Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (2024)

Salad Dressing

By: Amy on &nbsp|Updated:

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This French Dressing recipe is a little tangy, a little sweet, and a fun way to make salads exciting! Homemade salad dressing way better than store-bought. Throw all the ingredients in the blender and that’s all there is to it!

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (1)

I grew up in the middle of nowhere and my mom only went to the grocery store about once a month. She stocked up on fresh fruits and vegetables and we DEVOURED them! We knew they wouldn’t last forever and pretty soon we’d be back to eating canned green beans and frozen peas again!

My mom’s friend shared this homemade French dressing recipe with her all those years ago and I fell in love with it and it’s still my favorite today!

This recipe was originally published in 2013. The text and images were updated in 2021. The recipe stayed the same.

What I Love About This French Salad Dressing:

  1. Simple Ingredients: it’s easy to keep all of the ingredients you need in the pantry.
  2. Easy Instructions: If you know how to measure and use a blender you’ve already got this recipe mastered!
  3. Better than Store-bought: I love knowing what’s in my salad dressing (I’m not saying it’s healthy, but I can pronounce all the ingredients). And it’s less expensive than buying it in a bottle!
  4. YUMMY: The flavors are spot on!
Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (2)

French Dressing vs. Catalina Dressing?

To be honest I’m not sure there’s a real answer here! Heck, I’m not even sure if you’d classify this dressing as French or Catalina? I think it’s a pretty good mix between the two! Call it what you want…just make it!

Here’s what I learned about what’s different between the two after studying it on the good ol’ internet! Take it all with a grain of salt!

French Dressing:

  • Sweeter in taste
  • Thicker
  • Typically a vinegar/oil base
  • Light pink

Catalina Dressing:

  • Named after the Catalina Islands off the coast of California (who knows if this is true)
  • Typically has a tomato/vinegar/oil base
  • Bright red
  • Thinner than French dressing
Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (3)

French Dressing Ingredients:

I’m going to give you a few suggestions for substituting to make this dressing with what you already have in your food storage.

  • Ketchup: Use your favorite brand
  • White vinegar: You could also use half apple cider vinegar and half white vinegar
  • Vegetable oil: Canola oil or light olive oil will also work. Olive oil will give it a little bit of a different flavor.
  • Seasonings: salt, pepper, dry mustard, garlic salt
  • Granulated Sugar: You can use 1/2 a cup of honey instead of sugar.

Little Dairy on the Prairie Pro Tip: To make a healthy French dressing, or salad dressing with no sugar use 1/4 cup Splenda or another artificial sweetener instead of adding sugar. Diabetic and Keto diet readers have tried this and loved it!

How to make French Dressing:

  • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (4)
  • Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (5)

STEP 1: Add all ingredients EXCEPT sugar to the blender. Blend until smooth.

STEP 2: Gradually add sugar until smooth and creamy.

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (6)

FAQs about Homemade Salad Dressing:

How to store salad dressing?

Store it in an airtight container in the fridge. A mason jar is my favorite way of storing it.

How long will homemade salad dressing last in the fridge?

This dressing will last up to two weeks. It’s easy to cut the recipe in half if you need to make a smaller batch.

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What is French Dressing Good With:

French Dressing is almost like a condiment at our house! You can use it in so many ways! Here are a few ideas to get you started and pretty soon you’ll be using it on everything!

  • Green salad: This is the obvious one! Try it on my Steak House Salad!
  • Mexican taco salad: I love ranch with taco salad and I love French dressing too! Be sure to add plenty of Doritos!
  • As a veggie dipper: This dressing is pretty thick so it works and is a fun change of pace!
  • Over nachos: try using it instead of BBQ sauce on my Pulled Pork Nachos
  • On a sandwich: Yep! Use it as a condiment! It’s excellent on my Hawaiian Burgers too! It’s fantastic with hot dogs too!
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Other Salad Recipes:

Here are a few other recipes for salads that you’re going to love! They’re perfect side dishes for about any meal, especially BBQs!

Other Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes:

I love it when you make my recipes and give me feedback! If you have a minute please comment below and leave a star ranking! Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!

Homemade French Dressing Recipe:

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (9)

Simple French Dressing

3.88 from 48 votes

Author Amy

Course Condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 16 Servings

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

This French Dressing recipe is a little tangy, a little sweet, and a fun way to make salads exciting! Homemade salad dressing way better than store-bought. Throw all the ingredients in the blender and that's all there is to it!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients except sugar to a blender and blend until combined.

  • Gradually add sugar while blending. Blend until creamy and smooth.

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

Sugar:

  • This recipe can be made with 1/2 a cup of honey instead of sugar.
  • Replace sugar with an artificial sweetener such as Splenda for low carb, or keto dressing.
  • Reduce the amount of sugar used if you’d like. I’ve made it with half a cup of sugar and it was still delicious!

How to store dressing:

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • The dressing will keep up to three weeks.

Nutrition

Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 214mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (10)

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Easy Homemade French Dressing Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (2024)

FAQs

What is basic French dressing made of? ›

Directions. Place oil, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, onion, lemon juice, paprika, and salt into a blender; cover and puree until smooth. Store in refrigerator.

Why did they stop making French dressing? ›

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration is revoking the standard of identity for French dressing in response to a citizen petition from the Association for Dressings and Sauces. The petitioners shared information documenting that the standard is outdated.

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.

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 difference between Catalina dressing and French dressing? ›

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.

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.

What is another name for French dressing? ›

In the nineteenth century, French dressing was synonymous with vinaigrette, which is still the definition used by the American professional culinary industry.

Is French dressing better for you than ranch? ›

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).

What country invented French dressing? ›

The chef at the city's Palace Hotel created a dressing of anchovies, scallions, parsley, tarragon, mayonnaise, tarragon vinegar, and chives. It's actually a variation of a dressing originated in France by a chef to Louis XIII who made a green sauce that was traditionally served with eel.

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? ›

So 1/3 of your body is covered by your shirt and 2/3 is covered by your pants or skirt or vice versa. This can also be applied when men are selecting suits, shirts, and neckties. Use the 1:2 ratio: 1 solid with 2 patterns or 2 solids with 1 pattern and you will never go wrong.

How to dress like a French woman? ›

French Style Principles
  1. French Women Ignore Trends.
  2. Less is More.
  3. Wear Color and Pattern Sparingly.
  4. Practical Footwear is Chic.
  5. French Style Combines Casual and Elevated.

What is Russian vs French salad dressing? ›

A. A French dressing is rooted in oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, ketchup, minced shallot or garlic, sugar, and paprika. On the other hand, the Russian dressing mainly comprises mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce, minced onion, pickle horseradish, and paprika.

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

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.

What is French dressing supposed to taste like? ›

French dressing became a popular condiment in the 1950's. It is a creamy salad dressing, varying in color from pale orange to red. It is ketchup based and blended with oil, vinegar and seasonings. The texture is smooth and the flavor is tangy, salty and spicy without heat.

What is basic French dressing made with Quizlet? ›

Basic French dressing made with. Oil vinegar and seasoning.

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

In contrast, the French dressing is composed of olive oil, vinegar, mustard, ketchup, sugar, and paprika, among other seasonings. The former is mayo-based, while the latter relies more on vegetable oil.

What's the difference between a French dressing and a vinaigrette? ›

Hilariously, it also includes a "Vinaigrette Dressing or Sauce," which is essentially the oil and vinegar mixture, but with additions of finely chopped pimento, cucumber pickle, green pepper, parsley, and chives or onion, to be served either cold or hot. All the other vinaigrettes have the moniker "French dressing."

Does French dressing contain mayo? ›

French dressing: Mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, and Garlic & Onion powder. Some people add a little mustard 1/2 tsp.

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