Once you start making your own salad dressings it’s hard to go back to store bought. The following salad dressings are light and naturally sweetened using fresh fruit juice and a little bit of honey. I’ll make two or three of them at a time and keep them in my fridge to use all week long.

Traditional vinaigrettes are 3 parts oil and 1 part vinegar or citrus. My dressings use less oil and are a bit tangy. The great part about making your own dressings is that you can adjust them to you liking!

1. STRAWBERRY, BASIL AND HAZELNUT VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

• 20 strawberries (raspberries and blueberries also work well with this recipe)
• 10 leaves of fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp hazelnut Oil
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp of honey
• 1 Tsp salt

Blend the strawberries and the basil in a blender for one minute. Empty the blended berry mix into a fine mesh colander that sits over a bowl. Press down on the strawberry mixture with the back of a spoon until you’ve released all of the juices.

To the bowl with the berry juice add the hazelnut oil, vinegar, honey and salt. Whisk the ingredients vigorously and pour into a mason jar for storage. Shake mason jar just before you pour.

2. ASIAN- ORANGE GINGER DRESSING

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves
• 1- 3 inch piece of ginger peeled
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed orange juice
• 2 Tsp of honey

Blend all ingredients in a blender for one minute. Pour into a mason jar for storage. Shake just before you pour.

3. ROASTED PEPPER AND SHALLOT DRESSING

Ingredients

• 1 shallot
• 6 oz of roasted pepper or rinsed jarred roasted peppers
• 2 Tbsp  balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1 Tsp sugar

Blend all ingredients in a blender for one minute. Pour into a mason jar for storage. Shake just before you pour.

4. ORANGE VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp cup an orange vinegar (I love the Trader Joe’s Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar)
• 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice
• 3 Tbsp olive Oil
• 1 Tsp salt
• 2 Tsp honey

Pour all ingredients in a mason jar and shake vigorously before using.