Making Your Own Salad Dressing
Hi friends! I gotta be honest, I do not love the dressings that come in bagged salads. Unless it’s a ranch or a caesar! No offense to those premade salad dressings, but sometimes they are way too gloopy.
Tonight as I was preparing a salad I made my own as I often do and I wanted to share the basics with you all.
WHAT’S IN IT?
I stick to a pretty simple recipe typically but the base of almost every salad dressing is OIL + VINEGAR + WHATEVER ELSE YOU DESIRE. Vinegar can be red wine vinegar, apple cider, white wine vinegar, etc.
oil + vinegar + whatever else you desire
Oil and vinegar alone will eventually separate so by adding something like dijon mustard, it helps bind the dressing together. From there, you can add whatever your heart desires. Some suggestions – garlic, salt and pepper, curry, thyme…any seasoning you like!
Other acids to consider: lemon juice, lime juice, or balsamic vinegar
BUT HOW MUCH OF EACH INGREDIENT?!
Really, it all comes down to preference. I usually do equal parts oil and vinegar, and a squirt of dijon. Really, I just eyeball it. Simply pour the ingredients in your jar, shake it up, and you’ve got your own salad dressing. Feel free to taste it, and if it seems to tangy, add more oil. Want more kick? Add more vinegar. I promise, it’s really hard to mess up.
THE TWO I MAKE THE MOST OFTEN:
1. Olive oil + Red wine vinegar + Squirt of dijon
I am showing the above photo for you to see how it separates. This is normal and will happen. You can see how much of each ingredient before you shake it that way you know your proportion/ratio. If it’s too tangy, add more oil. Too oily, add more vinegar. Use any vinegar you like.
Once you shake it up to mix it, it will look something like this! Continue to shake it as you use it throughout the days and weeks to come.
Next up: Lemon, olive oil, and garlic. Another favorite combo of mine!
2. Olive oil + Lemon juice + 1 frozen garlic cube
Both of the above recipes are perfect for dressing any salad.
I like to make a batch and pour it over slaw of any kind.
The slaw is hearty enough that it won’t get soggy over 2-3 days.
Is the dressing still missing something? An easy way to sweeten any dressing: add a touch of honey.
HOW DO YOU STORE IT?
I like to keep old salad dressing bottles (mason jars work perfectly too) to make my own and keep for the week. You just want it to have some sort of cover so you can shake it when it comes time to use again. Old medicine bottles are also great for lunch on the go.
HOW LONG DOES IT LAST?
The more acidic a salad dressing is, the longer it will last, in addition to having less ‘fresh’ ingredients. So, vinegar-based dressings will last the longest, anywhere from three to four weeks if the primary ingredients are oil, vinegar, and spices. Again, if they also contain fresh ingredients, i.e dairy, then the time is shortened according to that ingredient. Vinegar-based dressings should be stored covered with a top, either on the counter or in the pantry. If you prefer to put the dressing in the refrigerator, the oil will cause it to solidify. That’s normal and totally fine! When this happens, simply run it under some hot water then shake well, or pop it in the microwave for 20 seconds.
The dressing will naturally separate on the counter. No biggie! Simply reshake it.
OK everyone, I hope this is helpful! Do you have a favorite homemade dressing? I want to hear it!
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