Low Sodium Greek Salad Dressing

If you like and use a vinaigrette type dressing this Low Sodium Greek Salad Dressing should be on your regular dressing rotation. After all, vinaigrette dressings are among America’s top 10 favorite dressings year after year.

 While my favorite dressing will always be blue cheese I seem to be out of luck there, due to the sodium content naturally derived just from the cheese.

I like to rotate through different dressings now days and this tangy, easy-to-make Greek salad dressing is also becoming another favorite low sodium vinaigrette dressing to use.

As easy as this low sodium salad dressing recipe is to make with no discernible difference and/or better in taste than the store brand it’s a no brainer to use.

Use it as a salad dressing or a great marinade for chicken, beef, or pork. Or even better, in the summer drizzle over some fresh sliced or grilled garden tomatoes with pepper.

Sodium in Greek salad dressing

I checked a couple of the popular name-brand dressings at the grocery store and once again the sodium levels were horrible for a low sodium diet. Labeled between 280 – 360mg of sodium for just two (2) tablespoons!

Typical sodium amount per serving	280 – 360mg
Sodium per serving for this recipe	8mg
Calories per serving	150

That’s way over my sodium limit for an entire meal, especially just for dressing on a healthy side salad. I previously never considered a tablespoon to be that big and I probably used to use close to three or four tablespoons of dressing.

But by easily making your own dressing can save you hundreds of sodium mg with this low sodium Greek dressing recipe. Two (2) tablespoons of this low sodium dressing recipe have only 8mg of sodium.

The honey Dijon mustard I used is 45mg per teaspoon for the 8mg. I have seen the honey Dijon as low as 15mg which would make this dressing recipe only about 2mg of sodium for the two tablespoons! 

How to make Low Sodium Greek Salad Dressing

Greek salad is super easy to make and tastes even better with fresh quality ingredients. I will usually use higher quality ingredients for something raw and fresh like this that is uncooked.

This Low Sodium Greek dressing is still just a basic vinaigrette the recipe includes extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, honey Dijon mustard, minced garlic, Mrs. Dash Original Table Blend, and oregano.

Simply combine the ingredients in a tight lid jar or cruet with a stopper. If using a cruet (Amazon) you will need a funnel and add the dry ingredients first so they don’t stick to the funnel.

Then just shake them vigorously to emulsify the oil and mix thoroughly. Seriously that’s it!

For a creamy style Greek Salad Dressing, you can add 2 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt. However, if doing so, you may want to slightly increase the Mrs. Dash seasoning. Simply taste after mixing and add it or any other ingredient to taste.

Choosing the oil for the dressing

Low Sodium Greek Salad Dressing is primarily made with extra-virgin olive oil.

When I cook with olive oil I like to use the lower price store-branded oil.  While still good, when making a dressing, dipping sauce, or marinade I like to use higher quality olive oil. I think it has a better refined, lighter taste.

Usually, you’ll be making small batches in an uncooked form so it’s worth spending a little more in my opinion. Don’t worry though the dressing still comes out great either way it’s just about nuances.

Vinegar is also key in your Low Sodium Greek Dressing

Vinegar is the major flavor component that adds acidity to your Low Sodium Greek Dressing. As one of the main ingredients in this dressing, it’s important that the Vinegar tastes good and is not too overwhelming.

For the first time here I used an Aged Red Wine Vinegar and I’m in love with the taste of this dressing using it. Prior to using aged red wine vinegar, I would never have thought there was much difference between aged and unaged (regular).

An Aged Red Wine Vinegar is fantastic. You can definitely tell a difference in taste and quality between an aged red wine vinegar and standard red wine vinegar. It seems smoother than standard red wine vinegar with a much better refined taste as well.

This is just my personal preference now. But don’t be afraid to experiment! Each kind of vinegar yields a slightly different taste, try a different vinegar each time.

One of the great things about making your own dressing, you can try any vinegar you want really such as plain white wine vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.

How long does garlic last in olive oil?

You do not want to leave raw garlic in oil at room temperature for an extended time. Botulism forms when there is low acidity, no free oxygen in the oil, and warm temperatures.

Though I don’t think it is nearly as risky in this recipe because vinegar is included and the oil is emulsified. Also, we are making small easily used up batches. For best practice though to be extra safe though I would refrigerate soon after using.

It would be most critical if you were using it as a dipping sauce with lots of garlic say for bread with no vinegar it.

“Research performed by the University of Georgia confirmed that mixtures of garlic in oil stored at room temperature are at risk for the development of botulism. Garlic in oil should be made fresh and stored in the refrigerator at 40 °F or lower for no more than 7 days.” USDA link

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