13 low FODMAP salad dressing recipes (+ store-bought options)

Have you been looking for a low FODMAP salad dressing? A good dressing takes your salad to another level, so you would not want to miss out!

In this article, we will list available store-bought certified and non-certified low FODMAP salad dressings and discuss FODMAP ingredients to watch out for.

We will also share tips on making your low FODMAP salad dressing and delicious 13 low FODMAP salad dressing recipes to try at home.

What is a salad dressing?

A salad dressing is a sauce commonly added to salads to give flavor. There are three basic types:

• Vinaigrette: a mixture of oil and vinegar flavored with herbs and spices
• Creamy dressings: with mayonnaise, yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk
• Cooked dressings: usually thickened by adding egg yolks and gently heating

Is salad dressing low FODMAP?

Many salad dressings can contain a large amount of FODMAPs. Common FODMAPs included are:

• Dairy products (Read more on ‘Dairy and IBS – Is there a link? Answered by a dietitian’) 
• Garlic and garlic powder (Read more on ‘Garlic FODMAP content explained’) 
• High fructose corn syrup
• Honey (Read more on ‘Honey – is it low FODMAP?’) 
• Onion and onion powder
• Shallot

These are common ingredients. However, many low FODMAP-certified salad dressing brands are available online or at your local supermarket.

Shop-bought low FODMAP salad dressings

Certified low FODMAP brands have adapted classic salad dressings to make them FODMAP friendly. Here are some of our favorites:

FODY

• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Caesar Salad Dressing
• Garden Herb Salad Dressing
• Maple Dijon Salad Dressing

SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT

• Coriander and lime dressing 

CASA DE SANTE

• Basil & Lemon Essential Oil Balsamic Vinaigrette 
• Original Grapefruit Essential Oil Balsamic Vinaigrette 
• Sweet Orange Essential Oil Balsamic Vinaigrette 
• Wish-Bone Chunky Blue Cheese Salad Dressing

BAYS KITCHEN

• Classic French Dressing

SMOKE N SANITY

• Supper Club Ranch

Non-Certified Low FODMAP dressings to buy

You needn’t be limited to the above-certified brands. This is because other brands sell salad dressings that are still low FODMAP.

You just need to check for FODMAPs in the ingredient list.

Examples include:

• Eskal Deli’s classic Italian dressing
• Eskal Deli’s traditional balsamic dressing
• Kentish Oil’s raspberry vinaigrette 
• Kentish Oil’s garden herbs vinaigrette 
• Hunter & Gather’s olive & lemon olive oil mayonnaise 
• Marzetti’s original slaw dressing
• Mary Berry’s classic salad dressing 
• Poppy Smack’s caramelized pineapple sauce 
• Soy Vay’s toasted sesame dressing 

Is Olive Garden Italian dressing low FODMAP?

Olive Garden is a well-known American chain restaurant specializing in Italian-American cuisine.

Olive Garden Italian dressing is not low FODMAP because it contains dehydrated garlic, which is high in FODMAPs. You should avoid it when following a low FODMAP diet.

Instead, you can ask for olive oil and vinegar to add to your salad at Olive Garden.

In this post, you can read more about Olive Garden’s low FODMAP options: low FODMAP restaurants: 36 suitable options.  

There are also some beneficial tips for eating out on the low FODMAP diet, which you can read here.

Is Newman’s Own balsamic vinaigrette low FODMAP?

Unfortunately, Newman’s Own balsamic vinaigrette is not low FODMAP. It contains onion and garlic, making it high in FODMAPs.

However, you can make your low FODMAP salad dressing as below.

How to make low FODMAP salad dressing

It is straightforward to create your own low FODMAP salad dressing.

To get the same delicious taste, you can substitute the common FODMAP ingredients for suitable swaps such as:

• Garlic → For garlic-infused olive oil
• Onion → For spring onion tips or chives
• Buttermilk → For lactose-free milk + lemon juice
• Honey → For maple syrup

You can also create your low FODMAP salad dressing using this template. You can combine these four-ingredient steps for a balanced and flavourful salad dressing:

1. Acid brings brightness to the salad dressing:

• Lemon
• Lime
• Orange *
• Vinegar, e.g., Apple cider, Balsamic *, red wine, white wine

2. Sweetness balances out acidity, spice, and bitterness:

• Low FODMAP fruit * (Read more on ‘Low FODMAP fruit guide (includes safe list and 10 recipes)’ here) – you can blend the fruit to create a smooth purée
• Maple syrup * (Read more on ‘Is maple syrup low FODMAP’ here) 
• Sugar (Read more on ‘Sugar and IBS’ here) 

3. Fat enhances the overall taste:

• Garlic-infused oil (read more on ‘Garlic FODMAP content explained’ here) 
• Grapeseed oil
• Olive oil
• Sesame oil

4. Flavor enhancers liven up a salad dressing:

• Dijon mustard *
• Low FODMAP cheese *, e.g., Parmesan, Blue cheese, Mozzarella (read more on ‘Low FODMAP cheese and high FODMAP cheese guide’ here) 
• Low FODMAP herbs *, e.g., Thyme, Basil, Mint 
• Low FODMAP spices *, e.g., paprika, chili powder, ginger 
• Low FODMAP yogurt * (read more on ‘Can you buy low FODMAP yogurt?’ here)
• Soy sauce (read more on ‘Is soy sauce low FODMAP? (+ ways to use on the low FODMAP diet’ here) 

* Note: Please check the Monash University app for low FODMAP serving sizes.

13 Low FODMAP salad dressing recipes

Look no further if you need inspiration to make a low FODMAP salad dressing. You can prepare these in just a few minutes.

Here are some low FODMAP salad dressing recipes to get you started:

• Apple cider vinaigrette 
• Balsamic vinaigrette 
• Cilantro lime salad dressing 
• Creamy avocado lime dressing 
• Creamy chive dressing 
• Creamy Orange Vinaigrette 
• Italian dressing 
• Lemon Dijon vinaigrette 
• Lemon vinaigrette 
• Maple Dijon vinaigrette 
• Ranch dressing 
• Tahini Dressing 
• Thousand Island salad dressing

Summary

Finding a commercial low FODMAP salad dressing can be tricky. Fortunately, many certified and non-certified low FODMAP salad dressings are available.

And if you want to keep it homemade, we hope you find our handy ingredient swaps and 13 delicious low FODMAP salad dressing recipes useful!