All Dressed Up, Simple Salad Dressings

Salad Dressing or Vinaigrette has to be one of THE most simple things to make. Yet during my catering days, almost every fridge in the homes I worked in, would have a door full of ready-made supermarket varieties – WHY, when homemade is soooo much better and definitely cheaper. It’s simple to make and comes together in minutes. Nearly all the ready-made dressings you buy contain chemicals, additives, thickeners, and sugar. A quick check of the ingredient list tells all.

I usually make only a small quantity of vinaigrette at a time, as it deteriorates quickly, and I rarely measure the ingredients exactly. Remember to taste and adjust the flavour to your palate. It’s more about using a basic template that you can adapt to suit your own taste, than a specific recipe. Make the vinaigrette to compliment the salad ingredients you have on hand, or simply use the ingredients you have in the pantry and the fridge.

Basic Template for Salad Dressing

If you remember nothing else about vinaigrettes, remember this: the magic ratio of oil to vinegar is 3 to 1. As long as you know that, you won’t need to consult a vinaigrette recipe ever again.

• 3 parts of oil (I prefer a good quality extra-virgin olive oil)
• 1 part of something acidic such as vinegar or lemon juice
• Add in a little ground pepper, pinch sea salt, and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Different kinds of vinegar have different strengths, so the 3:1 ratio might need to be adjusted depending on taste. There are certain times when you’ll want a tangier dressing and others when a mild one will do. For the most part, though, the 3:1 ratio represents the vinaigrette sweet spot.

The simplest way to make a salad dressing is to use a small screw-top jar.

• Start with the olive oil (or mix of oils) and half fill the jar.
• Now add the vinegar or lemon juice, just a third of the volume of the oil
• Add flavourings such as salt and pepper, garlic and mustard.
• Secure a tight fitting lid and shake well to amalgamate.

From this basic template, you can create simple vinaigrettes using a variety of different vinegars, such as white wine, aged red wine, balsamic, sherry, champagne, or apple cider. You can also replace some or all of the vinegar with another acidic ingredient, like lemon or other citrus juice.

You can also vary the oils used too. For instance, in the 3 parts oil component of the template, try using half and half ground nut oil (such as walnut or hazelnut) and olive oil. As the ground nut oils have very robust flavours, they often need to be diluted with olive oil.

Aromatics can vary the flavour too: add finely chopped fresh herbs; finely chopped eschallots; citrus zest; a little minced garlic or even a whole, peeled garlic clove. Although Dijon mustard is the most common mustard to use, seeded mustard makes a nice change. Common salad herbs to use include basil, thyme, tarragon, mint, parsley and dill. Mix and match as you please.

Store the glass jar in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature and give it a shake before serving. (The dressing is likely shelf stable but I suggest keeping it in the refrigerator anyway.)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbs  balsamic vinegar
• pinch sugar
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 clove garlic, peeled

Combine all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to amalgamate. Make sure you taste the dressing before using, and adjust the seasoning to your taste. If you find the dressing a little tart in flavour, just add a pinch of sugar or a little more olive oil.  

Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 6 tbs extra  virgin olive oil
• juice half lemon
• 2 tbs aged red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 small cloves garlic, crushed

Combine all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to amalgamate.  

Honey & Mustard Vinaigrette

• 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbs white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• sprig parsley, chopped
• few chives, trimmed and chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to mix. Taste for seasoning.