When summer brings a bounty of garden vegetables, I can’t help but get excited. I enjoy planting and tending my garden, and this year the plants are thriving. A little extra care with fertilizer and attention has made a big difference—my tomato plants are especially prolific.
That first ripe tomato inspired a favorite dressing: homemade Creamy French. It’s a simple, classic dressing that complements fresh summer salads without overpowering the delicate flavors of garden vegetables.
My husband isn’t usually a salad enthusiast, but when the tomatoes and peppers come straight from our deck, he changes his tune. I promised to make salads he’d actually enjoy, and I was determined not to ruin a beautiful bowl of fresh veggies with bottled dressing. Homemade dressing is cleaner, fresher, and far superior to most store-bought varieties.
This Creamy French dressing is made with basic pantry ingredients and a blender. No special trip to the store required—likely you already have everything on hand. The base includes mayonnaise and ketchup, balanced with apple cider vinegar and sugar, and rounded out by sweet onion, salt, pepper, and salad oil.
For the onion, use half of a small sweet onion—sliced into wedges and then cut into thirds to yield roughly a rounded 1/3 cup of coarse-chopped onion. Sweeter onions work best so the onion flavor doesn’t dominate the dressing.
To make the dressing, blend the mayonnaise, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, onion, salt, and pepper until the mixture is very smooth and the onion is fully processed. Then, with the blender running on low, slowly stream in the oil until the dressing emulsifies. If needed, pause to stir and continue blending until the dressing reaches a silky consistency.
The choice of oil affects the flavor: a neutral salad oil such as canola or vegetable oil is ideal. You can use a mild olive oil or a blend of oils, but avoid strongly flavored olive oils here, since the dressing should enhance, not mask, your vegetables.
When the dressing is finished, chill it in the refrigerator for about an hour. This resting time allows the onion flavor to mellow and the flavors to meld. The result is a smooth, creamy French dressing that tastes fresh and homemade—far better than bottled versions.
This recipe yields about 2 1/2 cups (roughly 20 ounces) of dressing—enough for several side salads or several generous chef salads. It stores well in the refrigerator for at least 2–3 weeks, though ours rarely lasts that long because it’s so good.
Creamy French is one of those quintessential summer dressings: flavorful enough to be satisfying, yet delicate enough to let the taste of fresh garden vegetables shine through. Once you try this easy, economical homemade version, you’ll likely stop buying bottled French dressing.
Creamy French Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup regular heavy mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 of a small sweet onion, cut into wedges then thirds (about 1/3 cup coarse-chopped)
- 1/2 tsp. regular table salt
- 1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
- 1 cup salad oil such as canola or vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, chopped onion, salt, and pepper. Process until completely smooth.
- With the blender running on low, gradually add the oil in a steady stream until the dressing emulsifies. You may need to pause, stir, and blend again to fully incorporate the oil.
- Chill the dressing in the refrigerator for about an hour to let the flavors mellow and the onion soften.
- Serve over your favorite summer salad.
- Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator. It should keep for at least 2–3 weeks.