salad dressings - vinaigrettes

 From cookieandkate.com

Basic Vinaigrette (Plus Variations!)

• Author: Cookie and Kate
 
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
 
• Total Time: 5 minutes
 
• Yield: 3/4 cup 1x
 
• Category: Salad dressing
 
• Method: By hand
 
• Cuisine: French

★★★★★

 

4.9 from 125 reviews

Here’s my go-to vinaigrette recipe! It’s so easy to make and tastes way better than store-bought dressings. You can change up the flavors by choosing the vinegar that suits your salad best. Recipe yields 3/4 cup dressing, enough for about 6 medium salads (assuming 2 tablespoons per salad).

SCALE

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons vinegar of choice (balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Stir well with a small whisk or a fork until the ingredients are completely mixed together.
2. Taste, and adjust as necessary. If the mixture is too acidic, thin it out with a bit more olive oil or balance the flavors with a little more maple syrup or honey. If the mixture is a little blah, add another pinch or two of salt. If it doesn’t have enough zing, add vinegar by the teaspoon.
3. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for future use. Homemade vinaigrette keeps well for 7 to 10 days. If your vinaigrette solidifies somewhat in the fridge, don’t worry about it—real olive oil tends to do that. Simply let it rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes or microwave very briefly (about 20 seconds) to liquify the olive oil again. Whisk to blend and serve.

NOTES

Balsamic vinegar: Makes a bold, slightly sweet dressing that is wonderful on green salads with fruit, such as apples, strawberries or peaches.

Red wine vinegar: Packs a punch and works well with other bold flavors and bright veggies, like tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, cabbage and more (think Greek salads).

White wine vinegar: This is a more mellow vinegar and it’s especially nice with more delicate flavors like cucumber and sweet corn. It’s lovely on just about every green salad out there.

Greek/Italian variation: Use red wine vinegar. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons dried oregano and, optionally, a pinch of red pepper flakes.

▸ NUTRITION INFORMATION

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

salad dressing variations

From Heart of the Plate by Mollie Katzen

Basic Vinaigrette

1.5 Tbsp shallots, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp agave, sugar or maple syrup
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
6 Tbsp EVOO

Mix first 4 ingredients with whisk or by shaking
Drizzle EVOO in, whisking as you go.
Store in refrigerator.


For mustard vinaigrette - use maple syrup and add 1 Tbsp or up to 2 Tbsp honey dijon

For pomegranate vinaigrette - leave out 1 tsp of sweetener and add 1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses.  Replace some of the EVOO with roasted walnut oil if available.

Thick cranberry orange vinaigrette to use on spiced carrots (p 102)

1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 navel orange, coarsely chopped, peel included
1 Tbsp chopped shallot
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp agave or sugar
2 tsp cider vinaigrette
1/4 cup EVOO

1) combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor; buzz until the fruit is pulverized into a thick pulpy state.

2) Add sweetener and vinegar and pulse a few times until it's blended.

3) With the marine running, add EVOO one Tbsp at a time, until fully incorporated.