Favorite Brand of Salad Dressing
I have several favorite brands of specialty salad dressings such as Girard's, Brianna, Maple Grove, Olde Cape Cod, Drew's, and Cardini. Any preferred favorites? I am looking to finally settle on a single brand.
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37 Comments:
I buy the 'Herbal' dressing that is homemade at Sunlight Cafe - a vegetarian landmark for over 30 years in Seattle. If you know to ask, you can buy bottles of what they cook up to serve in the restaurant for under five bucks.
Nursie at 10:57AM on 06/03/09
I go with Brianna and Cardini when I am buying. Cardini caesar makes an awesome marinated for grilled chicken.
Cary at 11:18AM on 06/03/09
"makes an awesome marinade for"....sheesh! Sorry...
Cary at 11:18AM on 06/03/09
Only use Angelo Pietro's sesame and miso dressing.
Cassaendra at 11:19AM on 06/03/09
i enjoy Brianna or Olde Cape Cod when purchasing a dressing, but making a dressing is so easy! my grandmother's red wine vinaigrette doesn't even use measurements -- it's all "eye-balled". but a lot of times, i'll use the good seasons dressing bottle and use its measurements for oil, water, and vinegar and make my own balsamic, herb, or honey-mustard variations.
kristygarr at 11:25AM on 06/03/09
I like Olde Cape Cod (also guilty of Ken's Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette)...but strongly prefer to make my own. Usually it's just a little olive oil + white wine or balsamic vinegar + basil, oregano, garlic. I even use dried (gasp!) basil & oregano sometimes.
littlestcapy at 11:34AM on 06/03/09
I use Brianna in one recipe but other than that I only use homemade. sorry
huneybumper at 11:50AM on 06/03/09
yeah making your own is extreamly simple and delicious. Last night i picked micro greens out of my garden (swiss chard, romain, chives, spinach and basil) made a dressing in the blender of unfiltered olive oil, rice wine vinegar, (more mild) honey, s&p, basil and parsely. delicious! Even creamy ones, for blue cheese i like to put half in with the mayo/garlic/green onion, ect, then blend away, and fold in the rest of the chunks. yum!
seikel at 11:51AM on 06/03/09
oh an i used to use Girards champagne.. but its so expensive for so very little. I think i stopped buying it when i was 19.
seikel at 11:52AM on 06/03/09
Annie's Naturals, although generally I make my own. These days my lunch salads have been seeing a squirt of lemon and a drizzle of walnut oil.
CanadianFoodieGirl at 12:02PM on 06/03/09
I have been addicted to Wishbone Italian dressing since childhood. I dump out a good 1/2 of the oil on the top so it's more vinegary. It goes good on regular salads, pasta salads, chicken wing marinade, just squirted over random raw veggies... I can't stop! I can make my own vinaigrette easily anytime, but I can't give up my addiction. I blame my mom.
meem21 at 12:06PM on 06/03/09
Marie's refrigerated dressings are good and I have one of each for when I dont have time to make my own. I especially like the blue cheese vinagrette.
ocarol at 12:12PM on 06/03/09
@meem21: yes! me too! i was so afraid to post on here about it, lest i be judged, but i totally grew up on wishbone italian too! i also enjoy making my own dressing, but i always have a bottle of it on hand, just in case i'm short on time.
gastronomeg at 12:27PM on 06/03/09
@gastronomeg, oh thank god! I'm glad we have others like us in this world. :)
meem21 at 12:30PM on 06/03/09
Re., the Wishbone dry dressing mix: It's the salt, friends; plus some high notes of nostalgia. My mom made the best salads, and it was always dressed with dry mixes of Wishbone Italian or Garlic Herb. Generally prefer making my own vinaigrette, but there's just something about the old Wishbone mixes that bring me comfort.
hatlady at 12:34PM on 06/03/09
I usually make my own, but there are two kinds I buy: Newman's Own Italian, which is the secret ingredient in alot of delicious foods, and Annie's Goddess Dressing, because it is just so delicious I have been unable to replicate it at home.
Embackus at 12:40PM on 06/03/09
Lately it's been Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger. Also Hidden Valley Ranch Light. And sorry SE but the Kraft Ranch is nasty. Had to actually pour a almost full bottle down the drain.
chazmo at 12:52PM on 06/03/09
@meem21 and gastronomeg - I always make my own dressing (I have a huge collections of oils and vinegars for all kinds of stuff) and frankly, never liked any ready-made kind at all, but my OH simply has to have Wishbone Italian! At least now I can see that nothing is wrong with him:-).
brooke29 at 1:41PM on 06/03/09
Marzettis is my favorite 'bought' blue cheese; although I usually make my own. They also make a killer coleslaw dressing. Between my sister and me, it's become the "old secret family recipe" that cannot be shared! Heh, heh...
For other dressings ~ oil and vinegar type ~ I make my own. So easy and much fresher herbs and oils.
duncan1205 at 2:07PM on 06/03/09
I make my own dressings, and I don't use a recipe for any of them, which drives friends and family crazy when they ask for it. I generally cook by taste, and not by formula.
The only exception is ranch, which my husband is crazy for as a dipping sauce/condiment for certain things, and likes to have it in the fridge at all times. So, when it comes to ranch dressing, I buy Marie's brand in the refrigerated produce section, since that brand tastes better than others, and has less additives.
I highly recommend trying your hand at making your own dressings. You can whip them up in a matter of minutes - or less - and you control the quality, flavors, quantities, etc. Homemade tastes so much better, and is easier on the wallet, too.
Cheers,
~ Paula
Paula Maack at 2:50PM on 06/03/09
Am I the only one who finds bottled 'raspberry vinaigrette' dressings to be the most vile concoction ever put on this earth? Anytime I unknowingly take a bite of a salad dressed with that noxious berry slime I vomit a little...it tastes like they put raspberry flavored pesticide in that stuff.
I do like Marie's refrigerated Caesar dressings and Newman's own Green Goddess dressing. As I kid I loved Hidden Valley Ranch, but have been unable to bring myself to buy it as an adult. I almost always just make my own dressings though - they're a lot tastier than the bottled variety.
laurelie at 3:04PM on 06/03/09
When I was in Japan I was a huge fan of Riken's non-oil Shiso dressing. so tasty on seaweed salads.
I also make my own and just like @Paula, people ask for my recipes which don't exist!
hmw0029 at 3:11PM on 06/03/09
I keep Cardini's for my caesar cravings, and it goes great on chicken with artichokes and mushrooms.
There's also bottles of Kraft thousand island, generic ranch, and Wishbone Italian in my fridge.
I make my own honey mustard (I'm a junkie!) and vinaigrettes.
TaraTot at 3:17PM on 06/03/09
I like to mix olive oil and fresh-squeezed lemon juice with a bit of Cavender's Greek Seasoning . . . it's delicious on any veggie salad!
gourmetgal at 4:16PM on 06/03/09
Ken's Steakhouse Greek and Lite Caeser are my 2 favorites. I use it for salads and marinades or mix them with my homemade pesto for a zesty salad dressing.
kathyvegas at 4:17PM on 06/03/09
I can't remember the last time I didn't make my own. It's easy, fast, filled with variety and imagination and dirt cheap compared to store bought chemical concoctions. Don't get me wrong, I'm by no means a health nut but come on, it's easy and fun...
czken at 4:40PM on 06/03/09
newmans own oil and vinegar. plain and simple but convenient and tasty-on just about everything
lkong at 1:31AM on 06/04/09
Joey D's for chinese chicken salad.
Otherwise, I hate most salad dressings. They use poor quality olive oil and vinegar(s), they add a ton of salt, and they think that using a ton of garlic makes it "Italian."
I AM Italian, and just the opposite is true, so I make my own!
serious1 at 6:12AM on 06/04/09
My favorite is not at all local, so I order it by the case - Italian Scallion dressing. It's from the Gilroy Garlic Festival - I've been eating it for 4 or 5 years and can't get enough! VERY strong, but if you like garlic, this is for you!
Other than that, I always keep a bottle of Kraft Catalina in my fridge - great with celery sticks as a snack! I also peruse the clearance aisles at my local Target for oddities - seems like the berry/fruit-type vinaigrettes are always marked down to 99 cents!
dharmon at 7:44AM on 06/04/09
My favorite is Island Grove mango poppy seed dressing.
http://www.islandgrove.com/mangopoppy.html
Hubby's favorite is Farmer Boy greek dressing. It's hard to find unless you live in Florida (we used to - I'm from there) but you can order it online.
http://www.farmerboygreekdressing.com/farmerboymain.htm
caramel at 9:06AM on 06/04/09
1000 Island by Marie's or Litehouse. Caesar when made right, oh and of course Ranch.
pjracz10 at 12:36PM on 06/04/09
My favorite dressing is usually something I make, like lemon+EVOO+za'atar or sesame oil+rice vinegar+EVOO. Out of a bottle I do enjoy Country French from... I forget which company. I used to be obsessed with Thousand Island. I don't know whatever got into me.
Stufsocker at 2:42PM on 06/04/09
Homemade. 99% of the commercial stuff is either too sweet or too oily for me.
That said, I do dip my pizza crust in ranch (Kraft) - a bad but delicious habit.
finewinendine at 7:36PM on 06/04/09
I'm guilty of using ranch on anything but salads. It's far too delicious to be contained to just one food.
Lately i've been in love with Ken's Light Sweet Vidalia Onion. It's my favorite for spinach salads and any other kind I make. mmmmmm.
houdini_k at 9:23AM on 06/05/09
Newman's Own Italian
kmitch218 at 9:41AM on 06/05/09
Yeah, most bottled dressings use crap olive oil. But in a pinch, I'll go for the Newman's balsamic. I grew up on Kraft French dressing but even the thought of it makes me gag now.
TheKitchenWitch at 6:42PM on 06/05/09
@ laurelie: I agree with your 'raspberry vinaigrette' comments. There was one I used to like but I can't remember the brand and I haven't had any luck finding it again. So many taste like cough syrup to me!
My secret: The only homemade dressing that I've ever made is a hot soy marinade/dressing that I use to cook chicken. I often crave the combination of chicken, soy, and cukes because of the marinade/dressing. I throw it on salad greens or cellophane/rice noodle or both when I don't have any Nuoc Mam.
CooksForOne at 1:07AM on 06/06/09