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Zoe's Copycat Salad Dressing - if you've never been to Zoe's Kitchen, you'll flip over this delicious dressing. If you've been there, I know you'll be quite thrilled to have this recipe!
Zoe's Copycat Salad Dressing... this one's been on my bucket list for a while now. Oh, I don't mean my BUCKET list, as in: sky diving on a clear blue Carolina day, floating high above green forests in a brilliantly striped hot air balloon, snorkeling through azure, crystal Caribbean waters, bicycling (motor-assisted) through majestic Swiss mountains... No not like that.
I'm talking about my "culinary" bucket list. Yup, I have one of those too. I almost always have at least two or three recipes I'm dying to figure out - what the ingredients are, the right proportions, or perhaps it's just the method of preparation that has me stumped. Usually it's something delicious that I've had when dining out, and I'm quite certain that I'm not the best out-to-dinner date, as I'm often distractedly analyzing and taking apart the food (I try to mind my manners, so I do this in my mind.)
Zoe's fit great for a quick, healthy meal on the run.
That's been the case ever since my first visit to Zoe's Kitchen. Zoes's is a chain restaurant specializing in fresh, delicious Mediterranean fare. The restaurants are scattered throughout the eastern United States from Florida all the way up to Pennsylvania. They can also be found in Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arizona. They have great salads, pitas, hummus, soups and lots of wonderful entrees. Scott and I love stopping a Zoe's when we're in a hurry, but want something healthy and tasty. All the food is made to order and the servings are hearty - we order one salad to share and we're happily content.
One of the things I noticed right away about Zoe's was the bottle of house dressing that's always available on every table. Although their salads come dressed, you have the option of adding extra, if desired. The first time I tried the dressing, I was sold. It's super flavorful without being too strong or heavy. Scott doesn't care for most Greek dressings, as they are often too "vinegary" or "strong", but he loves Zoe's dressing.
After that first visit, I was determined to figure out the delicious dressing as I knew it would be perfect with a wide variety of greens and veggies. I tried googling it and immediately found a recipe for Zoe's Copycat Salad Dressing. Excited, I followed the recipe carefully, anxious to see if it was as authentic as it claimed.
No go. It was NOTHING like the real deal. I tried a few ideas of my own, but they weren't quite right either.
A secret revealed...
Then, one day (one happy day) a few months ago, Scott and I stopped by Zoe's while running errands. As we were enjoying our lunch, I happened to notice one of the staff members refilling the salad dressing bottles at the counter right near our table. Well, actually she wasn't re-filling them, she was actually making the dressing as she replenished each bottle.
You can imagine I was like a hunting dog (squirrel!) on a scent. I watched her intently - and discovered what the problem was with the "copycat" version as well as my own renditions. It was the ratio of oil to vinegar that was way off. The copycat version is a 1:1 ration and I was doing a 2:1 or a 3:1 ratio. After watching her, I realized Zoe's dressing actually closer to a 4:1 ratio. I was also able to observe the type of oil that was used - it was a canola/olive oil blend. The label on the bottle read "75% canola oil, 25% extra virgin olive oil". The only other ingredient was a spice/herb blend. Are you proud of me for being such a super sleuth?
When I got back home that day I wasted no time, going right to the kitchen, working to recreate what I observed. I did a bit of tinkering and measured everything as I went. It took a few more trials, but I think I'm quite close and you probably can't guess that I'm super thrilled, right? I'm calling it Zoe's Copycat Salad Dressing.
Everyone loves this Zoe's Copycat Salad Dressing.
Every time I serve a salad with this dressing, there are lots of compliments and statements like, "This is the best salad" or "I love this salad". You'll be sure to see it again in the near future, as I'm working on a fresh new summer salad.
I like having a stash of this Zoe's Copycat Salad Dressing in the fridge, so I can whip up a healthy lunch in a hurry. Don't get me wrong, we still love to stop at Zoe's Kitchen for fresh, delicious meals on the run, but I love that we can enjoy this wonderful dressing without even leaving home.
P.S. If you're in the mood for an Asian salad dressing this Asian Honey Sesame Dressing is crazy delicious too!
Zoe's Copycat Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder available at just about any grocery store in the spice section
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt more, to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup mild flavored oil grapeseed, sunflower, avocado, canola, etc.
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Combine powdered garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub mixture with your fingers for a minute or two till herbs are finely crushed. This will help bring out the flavor of the dried herbs.
- Combine oil, vinegar and spice mixture in a medium-size glass jar. Shake well to combine. Taste and add more salt, if desired. Shake again, just before serving.
Nutrition
Stephen Dunn says
How long will this keep in the refrigerator? thank you x
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Stephen, it keeps well for at least 2 weeks.
Leann Keefer says
Chris ~ thanks for your 'eagle eye' and sharing your learning experience! ZOËS Greek Salad is a favorite of mine and the dressing is a requirement. Many of your treasured recipes have become what are known as Keefer Keepers in our family and I'm certain this dressing will be added to the list. Kudos to Scott for his talents to make food jump off the page! When searching for recipes, your blog is top in my culinary exploration ... I appreciate all you do.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha, you're welcome! I appreciate your kind words as does Scott! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Sheila says
Canola oil? Ewww no thanks! Do yall realize canola oil is genetically modified?.THAT'S BAD! SWITCH it for avacado..grapeseed or Evoo. Please don't feed canola or soybean oil to your family. I'm so sad Zoes claims to be so healthy but serves us at dressing made with bad genetically modified canola oil..I thought for sure it would be 💯 Evoo.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sheila, thanks so much for taking the time to share your opinion. The research on canola oil is debatable. If you search online you will find articles on both sides. I've definitely read the studies that you're referring to but I also find these articles endorsed by the Mayo Clinic, Harvard University, University Health News and Berkely University to be interesting:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/canola-oil/faq-20058235
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/04/13/ask-the-expert-concerns-about-canola-oil/
https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/nutrition/is-canola-oil-bad-for-you/
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/food-safety/article/canola-oil-myths-and-truths
Jessica says
Zoe's dressing doesn't even have canola oil in it, it's just the spices, evoo and the red wine vinegar
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jessica, I wish that was true but I actually saw the bottle of oil that they were filling the table top cruets with. It's 75% canola and 25% olive oil. That being said, I do make this dressing sometimes with all olive oil and it's delicious!
Aleh says
Thank you for this! I love Zoe's Dressing. I'll try this one out <3
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy!
Vee says
Just an FYI. The herb blend they use...they also sell it. Your recipe is correct ....but to make it simpler for some folks Zoe's uses the Zoe's spice blend that they sell at the counter when making the dressing.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Vee!
Kristy says
Made this tonight. Very tasty. We added a tsp of sugar because...well...we're Texans as we like everything sweet. LOL 😉
It was over 100 degrees here today so we didn't want to turn the oven on so we had this with a spring mix salad and some leftover chicken.
Thanks for another great dressing.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Kristy, so happy you enjoyed it!
Susan Crum says
I adore Zoe's salad dressing ~~ just made some before I head off to work!
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy! I almost always have a jar of this in the fridge!
June Robbs says
Thanks . I will try and let you know
Joe Smith says
I swapped the EVOO and canola measurements because I like a strong olive taste. And I added 1 Tbsp of lemon juice.
Chris Scheuer says
Yum!
June Robbs says
Sorry....I am so so wanting a good dressing.... I use the same one over and over and haven't found a new one that has any taste. This one has none. Hubby and I both agreed on this one. It sounded so good when I read it but it just didn't have it.
Judy says
Maybe you'd like mine? It's only taken me 18 years to find one I can use on almost everything.
first chop a garlic clove or two in a small food processor and a small amount of red onion, chop again...fine.
then add:
1/3 c of balsamic vinegar (red and white combined, mostly white though) Buy the white at Trader Jo's
2/3 c good olive oil
1/4 tsp white pepper and a little black
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1 healthy tablespoon of local honey.
Blend up and voilà! adjust to your taste, you can make it lighter by using more while balsamic, also add anchovies.
Chris Scheuer says
Sounds wonderful!
Paul says
Chris,
I stumbled upon Zoe's dressing at my work one day, purely by accident and brought it home for my wife to try. Not to my surprise she said, "yeah it's great. You never tried it before?" She's always ahead of me it seems. However, I fell head over heals for the dressing and have been searching for the recipe. Thank you so much for giving me a point of departure. I'm going to make it today.
Chris Scheuer says
Ha! That's a funny story Paul! I almost always have a jar of this dressing in my fridge as it goes so well with so many salads. In fact I'll be publishing a recipe for a chopped cucumber dill salad later today that uses it. Enjoy!!
noor says
Thanks for nice sharing 🙂
Judy says
Chris, I always enjoy your stories that you share with your recipes....I enjoy your recipes even more! This visit to Zoe's made me chuckle because I would have done the same thing. I haven't tried the recipe yet but plan to very soon, after reading your instructions for cooking quinoa. The roasted ratatouille salad sounds delish!
Thank you so much for my favorite go to recipe site! You and Scott are awesome!
Blessings,
Judy
Chris Scheuer says
Aww... thanks so much Judy, for such a sweet comment. Hope you enjoy the dressing and salad!!
Julie says
I love Zoe’s Kitchen restaurant in Pennsylvania. Best restaurant in that region 🙂
And i loved this Copycat Salad Dressing. Thanks for this!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Julie!
Sarah Snell says
I loved this Zoe’s Copycat Salad Dressing. Actually this sentence "Every time I serve a salad with this Zoe’s Copycat Dressing, there are lots of compliments and statements like, “This is the best salad” or “I love this salad”. "- is so much true. The whole of my family loved this dressing.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Sarah, so happy you enjoyed it!
Lisa says
Can this be used as a marinade?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, it could!
Judi says
This is amazing dressing! We dont have zoeys here on the west coast of ?? but I feel as though I have been there. I am such a fan of simple, clean dressings like this. It really brightens up a salad. Thanks for doing the work to get it right!
Ivo Dimov says
No criticisms of any sort? Wow..
Everything is great until you get to the canola oil part. Really?? No wonder you can not get anything of value in a corporate America chain restaurant.
Do yourself a favor and just skip it if you want to have a happy and productive life.
I can only wonder what oils does the chain use for their grilling, etc..
chopperchcick says
Here is web info on canola oil:
It's a good source of monounsaturated fats, the kind that, when used to replace saturated fats like butter and cheese, can help reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease. Canola is the richest cooking-oil source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that has been linked to heart health.
Kimberly says
Substitute avocado oil for the canola oil.
Brianna says
Thank you for posting this recipe! I am obsessed with Zoe's dressing as well! I was a little disappointed to find out that Zoe's dressing has so much canola oil, I had no idea! Do you know if the dressing tastes much different without the canola? Have you tried it with any other oils or perhaps JUST olive oil? Thanks again!
Chris Scheuer says
Brianna, I like how Zoe's does it so much that I didn't want to change it. Let me know if if works for you!
Dan Reese says
Me too.
I plan to swap the canola with Light Olive Oil instead.
Canola oil is terrible for you.
My guess is any neutral tasting oil would work fine.
Sue from GA says
We recently discovered Zoe's Kitchen, and love it! Your dressing recipe is spot on, and I just enjoyed it for dinner. Thank you for this new favorite!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for your feedback Sue! So glad you enjoyed it.
Jean Gruenenfelder says
I just now found your site and this recipe. much better than what I've been using. Made it as printed, then the next time I added in mint as Greeks often add that to foods and dressings. It was wonderful too. Try it, you'll like it in the salad or dressing!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Jean and welcome to The Café :)!
The mint is a great idea. I once had a wonderful salad dressing at a Greek restaurant. I asked the owner if he would share the recipe but he wouldn’t. He did say that there was lots of dried mint in the dressing so I started using it in some of my dressings. You’re right, it is wonderful.
Marsha Nicholson says
I also excited you discovered the recipe. I am dying to find out how to make Zoe's spice of life seasoning. I love their chicken and it is used in it heavily. Did you by chance discovery that recipe as well. I would love to have it too
Marsha from charlotte
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Marsha! No, I haven't tried it, but you've got my interest now!
Sara says
You nailed it! This dressing is delicious. I even changed the ratios to add a little more olive oil and a little less canola. Thanks for helping me satisfy a pregnancy craving 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for the comment Sara! Enjoy and congratulations!
Nancy Whitt says
Love Zoe's salad dressing and the chicken salad
KT says
Just discovered your site and I'm smiling from ear-to-ear ^_^ Love your photography and descriptions with each post! I'm going to subscribe right now!