This 1-Minute Dressing Recipe Was Made by More Than 600 Thousand Readers This Year

It’s seriously easy and endlessly customizable.

I grew up with a refrigerator door full of bottled salad dressing. There was creamy Italian for me, balsamic vinaigrette for my dad, and Parmesan peppercorn for my sister, plus a mix of other half-empty bottles brought over by family and friends during gatherings that my dad could never part with. It wasn’t until I was in college that I realized you could make salad dressing from scratch—and that it was ridiculously simple.

Fast forward to today and I can’t tell you the last time I bought the bottled stuff. I’ve even turned both my dad and sister on to making it themselves, too. So I was thrilled to see that over 600,000 of you, our dear Simply Recipes community, read (and hopefully made) the 1-Minute Salad Dressing recipe this year. It’s as easy as it sounds and I truly believe it can turn even the most staunch bottled dressing buyer on to the homemade stuff.

Why I Love This 1-Minute Salad Dressing

Molly Adam’s 1-minute recipe is salad dressing at its most basic—but it’s not boring. It’s a simple ratio of two parts acid to three parts oil. So for 1 1/4 cups of dressing, you combine 1/2 cup acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, with 3/4 cup oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. The result is a light, versatile dressing that’s tangy and balanced. I always have the ingredients to make it on hand and I can easily scale it down or up depending on my needs. It also is easy to store in the fridge if I have leftovers.

How To Make This 1-Minute Salad Dressing Your Own

A recipe so straightforward is ripe for giving it your own personality. This salad dressing is truly just a starting point and ready to be customized:

• Molly likes to use lemon juice in her dressing, which I, too, love for its sunny zip, but in the chillier months, I find myself leaning on sherry vinegar because its nutty warmth feels right for the season. Truly, any vinegar or citrus juice can be used: red or white wine vinegar, balsamic, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, or grapefruit juice. You can even mix and match if you’d like. I often use a combo of red wine and balsamic vinegar because I tend to find balsamic too sweet and overpowering on its own.
• Extra-virgin olive oil is my go-to (as is Molly’s), but avocado oil or a neutral oil like grapeseed will work well, too.
• Add a little minced shallot, garlic, or both to the dressing to boost its flavor. Or try a little freshly grated ginger.
• I almost always add a spoonful of Dijon mustard. The mustard helps the dressing emulsify and makes it just ever-so creamy.
• Don’t forget to sift through your spice cabinet! Try a sprinkle of dried oregano or Italian seasoning for something reminiscent of Italian vinaigrette or go bold with a pinch of smoked paprika, za’atar, or ground cumin.

Add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup to lend a touch of sweetness that will help balance the tang of the acid.