If you love a big salad, you will love these 18 keto salad dressing recipes. They are all very easy to make and will give your salads a burst of flavor. These low carb salad dressings are homemade and there is everything from keto blue cheese dressing to Japanese carrot ginger!
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I love, love, love salads. Here in Pittsburgh we have something called the Pittsburgh salad and it usually has steak (or chicken), fries and cheese on it. It’s not keto but boy is it good. Ever since I had one in college I order them almost every single time I go out to lunch.
But I’m not limited to those salads, I love all kinds and I made quite a few at home. A big salad is healthy as you can fill it with colorful healthy veggies. And you can add all kinds of meats, cheese, nuts, seeds and more for a keto friendly meal.
And nothing goes better with a big salad than homemade salad dressing. So if you are on a keto diet you will love these easy 18 keto salad dressing recipes. They will take your lettuce to the next level.
My recipe for a delicious big salad.
I eat a salad just about everyday. I’m talking big salad for meal kind of salad. These simple ingredients are what I usually throw together though some of them are extras for a special salad.
- lettuce base – My go to lettuce base is usually romaine, sliced cucumbers, radishes, red onions and peppers.
- meat or protein – I like to use leftovers like chicken, steak, hamburger or even pulled pork. Shrimp and canned tuna are also good options. I also LOVE gyro strips if I can find them in the freezer section.
- cheese – If I’m using cheese it’s usually crumbled blue cheese, feta, goad cheese, asiago, etc. I like a strong cheese or otherwise I don’t bother.
- something crunchy – I like some crunch so I’ll add a few pecans, walnuts or sliced almonds. Seeds work well too like sunflower or pepitas.
- miscellaneous – These are the type of things I add for an extra burst of flavor every once in awhile. There are foods that I eat on a rare occasion: hard boiled eggs, bacon bits, olives, artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, pickled onions, pickles etc.
- herbs – Herbs are great for certain types of salads. I like cilantro for Asian or Mexican flavored salads. Basil is great for caprese types of salads. Fresh parsley always adds a freshness to things like tabouli. Lastly in the summer my favorite fresh herb to use is mint on a simple salad which adds a cooling effect.
Carb counts for different salad ingredients.
Below is a little chart for your to see the carb counts of items I like to use on a salad. You can pick and choose what you want according to your likes.
Types of lettuces to try.
Below is a graphic showing all the different kinds of lettuces and greens you can try. My go to is romaine lettuce but some of my other favorite as are butter lettuce, spinach, leaf lettuce and arugula.
Arugula and watercress have a peppery taste that I love but it’s hard to find around me. However Aldi’s Artisan Lettuces usually have leaf lettuce and sometimes butter lettuce.
So if you need a change of pace from Romaine or Iceberg give one of these a try or grow them yourself!
Other bases to use in your salad other than lettuce.
Some other things I like to use for my salad base are:
- coleslaw, shredded cabbage, broccoli slaw, etc.
- raw cauliflower rice
- chopped fresh vegetables of any kind
- veggie noodles
- chopped raw broccoli or even chopped raw cauliflower
- cooked turnips, rutabagas or celeriac (these are for faux potato type salads)
- just cucumber slices or just tomatoes
- meats like chicken salad and tuna salad
Now we know how to make the “Big Salad” let’s check out the 18 keto salad dressing recipes I have for you today. I like to make a few and store them in a mason jar. They should keep for a couple weeks in the refrigerator and really be helpful for those on a low carb diet.
18 Easy and Delicious Keto Salad Dressing Recipes
If you love big salads, you will love this collecition of 18 keto salad dressings. They are all very easy to make and homemade dressing is just so much tastier than store bought dressing. There is a wide array of dressings to pick from like homemade ranch or creamy French. Many store bought recipes use a lot of sugar so substituting with keto friendly sweetener takes the carb count down.
Homemade Dairy Free Ranch Dressing
This homemdade keto ranch dressing is low carb and dairy free! It's full of flavor and has only 0.3g net carbs per tablespoons.
Keto Sesame Ginger Dressing
Full of flavor this sesame salad dressing can be made in just minutes and 1 serving has just 0.8g net carbs!
Creamy Parmesan Dressing
This keto friendly dressing is creamy and flavorful and goes great with meaty salads. Each tablespoon of dressing has 0.3g net carbs.
Red Roquefort Dressing
If you like blue cheese dressing you have to try red roquefort dressing. It's low carb and the flavor is a mixture of sweet and tangy and full of blue cheese. Only 0.6g net carbs per tablespoon of dressing
Keto Avocado Lime Dressing
This keto creamy avocado lime dressing has a delicious, fresh and tangy flavor. It can also be used as a low carb vegetable dip or sauce for chicken or fish. Only 1.4g net carbs for 2 tablespoons.
Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing
If you love a good blue cheese dressing, this one is the best and so easy to make. Only 1.2g net carbs for 2 tablespoons of this yummy dressing.
Hot Maple Bacon Dressing
This is such a simple dressing but it's perfect for a spinach salad. And best of all it only has 0.2g net carbs per tablespoon.
Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing
This carrot ginger dressing is fresh and tasty! It’s similar to the kind you get a Japanese hibachi restaurant and only 5 minutes to make this tasty dressing! This is a good one to make in the blender to make it nice and creamy. Only 1.1g net carbs per tablespoon.
Big Mac Special Sauce Dressing
If you haven't tried a Big Mac salad I urge to try one. The special sauce dressing is creamy with a bit of tang and 1 tablespoon has just 0.5g net carbs.
Creamy French Dressing
This is not catalina French dressing but rather the creamy French dressing which is a favorite of mine. 1 tablespoon has 0.6g net carbs!
Creamy Margarita Dressing
This is a simple but delicious dressing but is great with slaws of all kinds. It is best used with hearty lettuces and vegetables but it has 0g net carbs per tablespoon!
Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette
This tangy dressing is our everyday go to vinaigrette or Italian dressing and is great with caprese salads as well, especially if you use good extra virgin olive oil. Each tablespoon has just 1g net carbs.
Sugar Free Raspberry Vinaigrette
This is an easy and healthy salad dressing and is great if you like that fruity flavor on your salads. Just 0.1g net carbs per tablespoon!
Lemon Tahini Dressing
This is one of my favorite recipes and it's a bit more complex in flavor than the others. It's great with hearty lettuces like kale or even with lots of vegetables. It's creamy with lemon, garlic and nutty flavors. Each tablespoon has just 0.3g net carbs.
Thai Spring Roll Dressing
This lite Asian dressing is great for big colorful and fresh salads and has only 0.5g net carbs per tablespoon.
Creamy Ginger Dressing
The ginger really makes this creamy dressing and 1 tablespoon has just 0.3g net carbs!
Honey Ginger Dressing
This dressing uses just 1 teaspoon of honey but it adds so much flavor, especially with the fresh ginger. Each tablespoon has 1g net carbs.
Spicy Kung Pao Salad Dressing
If you like Chinese chicken salads this is the perfect spicy dressing. There is only 1.3g net carbs in a tablespoon of this spicy Asian dressing.
Well I hope you give a few of these recipes a try. They will really help you with your keto lifestyle and take your boring salad to the next level. These recipes use just a few basic ingredients and seasonings yet create tons of flavor. Enjoy!
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