<div><p>As summer approaches, we may find ourselves avoiding the kitchen a lot more because let's face it, who really wants to cook when it's hot? </p><p>Luckily, this season brings forth an abundance of fruits and vegetables that are perfect for creating fresh, light and nutrient-rich salads on those warmer days. </p><p>Salads don't have to be boring, and one way to ensure that they aren't is to dress them up with seasonings that will amplify the flavor of the produce. It may be easier to reach for a bottled dressing but making your own from scratch is far more tasty and healthy. It also means you can adjust ingredients to your liking, toss in as much or as little as you desire. </p><p>It's important to have a few go-to recipes that you can whip out at any given time so here's a roundup of 3 homemade salad dressing recipes that will add a punch to your salads all season long: </p><h2>1. Quick Ranch Dressing</h2><p>Store-bought dressings are filled with sugar and other unnecessary ingredients. So next time you're craving a creamy salad, try this easy buttermilk ranch recipe from <em>The Kitchn</em>. It combines the classic ranch base of mayonnaise and buttermilk then kicks it up a notch with vinegar, garlic powder, and fresh herbs. The best part? It only takes 2-minutes from start to finish. </p><div><figure><a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/essential-recipe-quick-ranch-dressing-recipes-from-the-kitchn-191714" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1_GH_content_850px.jpg 850w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1_GH_content_950px.jpg 950w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1_GH_content_1050px.jpg 1050w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1_GH_content_1150px.jpg 1150w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1_GH_content_1250px.jpg 1250w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/02e041238503471aaa073478c43ead0769e551f3-1_GH_content_1350px.jpg 1350w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/essential-recipe-quick-ranch-dressing-recipes-from-the-kitchn-191714" target="_blank">The Kitchn</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>Recipe: </strong><a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/essential-recipe-quick-ranch-dressing-recipes-from-the-kitchn-191714" target="_blank">The Kitchn</a></p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p><strong>Check out more scrumptious dressing recipes including a Bacon Avocado Caesar on the next page. </strong></p><p></p><p></p><h2>2. Balsamic Vinaigrette</h2><p>If you're not a fan of the creaminess that the ranch dressing offers, this basic balsamic vinaigrette may fit the bill. Vinaigrettes are versatile so they can easily jazz up basic greens without overwhelming your taste buds. This recipe calls for simple ingredients that don't even need to be measured including oil and vinegar that you can build up on to suit your tastes.</p><div><figure><a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/essential-recipe-balsamic-vinaigrette-139113" target="_blank"><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_850px.jpg 850w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_950px.jpg 950w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_1050px.jpg 1050w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_1150px.jpg 1150w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_1250px.jpg 1250w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_1350px.jpg 1350w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_1450px.jpg 1450w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_1550px.jpg 1550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/47cee758404a0e6016625620cfeabc1e18a17360-1_GH_content_1630px.jpg 1630w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img></a><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite><a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/essential-recipe-balsamic-vinaigrette-139113" target="_blank">The kitchn</a></cite></figcaption></figure></div><p> <strong>Recipe:</strong> <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/essential-recipe-balsamic-vinaigrette-139113" target="_blank">The Kitchn</a></p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><h2>3. Bacon Avocado Caesar</h2><p>Forget the boring bottled dressing and tantalize your taste buds with a twist on caesar dressing that you've never had before. This bacon avocado caesar dressing is creamy, crunchy and savoury and full of flavor and nutrients.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/2094801338-3-5-1.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/2094801338-3-5-1_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/2094801338-3-5-1_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/05/2094801338-3-5-1_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w" sizes="89vw" title="" alt="" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Shared Food</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>Recipe:</strong> <a href="https://www.shared.com/spice-up-a-classic-caesar-salad-with-this-creamy-bacon-avocado-caesar-dressing/" target="_blank">Shared Food</a></p><p><strong>What's your go-to salad dressing? Let us know!</strong></p><p>[Header photo: <a href="http://www.garciastudio.com/albums/savory/content/salad-dressing-pour-01/" target="_blank">Garcia Studio</a>]</p></div>