Basic Vinaigrette with variations

With spring being here I find myself wanting more and more salads. Now, I really enjoy salads and especially in the warmer month this is some food that does not require any cooking.

Another thing I really look for in my food is variations. I don’t like tasting the same over and over again. One way that I spice up a simple salad is real quick and simple: salad dressings. Below you have the recipe for a very basic vinaigrette, followed by a few variations.

There are different ways of making dressing, which will also influence the texture. One way is by adding everything into a glass container (e.g. an old jam glass), close the lid and shake vigorously for a few seconds. This will be like the bottled version that you get.

On the other hand, if you whisk it, either manually or in a mixer, you will get a really smooth, velvety dressing – more like what you get in restaurants.

Both versions work fine. I usually make up quite a bit at a time and then use it during the week.

A very simple way of making variations is using herbs. Dried herbs have a more intense flavor but need extra time to rehydrate and release their flavorings and should be prepared about 2 hours in advance.  If you don’t have fresh herbs, which are always preferred, you need to substitute it with about ¼ of the original quantity with dried herbs – that means if a recipe calls for 4 tsp fresh chopped herbs, you need only 1 tsp dried herbs.

You can add just about anything. You can also play around slightly with the vinegar-oil ratio, however, the basic ratio is 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil.

Basic vinaigrette

1/2 cup wine vinegar (red, white, balsamic)

1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Mustard Honey vinaigrette:

Add 1 tsp French Dijon and 1 tbs honey.

Herbed vinaigrette:

Add 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1 tbsp. fresh minced basil, and 1 tsp. marjoram, chives to the Mustard Honey vinaigrette.

Herbed Italian vinaigrette:

Add 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 5 cloves minced garlic, 2 tbsp. fresh minced basil, 1 tsp. fresh minced oregano (optional), 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes.

Piquant Dressing:

Add 1 chopped hard cooked egg, 1 tsp. mustard, 1 tbsp. finely chopped onion (green works great), 1 tsp. paprika.

Avocado Dressing:

Add 1 cup pureed avocado and blend until smooth. Add a little bit of lemon juice (stops it from going brown/grey).

Sour Cream or Buttermilk Dressing:

Add 1 cup sour cream or buttermilk to basic dressing and blend until smooth. Add herbs as desired.