The Nearly Forgotten '40s Salad Dressing No One Keeps In The Fridge Anymore

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Nebraska's most famous culinary creation is probably Kool-Aid, invented there in 1927 and still the state's official drink today. While the Reuben sandwich may also be from the Cornhusker State, there seems to be some debate. But there's another food product that was definitely invented there, although it's nearly been forgotten. It's Dorothy Lynch Home Style dressing, an orange-hued salad dressing and condiment that's sweet and a little spicy. When we say "nearly forgotten," Nebraskans will likely take exception, as many Iowans and others in a few other Midwestern states will as well. But while it may still be beloved by some, the dressing's true heyday has probably passed (we had it back in the 1970s and '80s) and sales are likely driven by nostalgia these days.

It all started back in 1948 (some sources say '49) when the dressing's namesake, Dorothy Lynch, and her husband, Arthur, began running the American Legion Club in St. Paul, Nebraska. They became well-known for their steaks and Dorothy's homemade salad dressing, which she had patented in 1951. Her son, Neal, began bottling the dressing that he sold to area grocery stores. In 1964, the family sold the recipe to Gordon "Mac" Hull, who ramped up production with Dorothy Lynch, spreading it across Nebraska and past its borders. The company he founded, Tasty Toppings Inc., still makes the dressing.

As mentioned, Dorothy Lynch Home Style dressing is orange-hued, but unlike other tomato-based dressings like Thousand Island or Russian, which are also different from one another, its main ingredient is tomato soup. From there, the dressing has spices that include pepper, garlic powder, celery seed, and onion powder. It's a little sweet and a little peppery with a creamy consistency. Besides salads, it can be used as a condiment on a variety of foods, from french fries to taco salad, to burgers to scrambled eggs, or as a dip for Nebraska's famed Runza, a bread pocket stuffed with spiced ground beef, cabbage, and onions. Dorothy Lynch's website even features recipes from grilled chicken to bundt cake.

In this social media-driven world of ours, this old-school salad dressing may find a second life. We've seen the dressing getting love on TikTok, so who knows. If you don't live in the Midwest, you can always pick the dressing up from sites like Grow Nebraska and Amazon. You might just find that this 1940s-era dressing from Nebraska is exactly what you've been looking for.