Thousand Island Dressing

Original Dressing Recipe And Newer Version

As with many recipes, a Thousand Island Dressing Recipe has many variations.

This salad dressing is a variation of Russian salad dressing (which often contains yogurt and more chili sauce or ketchup).

This delicious salad dressing is not only used on salads, but it is excellent as a vegetable dip. Often people use it as a sandwich spread, as well.

Some people have told me the name of the dressing is because the tiny pieces of pickle (or pepper) makes it look like there are a thousand little islands in the dressing. I don't believe that is where the name came from.

From what I have read, a lady by the name of Sophia LaLonde invented it about 1910. Mrs. LaLonde lived in the Thousand Islands region of upstate New York. So I believe the salad dressing is named after that region.

There are two recipes for Thousand Island on this page. The first is as close to the original version as I know (Mrs. LaLonde's recipe). The second is one that has been used at the restaurant for many years and is a little more like most recipes for this dressing today. But neither recipe is orange, as you often see in grocery stores today.

Original Thousand Island Salad Dressing
Preparation time: 20 minutes. Makes 1 quart

Cooking Conversion Table

Ingredients:

3 eggs, hard boiled, peeled, cooled and chopped

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon white sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 pinch ground cloves

1 quart mayonnaise

3/4 cup sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup chopped black olives

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk together (or use a spatula) the chopped eggs, Worcestershire, sugar, vinegar, cloves, mayonnaise, relish, olives and red pepper until well blended

Pour into a container, refrigerate and serve chilled

Thousand Island Dressing Recipe # 2
Preparation time: 15 minutes. Makes approximately 40 servings (2 tablespoons each)
For carb counters, each serving of 2 tablespoons is about 2 carbs

Cooking Conversion Table

Ingredients:

1 quart mayonnaise

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 cup water or milk

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1/4 cup bottled chili sauce (or to taste)

1/2 cup sweet pickles, finely chopped (or use pickle relish)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl

Pour into a container and refrigerate

Enjoy your thousand island dressing as a dip with veggies or on a salad or, as I was first introduced to it, on a wedge of iceberg lettuce.