The Easy Way To Elevate Store-Bought Salad Dressings

Bottled salad dressing is a real lifesaver when you're in a hurry to eat lunch or get dinner on the table. While grabbing these products may be even faster then making a simple salad dressing recipe, sometimes the flavor and freshness leaves something to be desired. One of the simplest and best ways to elevate what you've got — according to Chef David Kirschner, CEO & Founder of dineDK Private Dining – is "Adding fresh ingredients, such as citrus zest and juice." He told Food Republic that "Along with finely chopped herbs," this "can 'wake up' most store-bought dressings."

Lemon and lime zest and juice can perk up most savory vinaigrettes, with the latter being particularly suited for dressings with Asian flavors (like ginger and soy). Orange zest and juice are a welcome addition to sweeter, more fruity vinaigrettes, as well as creamy dressings like French or Thousand Island. Per Chef Kirschner's advice, fresh oregano, basil, sage, or thyme, would all add a bright, herbaceous note to Italian or green goddess dressing, and the earthy flavor profile of rosemary works beautifully with zippy mustard-based recipes. Follow the proper technique for dressing your salad, and you (or your guests) would never guess that the dressing came from a bottle.

There are a number of other ways to upgrade your "blah" bottled dressings using Chef Kirschner's tips. This might sound a little weird at first, but adding a few splashes of pickle juice in your vinaigrette or creamy dressing adds some acidity, sweetness, and overall briny goodness. Combined with some fresh dill to really bring out the pickle-y flavors? Now we're talking.

If you like spice in your food, you'll like heat in your salad, too, and you can get some of that with the addition of hot sauce, a few squirts of sriracha, a drizzle of chili oil, or even some red pepper flakes. Consider pairing that heat with the zest and/or juice of a lime, especially in a creamy buttermilk ranch. If you don't have any of the above to bring the heat, but you do have jalapeños or any other hot peppers, dice those up and toss them into your bottled dressing along with the lime, too.

If you have a grater or zester, not only can you grate in some aromatic citrus rind, but you can also use the tool to grate fresh garlic into your dressing. A nice parmesan cheese also suits everything from Italian dressing to a blue cheese mixture, if you have a block on hand in your fridge. Parsley works so beautifully with garlic and parm, too — it would add even more robust Italian flavors to the best store-bought Caesar dressings.