People must roll their eyes when they hear I make my own salad dressing. I know, it sounds so boring, but homemade salad dressing is one of those ludicrously simple things you can make that goes a long way.
It only takes two minutes (seriously I make it at work), requires no special equipment, and costs way less than that processed salad dressing you buy at the store. And most importantly you control what goes in it. Once you know the basic components of a good salad dressing, the sky is the limit in terms of variations and flavours.
Key Concepts
Whether it’s a simple vinaigrette or creamy, all dressings come down to these 3 elements:
Oil: Neutral tasting oils like olive, grapeseed, safflower, or a nut oil are best. For a super healthy option choose flax or hemp oil. Feel free to use a couple of different types in one batch if you wish. Another ‘oil’, and one of my favourites, is the always reliable avocado – just whip it up a bit so it is creamy. Tahini, diluted almond butter, and other nut butters work too. You can even use your very own sensational sun infused oil!
Acid: Balsamic, apple cider, red wine, and white wine vinegars are the traditional choices. Want a change of pace? Try lemon, lime, and/or orange juice instead. Better yet – use your own sumacaid concentrate. I like to use vinegars that have been infused with herbs (future blog post)!
Sweet: To take the edge off the acid, add a touch of sweetness. Try honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, apple juice, or even jam and jellies!
Additional options
Here are two additional optional elements to bring your basic salad dressing to an even tastier level:
Salt: A pinch or two is usually enough. Try using something a little more interesting than your regular table salt such as sea salt, Himalayan salt, or that great savory lemon salt you recently made.
Aromatics: This can include a wide range of fresh herbs, spring onions, hot peppers, mustard, shallots, garlic, ginger, citrus rind, and black pepper. Common herbs include basil, oregano, thyme, cilantro, mint, parsley and dill. Mix and match as you please!
How much of each you ask? Well that is entirely up to your taste preference.
I usually use 1 part oil, 1 part acid, and about ½ part sweet. If you don’t quite understand ‘parts’ an example would be ½ cup oil, ½ cup acid, ¼ cup sweetener! Test you dressing on a bit of lettuce or in a spoon and adjust as you like.
Directions
- Combine all the ingredients in a small jar with tight fitting lid and shake.
(Note that vinegar will break down metallic surfaces over time so be careful about the lids you choose or transfer to a dressing dispenser) - Store any unused dressing in the refrigerator. How long they last depends on what you put in it. You will want to use any dressing that uses nut butters and/or avocado as the oil base within a week or so. Otherwise most dressings should last a few weeks.
- Shake before serving!
Recipes
I know that there are some of you out there who just love recipes, so here are a few of my favourites:
Basic vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- Dash of salt
This one can last months in the refrigerator.
Mustard vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- a pinch of salt
This one can also last months in the refrigerator.
Lime Avocado Dressing
- 2 Avocados, pitted, peeled, and chopped
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 green onion, chopped
- Handful fresh cilantro
- 1 small green chili pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Dash pepper
Use this one within a week or two.
I encourage you to go out and really experiment with this and share your favorites in the comment section below. Bon apetit!
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