This Thai-flavors inspired Asian salad dressing uses lime, chili paste, toasted sesame, and other easy umami-packed ingredients to deliver big flavor! It’s so good, you’ll be looking for reasons to make more salad just to enjoy this vibrant dressing.

Asian Salad Dressing

It’s no secret that I’m crazy for salads. From Sweet Kale Vegetable Salad to Southwestern Steak Salad I’m all over them.

But today’s dressing is so very good, it’s almost drink-with-a-straw worthy. It’s got just a hint of heat to it, courtesy of the chili paste and -mercy- it is bursting with irresistible flavor.

If you’re anything like me, once you taste this, you’ll be hooked. I found myself dipping carrot and celery sticks in it just so I could keep tasting it. It’s also excellent drizzled on grilled or broiled fish.

Asian Salad Dressing Recipe

To make today’s Thai chili lime dressing, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• limes
• chili paste
• fish sauce*
• agave syrup
• garlic
• light soy sauce
• sunflower oil
• Sweet Sesame Dressing

Please note that the recipe calls for light soy sauce, not regular soy sauce. Light soy sauce is lower in sodium, but not in flavor. If you need to substitute regular soy sauce, just use the same amount specified and be aware it will be ever so slightly saltier.

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This tangy, subtle, umami delivering sweet sesame dressing is a chameleon in the kitchen. Whether you toss it with greens, drizzle it over roasted vegetables, use it as a marinade for meats, or as a base for more complex dressings, you’re going to want to have this on hand all the time.

Sesame Dressing

This Asian sesame dressing is seriously versatile. Poppyseed dressing gets all the love in the seedy dressing category, but I think this dressing should get more attention!

Because while poppyseed dressing is delightful on a salad, its usefulness ends there. This dressing, on the other hand, is just warming up with the salads where it is -admittedly- quite good.

Today’s sesame salad dressing can do it all! It’s a delightfully gentle marinade for fish, chicken, and pork, lending a subtle sweet yet tangy flavor, and a nutty umami that only sesame can provide.

It’s also the bees-knees drizzled over roasted or steamed asparagus, green beans, and potatoes. If you have a jar of this in the refrigerator, you’re able to deliver a gentle pop of flavor to so many things!

Sesame Dressing Recipe

To make today’s sesame dressing recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• agave syrup
• apple cider vinegar
• tamari sauce*
• sunflower oil
• toasted sesame oil

*Tamari sauce, while similar to soy sauce, has its own distinct flavor and characteristics. It is stronger in flavor, less salty, packs more umami, and is a little thicker than soy sauce. It is also often gluten-free, if that is a concern for you.

If you cannot find tamari sauce in your local store and don’t want to order it online, you can substitute soy sauce. Just

Creamy caesar dressing is a salad classic for a reason; flavorful and full of umami, it makes every salad special. It also makes a fantastic dip for raw vegetables!

Creamy Caesar Dressing

Caesar salad is one of those salads that even the most committed non-salad lovers like. I credit the dressing with this minor miracle because it packs so much flavor nobody can resist it!

I know a lot of folks turn their nose up at the inclusion of anchovy paste or anchovies, because they don’t always sound appetizing, but trust me when I tell you they belong here. It melts into the homemade caesar salad dressing and lends its powerful umami abilities to the dressing in a way nothing else can.

And the truth is that without the anchovy paste or anchovies, it simply won’t taste like the caesar dressing everyone knows and loves.

Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe

To make this easy caesar salad dressing, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• mayonnaise
• lemon juice
• Dijon mustard
• Worcestershire sauce
• anchovy paste or anchovies
• garlic
• Parmesan cheese
• salt
• pepper

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Creamy ranch dressing with a bit of heat and plenty of green chile flavor has become a family favorite over the past couple of years.

Ranch dressing is delicious on salads and as a dip for fresh vegetables. We love dipping pizza in ranch and these spicy chicken bites are awesome with a side of green chile ranch too.

Dion’s Green Chile Ranch

If you grew up in the 505 or have ever lived in NM, you likely understand the near-obsession we all have with Dion’s Pizza. It truly is the best pizza, sandwiches, and salads you can buy.

When we were driving through Albuquerque a few years ago, we stopped (as we always do) for sandwiches, pizza and a bottle of Dion’s fantastic ranch dressing. When the cashier asked if we wanted regular ranch or green chile ranch, I can pretty much guarantee that my jaw dropped.

I immediately told her I’d like a bottle of each. About 3 minutes later, I was dipping a slice of pizza into the green chile ranch and wondering how I’d survived so long without it. (Hyperbole? You bet.)

Anyways, living thousands of miles from the nearest Dion’s restaurant meant that as soon as we were home again, I needed to figure out exactly how to recreate that dressing. I’ll admit it wasn’t quite as simple as I thought it might be, and it did require a special ingredient before I nailed the dressing to my own satisfaction.

Speaking of weird ingredients, did you know you can buy green chile powder?? I had no clue and let me tell you, it’s pretty amazing. It’s a more intense green chile taste with all the green chile flavor and heat we love so much.

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This is a smoky, slightly spicy blackened ranch dressing just like Popeye’s! Serve with vegetables, chicken tenders, or french fries. There’s no wrong way to enjoy this awesome dip.

Popeye’s Blackened Ranch

My family went crazy over this the first time I made it. They inhaled it in record time alongside a plate of raw vegetables.

I’m so happy that a reader mentioned blackened ranch dressing to me a while back! I’d never heard of it, so I had to do a bit of research.

It turns out that Popeye’s sells a blackened ranch that is very popular. Naturally, I needed to make a copycat recipe asap.

Blackened Ranch Sauce

Why is it called “blackened” ranch? There are spice mixes called “blackening seasoning,” and they consist of a variety of different spices along with a smoky spice (in this case, paprika) and a spice with a hint of heat (in this case, both black pepper and cayenne are being used).

I’ve taken that smoky, spicy combination and added it to our very popular ranch dressing recipe. The result is a seriously delicious winner of a new dipping sauce that has a likely permanent spot in our refrigerator now.

Every time I stir together a batch of this blackened ranch, it disappears ridiculously fast. Those added flavors are clearly a hit with my boys.

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