Creamy Russian Salad Dressing and Classic Reuben Sauce

Creamy Russian dressing is famous for being spread over rye bread on a classic Reuben sandwich or Crab Louie Salad.

This full-flavored salad dressing packs a zesty punch with a creamy texture and tangy backbone.

Russian dressing originated in the US in the early 1900s, and contrary to its Russian title, it is an American salad dressing. A delectable combination of condiments, Russian dressing is a balanced mix of mayonnaise, chili sauce, Dijon, Worcestershire, spices, and sometimes horseradish.

The underdog of the dressing world, this salad dressing is both deliciously fresh and versatile, a great companion to many dishes. It adds an exciting hit of zest wherever it goes. Once you’ve tried this recipe, you’ll make it again and again.

Our recipe for Creamy Russian Dressing is quick to prepare and far superior in flavor to any store-bought version you’ll ever try. Homemade sauces and dressings give you full control over the ingredients and have significantly lower sugar and salt content than store-bought varieties.

What is the Difference Between Russian Dressing and Thousand Island Dressing?

The primary difference between Russian dressing and Thousand Island dressing is the addition of pickles to thousand island while the Russian links up with chili sauce and horseradish for a spicier base. This article on Eater explains the different versions in greater detail and reminds us not to argue too much about it since the labels can even be swapped for convenience.

Our recipe is a hybrid of the two with the addition of pickles but no horseradish. While our version is not a hardline classic take on the recipe, it is our favorite rendition for the best Reuben Sandwiches you’ll ever eat.

The bottom line is, call it whatever you want, just grab some when you’re making a sandwich or dressing an iceberg wedge.

5 Ways to Enjoy Creamy Russian Salad Dressing

Russian dressing can be used in a number of different ways to add big flavor to a dish. Here are our best serving suggestions to get your taste buds going.

• For a classic sandwich, serve Russian salad dressing on a Reuben. This iconic grilled corned beef sandwich is served on rye bread, with swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and topped with dressing. (Grab a few napkins!)
• Grill up some Pancetta and Gruyere Burgers and forget other condiments.
• Dress romaine lettuce or an iceberg wedge to serve alongside Grilled Herb Buttermilk Chicken.
• Beautiful when served with all manner of seafood, try it with crab salad or grilled shrimp.
• Its creamy goodness is especially good on grilled cabbage.

Dressing Recipe STEP BY STEP:

This deliciously tangy dressing has a lovely creamy consistency with just a touch of spice. What’s more, it is really simple to make!

1. Prepare the green onion, dill pickle, celery, and parsley taking time to mince these ingredients.
2. Whisk all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and transfer to a jar.
3. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
4. Serve or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

TIP: If you are making Homemade Chili Sauce, start by preparing this sauce and allow it to cool down completely before adding it to the dressing.

Recipe Ingredients and Variations

• Mayonnaise is one of the key ingredients in this dressing so we prefer homemade. However, a quality store-bought mayonnaise is fine, just don’t use anything like Miracle Whip, or the dressing will be too sharp or taste too tangy.
• Chili sauce brings the bit of spice with the perfect amount of chili heat. When using store-bought chili sauce like Heinz, which can be pretty sweet, you should taste it for spice and adjust with a little more Tabasco. The dressing really should have a hint of spice to it.
• Dijon mustard is a common addition to dressings because it is an emulsifier and adds a subtle mustard flavor. You can substitute it with stone-ground mustard or ground mustard powder mixed with a little mayonnaise (1 teaspoon ground mustard + 1 teaspoon mayonnaise = 1 tablespoon Dijon). I don’t recommend plain yellow mustard as a sub in this recipe.
• Dill pickle is minced and adds a lovely sharp, sourness to this dressing. If you don’t have dill pickles you can use pickle relish, just don’t use a sweet variety of relish as this will affect the flavor balance of the dressing.
• Buttermilk adds a creamy and acidic element to this dressing and can be exchanged for heavy cream or sour cream in a pinch.
• Chipotle Tabasco brings the kick it needs and we like the lovely subtle smoky chili heat, but we won’t judge if you use standard Tabasco sauce.
• Coconut palm sugar is our standard in the kitchen in place of refined white or brown sugar and is used in the recipe to balance the sharper flavors and spice. Substitute with brown sugar.
• Make it vegetarian or vegan—use a vegetarian or vegan Worcestershire sauce as the standard sauce contains anchovies. Swap out the regular mayonnaise for vegan mayo and omit the buttermilk. Check out this recipe for Vegan Worcestershire Sauce from Karissa’s Vegan Kitchen.

More Delicious Salad Dressing & Sauce Recipes

• 2 Minute Creamy Caesar Dressing
• Orange-Dijon Dressing on Winter Citrus Salad
• Gochujang Aioli
• Fresh Basil Pesto
• Street Corn Sauce
• Smoky Honey Mustard Sauce
• Mango, Lime & Cashew Sauce
• Almond & Sage Brown Butter Sauce