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Have you looked at the ingredient label of a store-bought salad dressing lately? Chances are strong that you can’t even pronounce some of the ingredients, much less know what they taste like or what their purpose is.
Why ruin a perfectly healthy fresh salad with a highly processed dressing? Making your own salad dressing from fresh ingredients will leave you with a delicious and nutritious salad that you can enjoy without any nagging concerns about factory additives.
Check out the simple recipes below to get started on your homemade salad dressing adventure.
Basic Vinaigrette
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Place olive oil in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle vinegar into the oil, whisking briskly to emulsify the mixture. Add salt and pepper and whisk well. If you’re not planning to dress your salad immediately, store the dressing at room temperature in a container with a lid so you can shake it before using.
Tangy Dijon Vinaigrette
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. dried thyme
1 Tbs. feta cheese
Place olive oil and mustard in a small bowl and whisk together. Drizzle vinegar into the mixture, whisking continuously to mix the vinegar and oil. When the dressing is holding together and no longer separating, add pepper and thyme and whisk again. Finely chop feta and whisk into the dressing immediately before serving.
Asian Vinaigrette
3 Tbs. peanut oil or sesame
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. pepper
Place peanut oil in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle vinegar into oil and whisk together until fully emulsified. Add soy sauce and stir until thoroughly combined, then add ginger and pepper. Serve immediately or store refrigerate until needed. Be sure to use a container with a lid so you can shake the dressing before use.
Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing
½ cup plain yogurt
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
¼ cup milk
1 Tbs. pepper, coarsely ground
1/8 tsp. salt
In a small bowl, stir yogurt and mayonnaise until well combined. Add Parmesan cheese and fold into the dressing until evenly distributed. Add milk 1 Tbs. at a time and stir, continuing to add milk until dressing reaches desired thickness. Add pepper and salt and stir well. This dressing is best when made several hours before serving and allowed to chill in the refrigerator.
Conclusion
Making your own salad dressings is a breeze. Once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with adding your own favorite herbs and spices to come up with something truly special. For an Italian take on the basic vinaigrette, add dried basil and oregano. For something a bit more French, use tarragon-infused vinegar.
The only limit is your own imagination, so give it a try today. Who knows? Maybe you’ll devise the next great house dressing!
Want some more ideas? Check out the graphic below by Health Perch for more ideas!
