Top 5 Salad Dressings To Spruce Up Your Greens, Ranked

Let’s face it: salads are often seen as the obligatory sidekick to a meal, the Robin to your burger’s Batman, or the boring cousin at the family reunion. But what if I told you that the right salad dressing could transform that pile of greens into the star of your plate? Whether you’re a ranch devotee, a balsamic enthusiast, or someone who just dumps whatever’s in the fridge, we’ve got the lowdown on the best salad dressings that will have you eagerly digging into that bowl of lettuce like it’s the main event. Time to make your salads sassy, not sad! Find out below what brands and flavors 10 experts recommend. Our list is comprised of the products found most frequently across their reviews. If you’ve got your own suggestions, please leave them in the comments below!

1. Tesseemae Organic Lemon Garlic Salad Dressing

This is the number one choice for Verywell Fit: “Tessemae’s Organic Lemon Garlic takes our top pick, because it’s made with six simple ingredients — sunflower oil, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, mustard seeds, sea salt, and garlic oil. It serves as both a dressing and marinade, pairing well with salads, poultry, and fish.” 

“A tried and true classic, lemon and garlic together is straight perfection. I love this as a simple dressing over kale or as marinade for chicken,” Eating Bird Food says.

2. Annie’s Naturals Green Goddess Dressing

Good Housekeeping recommends this one for literally anything: “Green Goddess dressing has been a staple on American tables ever since it was created at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel in 1920s. Annie’s combination of tahini, lemon, chives, and parsley is not only vegan, but it also tastes amazing on literally anything.”

“Aromatic parsley, chives, tarragon, lemon juice, and tart apple cider vinegar shine in this creamy and organic salad dressing from Annie’s. Many reviewers say this dressing is so tasty, it’s ‘drinkable!’ Because it’s good on literally everything, Green Goddess gets my seal of approval as Editor’s Choice,” Best Products writes. 

3. Newman’s Own Family Recipe Italian Dressing

According to Allrecipes, “Some like it sharp, some like it sweet, but if you like a bit of both in your Italian dressing, then Newman’s Own Family Recipe is a good middle road to choose. The dressing has a generous portion of black pepper in it along with garlic and other spices, so the flavors carry well in the oil, but it also still has medium notes of vinegar throughout. While not the cheapest of the dressings we sampled, it’s also fairly affordable. If you’re not sure what type of Italian dressing everyone is in the mood for, Newman’s Own is a good brand to reach for.”

“This dressing stood out from the crowd with its savory, cheese-forward flavor. It contains less sugar than most, and far more flavor boosters: garlic, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, paprika, fennel seed, and dried herbs, to name a few,” The Kitchn says.

4. Trader Joe’s Cilantro Dressing

Epicurious recommends this one: My personal recommendation for the best store-bought salad dressing is Trader Joe’s Cilantro Dressing. It’s delicious due to the copious, copious amounts of cilantro and the creamy base.”

Kim’s Cravings is all about this crave-worthy dressing, writing, “Trader Joe’s dressings are the best. The cilantro salad dressing is a must try for my fellow cilantro-loving friends.” 

5. Kewpie Deep Roasted Sesame Dressing

Thrillist raves about this pick: “At Costco, this dressing is available as a whole jug — which you’ll definitely need if you’re a fan of sesame. Kewpie’s roasted sesame dressing has a deep nuttiness, a touch of sweetness, and just enough acid to keep everything balanced. It’s perfect tossed with your favorite lettuces or mixed greens to make a simple salad, or to use as a dip for chicken. Just be careful — the slippery texture tends to rush out of the bottle easily (but honestly, with this dressing, the more the merrier).”

“Kewpie’s Roasted Sesame dressing adds a punch of flavor to your salads. This 2016 Dressing of the Year winner is kosher and non-GMO. The Japanese-style dressing is perfect for salads, pastas, and Asian dishes,” MyBest claims.  

We’ve heard what the experts have to say. Now we want to hear from you! What’s your favorite dressing? 

Sources used to create this consensus list

• Verywell Fit
• Eating Bird Food
• Good Housekeeping
• Best Products
• Allrecipes
• The Kitchn
• Epicurious
• Kim’s Cravings
• Thrillist
• MyBest

Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This article may contain affiliate links in which we receive a commission if you make a purchase.