What is Salad Dressing?

I know they say that a vinaigrette dressing is better than a creamy dressing if you are trying to go light. My problem is I don't really like vinegar based dressings, and prefer something like a ranch dressing. If I am eating out at a new restaurant I always ask them if they have a house salad dressing. This is a fun way to try something different for a change.

My husband will only eat French dressing on his salad. He gets frustrated sometimes because some waiters mistake this for ranch dressing. He has learned he really needs to pronounce it clearly and make sure they understand he wants French dressing or they may bring him the wrong one.

When I am really counting my calories I will order my salad dressing on the side if I am eating out. This is the easiest way I have found to control how much dressing I am putting on my salad.

Otherwise you never know how much dressing they are going to add to the salad. Sometimes it comes drenched in dressing and other times there is never enough.

I have also found that just because I order a salad, this doesn't mean it is a low calorie choice. It all depends on what I put on the salad, and some dressings are loaded with a ton of extra calories I don't need.

I have a friend who doesn't like any kind of condiments. When she orders a salad at a restaurant she orders it 'dry'. This doesn't sound appealing to me at all, but that is the only way she will eat a salad.

@orangey03 -- I have read conflicting information on whether low fat salad dressing is better for you than the regular ones. You may be getting fewer calories with the reduced fat dressings, but you may also be getting more sugar. This doesn't really make much sense to me, but I have read about this more than once.

Personally, I can't really tell much difference in taste between the two. I like to make my own balsamic salad dressing that has a little bit of sweetness but is not loaded with extra calories.

It's amazing to me how differently a salad dressing can taste from one restaurant to the other. They could have standard names, like Italian and ranch, but the flavors could vary greatly.

I went to a steakhouse and ordered a salad with Italian dressing, and it was unlike any I had ever tasted. It had flavors that were not usually present in this type of dressing, and I found it addictive.

Another restaurant across town has Italian dressing that isn't nearly as impressive. It just tastes like the kind you buy at the store.

@Perdido – I always buy low fat salad dressings, because the regular kind are just loaded with fat. To me, the low fat versions taste just as good. I can't tell that anything is missing.

I like spinach salad, too, but I eat mine differently than you. I put strawberries and blueberries on top, and I drizzle raspberry vinaigrette dressing all over it.

If I'm eating at a restaurant and they don't have raspberry vinaigrette, I will ask for a light red wine dressing instead. The two taste very similar.

I love using Italian as my spinach salad dressing. I eat a bowl of raw spinach leaves covered in this dressing every day at lunch.

The Italian dressing is extremely tart, but I like that. Spinach definitely needs some intense flavor added to it.

It's a healthy salad dressing, because I buy the light version. It still has some fat in it, and this is good, because fat helps you absorb the nutrients in the spinach.

@googie98 – I think that is basically the same as Greek salad dressing. I went to a Greek restaurant that used this dressing both on the salads and inside the wraps.

I had a grilled shrimp and bacon wrap with lettuce, tomato, and onion that was full of this dressing. It was light yet zingy at the same time. It lent the perfect amount of flavor to the wrap, and it moisturized everything nicely.

@medicchristy: This is the recipe for creamy cucumber dressing. It is absolutely spectacular! The ingredients are:

1 cup plain yogurt

½ cucumber (peeled and chopped in small pieces)

1 clove garlic (minced)

1 tsp. lemon juice

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground white pepper

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until it is chilled.

@medicchristy: This is the recipe for cucumber salad dressing that I use. I am still looking for one that maybe incorporates ranch dressing with cucumbers.

You need ¼ cup water, ¼ cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup vinegar, ¼ cup sugar, 1 tsp. mustard, salt and pepper to taste, and 4 cucumbers.

Mix all of the ingredients except the cucumbers in a covered bowl. Shake very well. Slice your cucumbers up and add them to the dressing. Cover and shake again. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Does anyone know how to make cucumber salad dressing?