Hey guys, I'm looking for some recipes for homemade salad dressing...preferably on the lighter/healthier side. I'm almost finished with what I hope is my last bottle of Kraft and am excited to start making my own. 
Recipe Request - Salad Dressing
- Thread starter Lynchmeister
- Start date
Very simply, just olive oil. From there you can add balsamic vinegar, fresh pepper and/or sea salt, toasted garlic, or any other spice. Plain red wine vinegar is good also. Personally, the simpler the better to enjoy the flavors of the salad.
I like a balsamic vinaigrette . . . my wife has a great hate of any vinegar so I make this for myself.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (made from ugly olives)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced)
some salt and pepper . . . maybe 1/4 tsp . . . I don't measure
I mix it up in a small jelly jar. It's good for a few days.
Sometimes I add a bit of lemon juice if I have it.
Ok not particularly diet but it is healthy olive oil and there is no cheese (be very quiet as you add feta to the greens)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (made from ugly olives)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced)
some salt and pepper . . . maybe 1/4 tsp . . . I don't measure
I mix it up in a small jelly jar. It's good for a few days.
Sometimes I add a bit of lemon juice if I have it.
Ok not particularly diet but it is healthy olive oil and there is no cheese (be very quiet as you add feta to the greens)
3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar is the standard for vinaigrette. You can add various stuff to the mixture to get different flavors. For example using Japanese seasoned rice wine vinegar will give you a different taste from balsamic.
A if you add fresh ginger, small slices of green onion, fresh garlic, and a drop of or two of Asian sesame seed oil you get an Asian twist.
Different kinds of mustard can be uses such as yellow, Dijon, horseradish, German sweet .......
Or you can add different kinds of jam/preserves like raspberry, strawberry, honey.....
Then you could add a bit of Mayo and curry, or some avocado and mayo....
You can put just about any flavors together that you like to match your mood. Various fresh herbs, pepper(s), spices, what ever sounds good.
When you do put together a vinaigrette mix all of the ingredients except the oil - then with a whisk beat in the oil slowly to emulsify.
Let it sit for an hour so the favor can come together.
Oh and before I forget go to www.foodtv.com and look up how to make Mayo, you have not really had mayo till you have had it homemade!
There is just no reason to buy bottled dressing as far as I am concerned.
A if you add fresh ginger, small slices of green onion, fresh garlic, and a drop of or two of Asian sesame seed oil you get an Asian twist.
Different kinds of mustard can be uses such as yellow, Dijon, horseradish, German sweet .......
Or you can add different kinds of jam/preserves like raspberry, strawberry, honey.....
Then you could add a bit of Mayo and curry, or some avocado and mayo....
You can put just about any flavors together that you like to match your mood. Various fresh herbs, pepper(s), spices, what ever sounds good.
When you do put together a vinaigrette mix all of the ingredients except the oil - then with a whisk beat in the oil slowly to emulsify.
Let it sit for an hour so the favor can come together.
Oh and before I forget go to www.foodtv.com and look up how to make Mayo, you have not really had mayo till you have had it homemade!
There is just no reason to buy bottled dressing as far as I am concerned.
Salad dressing is a great way to use up the remnants of condiment jars in your refriderator door. What I do is start with a clean mason jar or reused pickle/mayonaise/whatever jar. Put 2 parts olive oil to 1 part red wine, cheap basalmic, or rice vinegar. To this add a touch of salt, pepper, and a big fat spoonfull of whatever condiment you want to get rid of. These condiments could be jam/jelly, mustard, marinade, bbq sauce, or really anything to add flavor and act as a binder. I'm particularly fond of blackberry preserves. Shake the snot out of the jar, and what-d-ya-know, salad dressing in 30 seconds.
- Thread starter
- #6
Awesome ideas, thanks guys! Exactly what I was looking for (vinegarettes). Keep them coming!
I always keep a bottle of this in the fridge
salt/pepper/touch of dried garlic and onion
white truffle oil
high quality balsamic
salt/pepper/touch of dried garlic and onion
white truffle oil
high quality balsamic
My favourite Dijon Vinaigrette:
1oz red wine vinegar
1/2 oz Dijon mustard
3oz light olive oil
put vinegar and mustard in a blender, blend for 30 secs, slowly drizzle in the oil with the blender on full. You can add a splash of water to thin it out a little.
To this you can add chopped herbs, shallots, chopped egg, etc, etc.
1oz red wine vinegar
1/2 oz Dijon mustard
3oz light olive oil
put vinegar and mustard in a blender, blend for 30 secs, slowly drizzle in the oil with the blender on full. You can add a splash of water to thin it out a little.
To this you can add chopped herbs, shallots, chopped egg, etc, etc.
+1
I start with a very small amount of evoo and either kosher salt, sea salt, or its fancier cousin fleur de sel. I usually go sparingly from there, and sometimes stop right there. Might grind pepper too. Occasionally add lemon or different kinds of vinegar. If I use a balsamic type vinegar, I'm more likely to skip the oil. I just don't like how the combination comes out. I have a nice aged fig balsamic vinegar.
You can slice a clove of garlic in half and rub the salad bowl with it. Herbs can go in fresh and whole. Most dried herbs are best left to sit. You can prepare herbs in vinegar or oil and leave them for this use. Look online for the compatibility--some are best in vinegar, others in oil.
With greasy food, I'll skip the oil and just use lemon and salt, and with salty food, not even salt. Heck, I take my salad completely straight with some food.
Guess the bottom line is, I usually whip up a dressing on the fly. Keeps down the number of bottles in the fridge. Also explains the simplicity in my choices.
Take the standard 3:1 ratio of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and add a goodly dollop of freshly-squeezed citrus juice. (Take the fruit of your choice ... the basic spectrum goes orange-lime-grapefruit-lemon in terms of tartness, I guess.)
Hey guys, I'm looking for some recipes for homemade salad dressing...preferably on the lighter/healthier side. I'm almost finished with what I hope is my last bottle of Kraft and am excited to start making my own.
Hers another one with a little twist.
About 8 Blood Oranges , squeezed into a bowl.
10-15-capers
1-Red onion , thinly sliced
Red wine vinegar - a nice splash
olive oil, about 1/2 cup or maybe a little more.
Add all ingredients into a bowl except olive oil.
Slowly add the olive oil until it start to incorporate with other ingredients. There's no mustards used in this so it wont really bind the dressing but,
Before adding to your salad's or other foods you might like to use it with, just give it a little stir with a wisk.
Add salt and Pepper to your liking.
Sorry about giving few measurements but its better this way. Will make the recipe feel more like your own.
- Thread starter
- #12
Update: A few days ago, I picked up a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and a bottle of balsamic vinegar. I'm very pleased with this development in my salad. 
Yesterday, I took it a step further and added a spoonful of blackberry jam. Again, I was impressed.
Thanks guys! Shortly before Christmas, my wife and I decided to make a few lifestyle changes with our diet and exercise regimes getting the star treatment. As we move away from processed, over sugared "foods," this discovery has been a blessing!
Yesterday, I took it a step further and added a spoonful of blackberry jam. Again, I was impressed.
Thanks guys! Shortly before Christmas, my wife and I decided to make a few lifestyle changes with our diet and exercise regimes getting the star treatment. As we move away from processed, over sugared "foods," this discovery has been a blessing!
I'd recommend starting with the basic vinaigrette dressing.
1 part vinegar of choice
3 parts oil
1T dijon per 1/4 cup oil and vinegar
shallots
salt and pepper
I like this because it allows for tremendous variation. Using red or white wine vinegar and olive oil (or olive oil mixed with a neutral flavored oil) is the classic French vinaigrette. For variation, you can add some freshly chopped Fines Herbes, substitute walnut oil for a portion of the olive oil, add garlic, use champagne or sherry vinegar, add capers and anchovies, blend in an avocado or... well the list could go on and on.
1 part vinegar of choice
3 parts oil
1T dijon per 1/4 cup oil and vinegar
shallots
salt and pepper
I like this because it allows for tremendous variation. Using red or white wine vinegar and olive oil (or olive oil mixed with a neutral flavored oil) is the classic French vinaigrette. For variation, you can add some freshly chopped Fines Herbes, substitute walnut oil for a portion of the olive oil, add garlic, use champagne or sherry vinegar, add capers and anchovies, blend in an avocado or... well the list could go on and on.
Some great recipes here. In addition to experimenting with different kinds of vinegars you can experiment with different oils. Olive oil is great, but truffle oil, almond oil, hot chile oil, etc. can all add different flavor components and give you an easy way to change things up.
My favorite and most used one is olive oil + balsamic vinegar.
A salad I made recently was very tasty though. It was romaine lettuce, buffalo chicken (spicy chicken breast strips pan fried in a melted butter+hot sauce). The dressing was ranch with blue cheese crumbled in. I don't like the taste of blue cheese as much though, so next time I'll use parmesan instead. Not really on the lighter side of salads, but tasty either way.
A salad I made recently was very tasty though. It was romaine lettuce, buffalo chicken (spicy chicken breast strips pan fried in a melted butter+hot sauce). The dressing was ranch with blue cheese crumbled in. I don't like the taste of blue cheese as much though, so next time I'll use parmesan instead. Not really on the lighter side of salads, but tasty either way.
Balsamic vinegar, a little mustard, and EVOO. Tasty.
These are all great recipes guys.
Penzeys Spices also have GREAT mixes of several varieties.
These are not the overly salted flavorless lil packages you find at MegaMart.
They are bursting with flavor and cheap to use.
Highly Recommended!
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyssaladdressingbase.html :thumbup1:
Penzeys Spices also have GREAT mixes of several varieties.
These are not the overly salted flavorless lil packages you find at MegaMart.
They are bursting with flavor and cheap to use.
Highly Recommended!
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyssaladdressingbase.html :thumbup1:
When you get bored with olive oil (pretty hard to do, considering the myriad styles) try some walnut oil or hazelnut oil for a treat.
And don't forget to add a good caesar salad recipe to your repertoire. Salad Niçoise is good, too.
And don't forget to add a good caesar salad recipe to your repertoire. Salad Niçoise is good, too.
- Thread starter
- #19
In a blender, add 2 egg yolks, goodly shot of lemon juice, some anchovies, a few squirts of worchestershistershoster sauce, S&P, and a peeled garlic clove. Blend briefly, then continue to blend while slowly drizzling in a neutral oil (and a bit of the oil from the anchoviy can, if any) until desired consistency is acheived. Cut bread into 1/2" cubes and either toss in a hot pan with butter/oilve oil and a clove of garlic or toss in oil and bake at low heat on a baking sheet until crisp.
Toss romain lettuce with dressing. Serve with shaved reggiano parmigiano and croutons. Top with some whole anchovy filets if you're brave.
Damn, now I have to make some for lunch.
Similar threads
