The types and combination of salad dressings are endless: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Creamy Caesar, Buttermilk Ranch, Champagne, Avocado Lime - you get the picture. I could write an entire book on dressings and fill each category to the brim, but let’s start with one of my favorites: vinaigrette. Vinaigrette is always a nice accompaniment to tender greens, while creamy dressings prefer the crunchier lettuces like iceberg and romaine. A vinaigrette implies that there is vinegar (red, white, champagne, raspberry, or any other flavor) in the dressing, but for our purposes let’s just assume that there is any acid (can be citrus as well) that has approximately a 1:3 ratio to oil. In most cases this will be extra virgin olive oil.
Build Your Own Vinaigrette
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon acid (vinegar: balsamic, white wine, red wine, champagne, or other flavor; citrus: orange, lemon, grapefruit, lime)
- 2 teaspoons fresh herbs, finely chopped (thyme, chives, rosemary, sage, parsley, basil)
- 2 teaspoons shallots, minced
- 2 ounces extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Add all ingredients except olive oil in a medium mixing bowl. I like to let the shallots marinate in the acid and herbs for about ten minutes to take the bite off before I add in the olive oil. Add olive oil in a very thin stream whisking constantly. The oil must be added slowly in order for it to emulsify with the acid. If the oil is added too quickly the acid and oil will remain separate and your dressing will separate (break).
After you get the dressing to the consistency you want it, season it with salt and pepper and dip a couple of pieces of lettuce in the dressing to make sure it is to your taste before you toss the salad.
The formula and technique is simple and you can certainly play around to create some fabulous combinations! Just start by looking in your refrigerator and see what you have to work with.
When you get around to stocking your pantry don’t skimp on olive oil, salt, or vinegars! My preferred brand of vinegar is Vilux (can be found at gourmet food stores or online at foodlocker.com) and I always try to buy French Sea Salt and French Peppercorns to freshly grind. These are small and inexpensive condiments, but it will make all the difference in how your food tastes, especially when there are so few and uncooked ingredients like in a salad dressing.
Pace Webb is a gourmet chef who sees food as the key to health and well-being and makes it a priority to share its benefits with others. Her experience with cancer as a teenager fuels Pace’s positive attitude and professional initiative. For more about Pace and some of her favorite recipes, check out her blog, The Taste of Pace.
