocados and yogurt will mellow out the spicy buffalo sauce like a champ!
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