This Easy French Dressing Is the Perfect Balance of Sweet, Sour, and Creamy (2024)

Perry Santanachote

Perry Santanachote

Perry is a food writer, photographer, and recipe developer based in New York City. She cooks every day, and somehow eats even more often. Her recipes have been published in Eating Well, Fine Cooking, Food & Wine, The Kitchn, Thrillist, and Tone It Up. Perry grew up in Denver, Colorado and was raised by two grandmothers who taught her the importance of cooking with all five senses and never adhering to a diet with a name. She has a degree in anthropology and a slightly more practical master’s degree in journalism.

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published Jul 16, 2021

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This Easy French Dressing Is the Perfect Balance of Sweet, Sour, and Creamy (1)

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This Easy French Dressing Is the Perfect Balance of Sweet, Sour, and Creamy (2)

Don’t be fooled by the name: This reddish-orange salad topper is as American as dressings get. Big, bold French dressing actually comes from Pittsburgh and not its namesake European country — it was invented in 1925 as Kraft’s very first pourable dressing flavor.

While the store-bought variety can sometimes be too cloying, this homemade version has just the right amount of sour to balance out the sweet. The best part is you can whip up this classic French dressing in minutes with ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry. The star ingredient? Ketchup. If you want it even creamier, feel free to add a couple of tablespoons of mayo.

What Is French Dressing Made Out Of?

French dressing is a food defined by the Food and Drug Administration, which means there’s an official recipe of sorts. It’s defined as a blend or emulsion of vegetable oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and any of the following optional ingredients:

  • Salt
  • Spices and/or natural flavorings (usually paprika, onion powder, and sugar)
  • Tomato paste, tomato purée, or ketchup
  • Eggs or mayonnaise

What’s the Difference Between Catalina and French Dressing?

Catalina dressing is similar to French dressing, but has less fat and more sugar. Catalina is a bolder shade of red and runnier than French dressing. Unlike French, there’s no creamy version of Catalina.

What to Serve with French Dressing

While French dressing is traditionally served on iceberg or romaine salads, it’s sweet and sour flavor works well with more bitter greens, too, such as watercress and endive. And it doesn’t need to stop at leafy greens — use it to dress green beans or glaze cooked meatballs.

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French Dressing

A perfect balance of sweet and sour, this homemade French dressing calls for easy-to-find fridge and pantry staples.

Prep time 5 minutes

Makes 1 cup

Serves 8

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup

    neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, or grapeseed

  • 1/4 cup

    ketchup

  • 3 tablespoons

    apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons

    granulated sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    paprika

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    onion powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon

    kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Place 1/2 cup neutral oil, 1/4 cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a blender. Blend until emulsified and creamy.

Recipe Notes

Making by hand: If you don’t have a blender, place all the ingredients in a 2-cup Mason jar or other small container with a tight-sealing lid. Cover and shake vigorously until the dressing is emulsified.

Storage: The dressing can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Give it a good shake or whisk to recombine before each use.

This Easy French Dressing Is the Perfect Balance of Sweet, Sour, and Creamy (2024)

FAQs

What is basic French dressing made of? ›

It's defined as a blend or emulsion of vegetable oil, vinegar or lemon juice, and any of the following optional ingredients: Salt. Spices and/or natural flavorings (usually paprika, onion powder, and sugar) Tomato paste, tomato purée, or ketchup.

What is known as French dressing? ›

French dressing is made of oil, vinegar, sugar, and other flavorings, with the coloring derived from tomato and often paprika. It exists on a spectrum between Russian and Catalina dressing. French dressing is generally pale orange and creamy, while Catalina French dressing is bright red and less creamy.

What is basic French dressing made with Quizlet? ›

Basic French dressing made with. Oil vinegar and seasoning.

What is the French dressing rule? ›

The French dressing standard allowed for certain flexibility in manufacturers' choice of oil, acidifying ingredients, and seasoning ingredients. Tomatoes or tomato-derived ingredients were among the seasoning ingredients permitted, but not required.

What is the French word dressing? ›

1. ( for wound) pansem*nt m. 2. ( for salad, oil and vinegar) assaisonnement m.

What is French dressing supposed to taste like? ›

French dressing became a popular condiment in the 1950's. It is a creamy salad dressing, varying in color from pale orange to red. It is ketchup based and blended with oil, vinegar and seasonings. The texture is smooth and the flavor is tangy, salty and spicy without heat.

What are popular French dressings? ›

Top 50 Scanned: French Dressing beta
Popularity
#1Creamy French Dressing, Fat Free Kraft2 tbsp
#2Deluxe French Dressing Wish-Bone2 tbsp
#3Dressing, Creamy, French Kraft2 tbsp
#4Country French Dressing Ken's Steak House2 tbsp
26 more rows

What is French dressing style? ›

It's characterized by neutral colors, clean lines and timeless basics. When you think of French girl style, visualize fashion and comfort coming together as one. No restrictively tight clothing or sky-high heels here. Instead, Parisian fashionistas reach for simple pieces with straight or slightly tailored silhouettes.

What dressing is similar to French? ›

Catalina and French dressing, both orange in color, are particularly hard to differentiate. The two are similar, but not exactly the same. Catalina is often considered a subset of French dressing, with most of the same ingredients — ketchup, oil, vinegar, sugar, and other seasonings — but in different proportions.

Is French dressing like ranch? ›

The French lent a sugary ketchup and onion flavor, while the ranch influence was distinctly herbal, and both respective tangs made that "zing" the dominant trait. All-in-all, it was pleasant and well suited for the dipping of fried potatoes, although it fell a little short of electrifying.

What is country French dressing made of? ›

Soybean Oil, Sugar, Water, Distilled Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Tomato Paste, Contains Less Than 2% Of Salt, Paprika, Mustard Flour, Xanthan Gum, Onion,* Garlic,* Beetroot Juice Powder (Color), Natural Flavor, Calcium Disodium EDTA (To Protect Flavor). *Dried.

Why did they stop making French dressing? ›

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration is revoking the standard of identity for French dressing in response to a citizen petition from the Association for Dressings and Sauces. The petitioners shared information documenting that the standard is outdated.

Is creamy French dressing the same as Catalina? ›

The basic distinction between the two is that Catalina contains more ketchup, less oil, and usually fewer spices than French dressing, making for a deeper red-orange color. Because French dressing has more oil, it tends to taste creamier and look a paler shade of orange.

What is the difference between French and California French dressing? ›

A. Yes, the California French is a classic Catalina dressing, with bright red colour and notes of sweet tomato, tangy vinegar, and spicy paprika, among other ingredients. However, it has a thinner consistency than a classic French dressing.

Which of the following ingredients is used in making French dressing? ›

Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable oil.
  • 1 cup ketchup.
  • ¾ cup white sugar.
  • ½ cup vinegar.
  • 1 small onion, chopped.
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
  • 1 teaspoon paprika.
Jul 10, 2022

Is French dressing and Catalina the same? ›

Catalina is often considered a subset of French dressing, with most of the same ingredients — ketchup, oil, vinegar, sugar, and other seasonings — but in different proportions. French dressing tends to contain more oil and spices, while Catalina has a higher proportion of ketchup.

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