Got five zesty minutes to spare for superior salad?
Most people reach for prepared salad dressings because on busy weeknights they just can’t handle the thought of whipping up yet something else. Because after cooking a main course and some sides and tossing together a salad, who has the time and energy to make a dressing?
I get it. It’s convenient. But homemade dressings are so much better, they really are worth the trouble. Homemade dressings not only are fresher and taste better, they also are better for you.
The good news is that making dressing doesn’t have to be a daily chore. In just five minutes you can prep one big batch of dressing for the entire week.
So let’s walk through the basics of vinaigrettes.
The standard recipe for a vinegar-based dressing calls for a threeto-one ratio of oil to vinegar (or other acid). But that’s just a starting point. Years ago, when I was teaching a class in basic techniques, I tested that ratio by asking my students to make dressings of their own. All of them used olive oil, but each one picked a different acid.
That was an eye-opener! Three tablespoons of oil swamped rice vinegar, but barely balanced the acidity of sherry vinegar. Bottom line — the acid content in vinegars can vary widely, so you’ll want to adjust for that.
What about the oil? Mostly, I opt for good quality extra-virgin olive oil. You want to break out the good stuff because you’re really going to taste it in a dressing. But if you don’t like the taste of olive oil, you can use an oil with a more neutral flavour, such as grapeseed (though it’s pricey). Safflower and sunflower are less expensive and also are perfectly acceptable.
Nut oils are another way to go, including walnut and hazelnut, as well as two of my favourites: pistachio and pumpkinseed. They pair up very well with fruit vinegars, such as raspberry.
What are the best ways to mix a vinaigrette? The easiest include measuring and mixing it in a glass measuring cup, shaking it in a jar or briefly whizzing it up in a blender. And I say briefly about the blender because too much whizzing may make olive oil taste bitter.
Tasty add-ins? Your choice: minced shallots, a minced clove of garlic, chopped fresh herbs, a bit of soy sauce or miso, crumbled cheese, grated fresh citrus zest or capers.
Want to minimize the vinaigrette’s calorie count? Cut down the amount of oil. Depending on my mood, I’ll swap in chicken broth, pureed fresh tomato or roasted red pepper.
By the way, there’s no reason to confine vinaigrettes to the salad bar. They can perk up grilled vegetables, chicken or steak and they partner up beautifully with fish.