Sweet Chili Dressing Is Only 3 Ingredients And Will Add A Kick To Your Salads

While there are healthy store-bought salad dressings out there, there is an abundance of unhealthy choices on the market, too. Many of the most popular salad dressing brands are high in sodium, saturated fat, and even high fructose corn syrup. This is something to seriously consider before buying salad dressing at the grocery store. It's so simple to make at home, so why settle for all those unhealthy additives? Not only is homemade salad dressing better for you, but it's also better for the environment since you can easily make it in a reusable glass jar instead of purchasing a single-use plastic. Plus, it's a great way to save money, since most of the ingredients you'll need are kitchen staples. There are tons of flavorful salad dressing recipes, but if you need some inspiration, a good place to start is with a sweet chili dressing, which is made with just three ingredients.

Sweet chili dressing is made with sweet chili sauce, lime zest, and rice wine vinegar. This salad is a great way to add a bit of heat to your favorite salads, but the ratio of each ingredient is ultimately up to your preference and whether or not you prefer a spicier dressing, or a more vinegary one — and how much of it you'd like to make. Just be aware that it's recommended to consume homemade dressing in three to four days, so it's best to make just the amount you need.

The base recipe for sweet chili dressing calls for 2 tablespoons of sweet chili oil, 4 teaspoons of lime zest, and 6 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar, but of course, this can all be customized depending on how creative you want to get. Instead of lime zest, for instance, try lemon zest for a slightly sweeter addition. This substitution is especially practical if you only have lemons on hand. Or, if you don't have rice wine vinegar, try another vinegar, like apple cider. Apple cider vinegar is way more pungent and acidic than rice wine vinegar, which has a more mild acidity.

Beyond the base recipe, there's plenty more room for additional ingredients. We especially like adding ground or freshly grated ginger and a few cloves of garlic for an additional layer of flavor. The possibilities are endless, and they're guaranteed to make your everyday salad taste 10 times better. Once you've decided what to add, mix each ingredient up in a bowl or a glass jar, and you're good to go. Use the dressing on a spicy Korean cucumber salad or on a crunchy bok choy salad to bring a small wave of heat to refreshing, crispy veggies.