A good dressing brings the separate parts of a meal together: crisp leaves, warm potatoes, a bowl of grains or yesterday’s roasted vegetables. Making your own can be as simple as shaking a few ingredients in a jar. The useful skill is learning how to balance sharpness, richness and seasoning, so you can adjust a dressing to the food in front of you.
You do not need a cupboard full of specialist ingredients. Start with an oil, something acidic and a little mustard, then try yoghurt or tahini when you want a creamier finish. The small batches below give you three starting points, with ways to change their flavour and consistency.
Understand what each ingredient does
Oil gives a dressing body and helps it coat food. Olive oil has a noticeable flavour, while rapeseed oil can give a gentler result. Choose whichever tastes right to you; an especially strong oil may overwhelm delicate ingredients.
Acid provides brightness. Lemon juice is fresh and lively, wine vinegar gives a clean tang, and cider vinegar works well with crunchy vegetables. Their sharpness varies, so quantities are starting points rather than rules.
Mustard, yoghurt and tahini help create texture. Mustard helps oil and vinegar stay combined for longer. Yoghurt makes a soft, spoonable dressing, while tahini adds a nutty flavour and thickens the mixture.
Seasoning makes the dressing feel complete. Pepper, herbs and a small pinch of salt may be enough. Taste before adding more, especially if your meal already contains olives, cheese or other salty ingredients.
A simple mustard vinaigrette
This makes enough for roughly four side salads, depending on their size. Use it with lettuce, grated carrot, cooked green beans or warm potatoes.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or rapeseed oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon water, plus more if needed
- A small pinch of salt, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Put the vinegar, mustard and water in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the oil gradually while whisking, until the dressing looks slightly thickened. Alternatively, put everything in a clean jar, close the lid firmly and shake.
- Add pepper and, if wanted, a small pinch of salt.
- Taste a little on a piece of the food you plan to dress. Adjust with a few drops of vinegar or a little more oil, then mix again.
For a gentler flavour, replace a teaspoon of the vinegar with water. For a slightly sweeter finish, whisk in half a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup. Sweetness is optional: try the dressing with the meal before deciding it needs any.
A creamy lemon yoghurt dressing
This makes enough for about four servings. It is useful for spooning over roasted vegetables, folding through shredded cabbage or serving alongside baked potatoes.
Ingredients
- 100 g plain unsweetened yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cold water, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives or dill, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A small pinch of salt, optional
Method
- Stir the yoghurt, lemon juice and olive oil together in a bowl.
- Mix in the water, then add more a teaspoon at a time until the dressing falls easily from a spoon.
- Fold in the herbs, if using, and season to taste.
- Try it with a piece of vegetable. Add a little more lemon if the flavour needs brightening, or more yoghurt if it tastes too sharp.
Thick Greek-style yoghurt will need more water than a runnier natural yoghurt. For a dairy-free variation, use a plain unsweetened plant-based alternative whose flavour you enjoy. Check that it is unflavoured before mixing it with the lemon.
A lemon tahini dressing
This makes around four servings and suits roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, grain bowls and cooked carrots. Stir the tahini thoroughly in its container before measuring, as the oil can separate.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cold water, plus extra as needed
- A small pinch of ground cumin, optional
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A small pinch of salt, optional
Method
- Mix the tahini and lemon juice in a small bowl. The mixture may become very thick at first; this is normal.
- Add the water gradually, stirring well between additions, until smooth and pourable.
- Add the cumin, if using, and season to taste.
- Adjust the texture with more water, a teaspoon at a time. Taste again after thinning.
For a different direction, swap the cumin for finely grated lemon zest. Tahini contains sesame, so check dietary requirements before serving it to other people.
Fix the flavour before adding more ingredients
If a dressing tastes too sharp, add a little oil to a vinaigrette, yoghurt to a yoghurt dressing, or tahini and water to a tahini dressing. Work in small amounts so you do not turn a small batch into a large one accidentally.
If it tastes flat, try a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar before reaching for extra salt. If it tastes heavy, a splash of water can make it easier to distribute, followed by a little acid if needed.
A separated vinaigrette usually just needs another shake. A thick creamy dressing needs gradual thinning. Neither problem calls for starting again.
Match the texture to the meal
Delicate salad leaves need a light coating. Dry them well after washing, then toss with a little dressing and add more only if needed. Water clinging to the leaves dilutes the flavour and encourages dressing to collect underneath.
Robust ingredients can take a thicker dressing. Spoon yoghurt dressing over roast vegetables, or loosen tahini dressing enough to drizzle across grains. Dress cooked potatoes while still warm if you want them to take on the flavour, adding fresh herbs once they have cooled slightly.
For packed lunches, keep dressing in a separate leakproof container and add it when you eat. This gives you more control over texture, particularly with leaves and crunchy vegetables.
Make small batches and store them carefully
Use clean utensils and a clean, covered container. Refrigerate these homemade dressings promptly and make only what you expect to use within two days. Follow any shorter storage instructions on the yoghurt or other ingredients you use.
Keep dressed meals chilled where their ingredients require it, and return unused dressing to the fridge after serving. Pour out what you need instead of dipping used cutlery into the storage jar.
Oil-based dressing may thicken or turn cloudy in the fridge. Shake or stir it before using; creamy dressings may also need a little water. Label the container with its contents and preparation date so it is easy to recognise.
Once you have a favourite base, change just one element at a time: a different vinegar, a spoonful of chopped herbs or a little citrus zest. You will soon know how to make a dressing that suits both your taste and the meal you are putting together.
