All the Best Salad Dressings from Our Taste Tests

The best salad dressing turns a bowl of lettuce into something special. See, salads get a bad rap, but we don’t think they deserve it. The onus is not on salads to be good, but on us to make them good. Yes, boring salads are often bad, but throw in a protein, cheese, fruit, some crispy carbs, and a bangin’ bottled salad dressing, and a salad can be one of the most delicious, refreshing, texturally interesting, and customizable dishes out there. But the first step to S-tier salads is figuring out a theme to center around, and that’s often…drumroll…the dressing! Here’s a rundown of the best store bought salad dressing we’ve tried during our taste tests.

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Best Ranch Dressing

Marie’s Creamy Ranch Dressing + Dip

Walmart

Ralphs

What is ranch? A flavor? A salad dressing? A dip? A feeling? A friend? Ranch can be all those things—especially Marie’s Creamy Ranch Dressing + Dip. After the Sporked crew first ranked the best ranch dressing, a reader commented to recommend this one. And they were right. This salad dressing is “thick, creamy, and herby.” Senior writer Jordan Myrick went so far as to call it “absolutely perfect.” That’s pretty great for store bought salad dressing. If you need the perfect ranch for salad, wings, or just a little bit of company, this is the best salad dressing at the grocery store. —Kota Lee

Read the full ranking of the best ranch dressing

Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs

Rating:

10/10

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Best Caesar Dressing

Marzetti Supreme Caesar

Walmart

Target

No one on the Sporked team expected Cardini’s Caesar Dressing to be unseated, but in our last taste test, Marzetti deftly tossed that sucker right off the throne. (That’s the power of a salad dressing from the refrigerated section, if you ask me.) Every ingredient, from the cheese to the egg yolks to the anchovies, tastes incredibly fresh and potent. Homemade caesar dressing is hard to beat, but if you told me you just whipped this up in a blender, I’d be none the wiser. —Ariana Losch

Read the full ranking of the best Caesar dressing

Credit: Liv Averett / Target

Rating:

10/10

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Best French Dressing

Ken’s Steak House Creamy French Dressing

Walmart

For those of you who have never tried French dressing, it can range from violently orange to violently red and tastes like a creamy mix of sweetness, tang, and salt. This particular French dressing is on team orange, and, according to Jordan, it has the “perfect balance of tart and sweet.” They also like the creamy thickness and pointed out that this would be good on lettuce, yes, but also on some piping-hot chicken nuggs. The best salad dressing is versatile and this one is surprisingly versatile. —Jessica Block

Read the full ranking of the best French dressing

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

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Best Italian Dressing

Trader Joe’s Organic Italian Dressing with Romano Cheese

Y’all already know I love Trader Joe’s (or maybe you don’t, in which case: Hi, I love Trader Joe’s). Why? Because many of their products are unique, cheap, and generally high quality, and this Italian dressing with Romano cheese is no exception. In fact, it’s one of the best salad dressings, period. Sporked contributor Danny Palumbo called it a “prime example of perfect salad dressing alchemy,” because it has the tang, the oily richness, and the herbs you want in a good Italian dressing, along with a hint of sweetness and a “pungent bite” from the Romano cheese. I know you didn’t think you needed cheese in your Italian dressing, but trust us (and TJ’s), you do. —Jessica Block

Read the full ranking of the best Italian dressing

Credit: Sarah Demonteverde

Rating:

9/10

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Best Blue Cheese Dressing

Bob’s Famous Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing & Dip

Walmart

I don’t actually like blue cheese as a cheese, but blue cheese as a salad dressing?! Sign me up. I’m aware that this may make no sense, but hey, I contain multitudes. And whether it’s drizzled on a wedge salad, slathered on chicken wings, or simply served as a dip for Snyder’s pretzel snaps (highly recommend this combo as a late night/wee hours of the mornin’ snack)—if you want the most blue cheesiness per fluid ounce, this Bob’s dressing is the best salad dressing out there. According to Jordan, this “rich and creamy and thick” dressing has “both big and small chunks of blue cheese and huge pieces of freshly cracked peppercorns.” Ugh, YUM! —Jessica Block

Read the full ranking of the best blue cheese dressing

Credit: Merc / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

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Best Green Goddess

365 Organic Green Goddess

Amazon

With food, green connotes good health. What food is more emblematic of health than a salad? I’ll tell you what: a salad drenched in green goddess dressing (oh and if you aren’t familiar with green goddess, allow us to explain what it is). 365 Organic Green Goddess dressing from Whole Foods isn’t necessarily green, but it is creamy, tangy, and heavy on the herbs. It’s versatile, too. According to Sporked editor-in-chief Justine Sterling, you can “eat it on a simple salad with lettuce or throw in some canned tuna or even pour it onto a taco salad.” Green goddess can do a lot, and Whole Foods makes the best version you can buy. —Kota Lee

Read the full ranking of the best green goddess

Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon

Rating:

10/10

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Best Thousand Island

Ken’s Steak House Thousand Island

Walmart

Thousand island contains multitudes (along with chunks of pickle relish), and Ken’s version is head and shoulders above the rest, whether you’re looking for the best salad dressing or the best burger sauce. According to Jordan, this dressing is “perfectly balanced…tangy, sweet, creamy, and salty.” What more could you want from a store bought salad dressing? Whichever of the thousand islands Ken’s Steak House is located on, I think we can safely say we want to visit. —Kota Lee

Read the full ranking of the best thousand island dressing

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

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Best Ginger Dressing

Makoto Ginger Dressing

Amazon

We knew going into our ginger salad dressing taste test that Makoto would probably win—and if you’ve ever bought this thick, creamy, umami-rich ginger dressing, you probably could have guessed that, too. It’s tangy and biting and the exact replica of the ginger salad dressing you get at a hibachi restaurant. Also: I swear by the fact that ginger dressing is the best salad dressing for people who hate salads. It’s like chomping into a salty meat marinade. (Yes, I consider that a selling point.) —Ariana Losch

Read the full ranking of the best ginger salads

Credit: Merc / Amazon

Rating:

10/10

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Best Avocado Dressing

Litehouse Avocado Ranch Dressing & Dip

Walmart

Avocado salad dressing should be creamy, yes, but it should also taste like avocado. That isn’t always the case! When we taste tested avocado dressing, we discovered that Litehouse does it right. This stuff is rich and creamy as all get out, and also has a bold avocado flavor, along with the herby-ness of ranch. According to Jordan, “It captures everything you love about the best ranch dressing—the creaminess, the tanginess, the herbaceousness—and smashes it together with delicious avocado.” If you like ranch with a little extra oomph, give this a shot. —Justine Sterling

Read the full ranking of the best avocado dressing

Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Vegan Ranch

Sprouts Plant Based Ranch

Instacart

If you don’t do dairy, we have good news: You can still enjoy really, really good ranch dressing. Sprouts Plant Based Ranch is a revelation for vegans, but people who are accustomed to buttermilk-filled ranch will like it, too. Why? It tastes just as good as pretty much every dairy ranch dressing you’ve ever had. “I would have no idea this was a plant based ranch if I didn’t see the label,” Jordan said. That’s a good endorsement from a true ranch lover. This is definitely one of the best vegan salad dressings you can buy, but it’s also among the best salad dressing, period. —Kota Lee

Read the full ranking of the best vegan ranch

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

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Best Vegan Caesar

Gotham Greens Vegan Caesar Dressing & Dip

Instacart

Caesar dressing is tricky to vegan-ify. Its main ingredients are frequently egg yolks, parmesan cheese, and anchovy paste, three things that are definitely not vegan. Gotham Greens managed to pull off a miracle with their vegan Caesar dressing and dip. When it comes to the best salad dressing, particularly the best plant based salad dressing, this stuff is nuts. “This vegan Caesar dressing tastes like so much parmesan that I had to triple check the ingredients to make sure it was actually vegan,” Jordan wrote. “It’s creamy. It’s peppery. It’s cheesy (without cheese). It really has it all.” Okay, we’ll admit it could use a squeeze of lemon juice, but other than that, you’re going to love this stuff. —Justine Sterling

Read the full ranking of the best vegan Caesar dressing

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Raspberry Vinaigrette

Girard’s Raspberry Vinaigrette

Instacart

Walmart

Girard’s Raspberry Vinaigrette comes with a fancy name, a fancy bottle, and most importantly, a fancy blend of refined flavors. The raspberry tastes bold, fresh, and sweet in a way that’s not artificial, which I can’t say for many brands we tried. The champagne vinegar (like I said, fancy) beautifully balances the fruity tartness, and the final result is something deeply flavorful but not too heavy. If you love a bright, fruity dressing, this is one of the best salad dressings to pick up! —Ariana Losch

Read the full ranking of the best raspberry vinaigrette dressing

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Greek Dressing

Girard’s Greek Feta Vinaigrette

Instacart

Girard, is that you? On this list? Twice? Congrats, dude. Now, I’m not normally one to cut corners with food, but this feta cheese-infused greek salad dressing makes your lunchtime salad easier to prep than ever… because you don’t have to crumble any cheese on top. The dressing is literally chock-full of it. (Also, I don’t know about you, but I never have enough feta when I need it.) We also appreciate that the texture isn’t too oily, but the flavor is still super tangy and herby. Watch out, because this stuff is honestly pretty addictive. —Ariana Losch

Read the full ranking of the best Greek salad dressing

Credit: Merc / Instacart

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Trader Joe’s Salad Dressing

Trader Joe’s Buttermilk Ranch

After years of trying to sell us some of the worst ranch dressing on the market, Trader Joe’s shocked shoppers everywhere by adding this beautiful bottle of buttermilk ranch to their refrigerated section. We maintain that this fresh, tangy, complex ranch dressing is one of the best Trader Joe’s products you can buy to date. The texture is quite light-bodied for ranch, yet the flavor is so deeply nuanced and rich. That’s because it shares a lot of DNA with tzatziki, like fresh dill, sour cream, and a bold buttermilky flavor that gives it extra tang. We love it, and so will you. —Ariana Losch

Read our full review of the best Trader Joe’s salad dressing

Credit: Liv Averett / Trader Joe’s

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Best Oil-Free

Cindy’s Kitchen Sesame Ginger No Oil Added

Whole Foods

Look, we tried a lot of gross oil-free salad dressings. But Cindy’s Kitchen (which, generally speaking, rarely leads us astray) really brought their A-game with this creamy, tahini-based sesame dressing infused with notes of tamari, roasted almonds, ginger, and chives. If you’re a sucker for a thick, savory salad dressing that can easily double as a dip for crisp veggies, you’ll love this. (And hey, big shout out to Cindy for really turning this taste test around.) —Ariana Losch

Read the full ranking of the best oil-free salad dressings

Credit: Merc / Whole Foods

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

The post All the Best Salad Dressings from Our Taste Tests appeared first on Sporked.