French Dressing Recipe | Healthy Salad Dressing | The Gracious Pantry (2024)

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This French dressing recipe makes the perfect healthy salad dressing to replace the chemical-ridden version you buy at the store. It’s refined sugar-free and absolutely delicious!

I sometimes get requests from you guys to create specific recipes. I love this because it can sometimes be hard to think of something new to make. It keeps my eating plan lively and you guys get to enjoy the recipes. So it’s a win on both sides!

French Dressing Recipe | Healthy Salad Dressing | The Gracious Pantry (1)

In particular, I love this French dressing. The sweetness is completely adjustable to your tastes and the ingredients are quite simple. With no refined sugar, it’s a great way to jazz up a healthy salad.

When I made this salad dressing recipe, I didn’t actually have tomato sauce. So I grabbed some tomato paste out of the cupboard and mixed it with some water until I got sauce. I know… Italians everywhere are shaking their fists at me. But it works!

FRENCH DRESSING:

Originally, french dressing was what this recipe is. A vinaigrette. Over time, people added mayonnaise to it (which you can certainly do here if you so choose) and it became more of a thick, ketchup-y type of dressing. French dressing is actually an American invention.
Usually, people will combine mayonnaise and ketchup and add a few spices. But to make this healthier, I avoided bottled ketchup all together and used from-scratch ingredients.

HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE FRENCH DRESSING LAST?

If made as a vinaigrette, it will last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
If made with mayonnaise, it will last about 1 to 1 1/2 weeks.

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF VINAIGRETTE IS BAD?

The dressing won’t smell the same. While it won’t get that “sour” smell that definitely lets you know something is bad, it will definitely smell different. Just a little “off”. And if you ever see mold on the bottle or in the dressing, discard it immediately.

Now, if you add mayo to this dressing, the smell will be a bit more rancid and sour than if you leave it out. If you’ve ever smelled bad mayo, you know what I mean.

In either case, if it smells any different or looks any different from the day you made it, it’s probably best to throw it out to be safe.

CREAMY FRENCH DRESSING RECIPE:

I you prefer a creamier, mayo-based French dressing, simply cut the oil down to 1/2 a cup and include a 1/2 cup mayo instead. So you’ll still have 1 cup of fat, but it’ll be half and half, oil and mayo. If you are concerned about the sugar and additives in mayo, you can make your own pretty quickly at home, or look for healthier versions without added sugar. Trader Joe’s has a good one and many health food stores carry better, healthier versions.

It’s been my experience that when people are completely hooked on a particular mayonnaise, it’s because there is a lot of sugar in that particular mayo. Once you get away from mayonnaise that contains loads of sugar, you start to appreciate different flavors in your mayo. It’s not always an easy switch, but definitely worthwhile.

OTHER HEALTHY SALAD DRESSING RECIPES:

  • Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
  • Italian Dressing
  • Thousand Island Dressing

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE FRENCH DRESSING:

French Dressing Recipe | Healthy Salad Dressing | The Gracious Pantry (3)

Homemade French Dressing

This delicious homemade French dressing is a great addition to your daily salad! It’s a healthier salad dressing recipe, made without refined sugar!

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Course: Salad Dressing

Cuisine: American, French

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings (2 cups total yield)

Calories: 24kcal

Author: Tiffany McCauley

Ingredients

  • 1 cup olive oil
  • ½ cup tomato sauce (no sugar added)
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp Sucanat OR maple syrup OR 1 tsp. liquid stevia (to taste)
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dry mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

  • You can also put everything in a blender and blend to combine.

  • This will keep for several weeks if kept refrigerated.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tbsp. | Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 41mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.2mg


This recipe from the Gracious Pantry archives, originally posted 9/20/16.

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French Dressing Recipe | Healthy Salad Dressing | The Gracious Pantry (2024)

FAQs

Why did they stop making French dressing? ›

The trade group argued that the FDA's strict guidelines stifled innovation and left consumers with limited options on the market. Customers who were looking for low-fat or fat-free versions of the condiment were out of luck since those products could not legally be marketed as “French dressing,” according to the ADS.

What is a typical French dressing made from? ›

It's defined as a blend or emulsion of vegetable oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and any of the following optional ingredients: Salt. Spices and/or natural flavorings (usually paprika, onion powder, and sugar) Tomato paste, tomato purée, or ketchup.

How to make French dressing Jamie Oliver? ›

FRENCH DRESSING

Peel and finely chop ¼ of a clove of garlic. Put the garlic, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar and 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

What is the French dressing rule? ›

The French dressing standard allowed for certain flexibility in manufacturers' choice of oil, acidifying ingredients, and seasoning ingredients. Tomatoes or tomato-derived ingredients were among the seasoning ingredients permitted, but not required.

Does French dressing still exist? ›

Since French dressing has become a “narrower” category of dressing in the past seven decades, the FDA believes the market will be able to maintain the traditional aspects of French dressing, while also having the “flexibility to use different ingredients to produce products that meet consumer expectations for French ...

Is Catalina dressing in French dressing the same thing? ›

Catalina is often considered a subset of French dressing, with most of the same ingredients — ketchup, oil, vinegar, sugar, and other seasonings — but in different proportions. French dressing tends to contain more oil and spices, while Catalina has a higher proportion of ketchup.

Which ingredient is not used in making French dressing? ›

The ingredient that is not used in making french dressing is the egg yolk. What is a french dressing? This creamy dressing that varies in color from pale orange to bright red is American cuisine. In France they call it vinaigrette and it is usually made of oil, vinegar, sugar, and other flavorings.

Is French dressing the same as Thousand Island? ›

Though both condiments are tomato-based, their recipes differ. The Thousand Island dressing combines ketchup, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, vinegar, minced onion and garlic. In contrast, the French dressing is composed of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, ketchup, sugar, and paprika, among other seasonings.

What is Western French dressing? ›

Ken's Western French Dressing is a full-bodied, classic midwestern red French. Creamy and thick with sweet fruity tomato notes, and finished with apple cider vinegar and spice. Brightens up lush green salads, wedge salads, platters and more.

What is creamy French dressing made of? ›

Creamy French dressing is made of oil, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, onion, & spices, plus mayonnaise for creaminess. You might know it as “the orange French dressing” (like Kraft creamy French), which tastes sweet, tangy, and tomatoey, with a rich, thick texture &.

What is French dressing called in France? ›

In France they call it vinaigrette. I can only attribute as a food oddity how our creamy, red/orange version, so commonly served in America, evolved from those ingredients into something so different yet with the same name.

What is Russian vs French salad dressing? ›

Russian dressing combines mayonnaise, ketchup, spices, and horseradish, while French dressing typically contains mayo, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, onion, and garlic (via Thrive Cuisine).

What is California French dressing? ›

Ken's California French Dressing is a classic red Catalina-style French. Moderate-bodied with a vivid red color. Sweet tomato notes are combined with a mild vinegar tang and subtle spicing. Brightens up lush green salads, wedge salad, veggie plates—adds tang to coleslaw too.

What is the golden rule of dressing? ›

You've heard the Golden Rule (2/3 to 1/3 ratio or that third's work better than halves or quarters) is aesthetically pleasing but did you know that you can apply this to styling your clothes, too?

What's the difference between mayonnaise and French dressing? ›

American “French” dressing is a orang colored, sweet salad dressing using ketchup, sugar and paprika. My mayonnaise is simply Olive oil, lemon juice and egg yolks season with Kosher salt and freshly ground, fine black pepper.

Does Kraft make French dressing? ›

EWG's Food Scores | Kraft Creamy French Dressing.

Is French dressing the same as Dorothy? ›

Picky eaters love it, dads love it, and you'll love how many different ways it can come to the table. Is Dorothy Lynch a “French style” dressing? No. Most French style dressings are oil-based.

What is the difference between French and California French dressing? ›

As French As French Fries

The basic distinction between the two is that Catalina contains more ketchup, less oil, and usually fewer spices than French dressing, making for a deeper red-orange color. Because French dressing has more oil, it tends to taste creamier and look a paler shade of orange.

Is French dressing OK? ›

Ranch and French dressing were ranked the unhealthiest options of the bunch because of their high sodium (260 milligrams and 240 milligrams, respectively) and fat content (14 grams in ranch including 2.5 grams saturated fat, and 15 grams in French with 1 gram saturated fat).

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