# Help the picky picky salad dressing chooser, please! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 14, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444 "2006-10-14T18:57:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/1 "2006-10-14T18:57:13Z")
My problem: I don’t like salad dressings that are 1. oily 2. thick 3. sweet That has left me with Marzetti’s Fat Free Italian as the dressing of choice for years. Now, Marzetti claims still to be selling Fat Free Italian when I sent them a pathetic email, but it’s no longer available in local stores. Regular Italian dressings are too oily, Ranch and similar dressings are too thick and gloopy, and fat free versions of thin dressings are sweet as sugar. Is there hope? Any ideas for a way to dress my salads? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/2 "2006-10-14T19:05:58Z")
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper. Vinegar (champagne, wine, balsamic, flavored), salt and pepper. Vinegar, water, salt, pepper and chopped dried cranberries. Mix, bottle, refrigerate. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/3 "2006-10-14T19:16:51Z")
I like Ken’s Steakhouse light Italian with aged parmesan and ronamo cheeses. I also like Newman’s Own aged balsalmic vinaigrette. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/4 "2006-10-14T19:18:03Z")
Expanding on **WhyNot** ’s excellent suggestions, you could mix a bit of your favorite mustard with your choice of vinegar (white or red wine, balsamic, apple cider, etc.) with salt and pepper. Or use crumbled blue cheese or grated parmesan with the vinegar, salt & pepper. Also try experimenting with other herbs, such as dried marjoram, thyme or crushed mint. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/5 "2006-10-14T19:35:43Z")
one of my more popular dressings: rice vinegar grated ginger grated garlic dash of chili pepper tamari honey find the balance of sweet/hot/sour/salt that works for you. add a little oil if you like–a clear oil, like canola; or a drop or three of sesame oil for more asiany goodness. aslso, I like fig vinegar with a little sprinkled sea salt on fresh veggies. ---
**Author:** ![MissRancher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@MissRancher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissRancher)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/6 "2006-10-14T23:19:16Z")
I’m a vinegar freak, so I switch the ratio between oil and vinegar in a regular vinaigrette. I use 3 parts Colvita Balsamic Vinegar (tried them all and that’s my favorite by far), 1 part olive oil, and a spoonful of Dijon mustard. I’ve been told to try some oregano or basil in it, but I love it the way it is. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/7 "2006-10-14T23:57:02Z")
Great ideas, everyone. I’m particularly drawn to the idea of mustard. Thanks for your help. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2006, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/8 "2006-10-15T00:32:17Z")
I really like the dressings offered by [Walden Farms](http://www.waldenfarms.com/). Just about anything you could ask for, and no sugar, no calories, no nothing but flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2006, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/9 "2006-10-15T00:37:37Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] I really like the dressings offered by [Walden Farms](http://www.waldenfarms.com/). Just about anything you could ask for, and no sugar, no calories, no nothing but flavor. [/QUOTE] They sound good! The creamy bacon sounds good, did you ever try it? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2006, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/10 "2006-10-15T00:44:59Z")
The ones I have tried with ratings: Thousand Island - A bit thin, and not all that much flavor. 3/5 Bacon Ranch - A bit thin, but loaded with flavor that jumps out at you. 5/5 Russian - Really good, but not as thick as I like it (I see a trend here) - 4/5 Italian w/Sun-Dried Tomato - Restaurant quality - 5/5 From the description and my experience, the Creamy Bacon is probably going to hit arouns 4/5. They seem to do bacon good at the Farm. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/11 "2006-10-15T00:57:20Z")
Thanks! I have gotten the fruit spread and it’s excellent for no cal. Blueberry was excellent. [http://www.waldenfarms.com/spreads.htm](http://www.waldenfarms.com/spreads.htm) ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2006, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-the-picky-picky-salad-dressing-chooser-please/376444/12 "2006-10-15T00:59:34Z")
[QUOTE=MissRancher] I use 3 parts Colvita Balsamic Vinegar (tried them all and that’s my favorite by far), 1 part olive oil, and a spoonful of Dijon mustard. [/QUOTE] I just use plain vinegar on my salads, no oil. I get a good balsalmic (I’m partial to WholeFoods aged version) and don’t need any oil. I do, however, usually eat spinach salads and add a little crumbled gorgonzola or feta. I find just vinegar on a plain salad a little too spartan even for my tastes.