We have all seen and tasted the basic vinaigrettes you can choose for your salad at regular retaurants. You all know the list: Caesar, Ranch, Thousand island, Italian, & Blue cheese, blah blah blah… It seems so limited and boring after a while. Why on earth do we limit ourselves to those dressings time after time? Why don’t we create new ways of making better vinaigrettes? Salad dressings have a long and colorful history, dating back to ancient times. In fact, the Babylonians used oil and vinegar for dressing greens nearly 2,000 years ago. Historical records indicate that the early Romans preferred their herb salads dressed simply with salt while Egyptians favored a salad dressed with good oil, vinegar and Oriental spices. So, if it has been around for so long why don’t we have more imaginative dressings to enjoy? Maybe the answer lies in the fact that people don’t understand the fundamentals of vinaigrette assembly.
Once you understand the formula for making vinaigrette it is surprisingly easy and versatile in terms of ingredients used. A basic vinaigrette is three parts oil to one part acid – that’s it! Olive oil and vinegar are the basic combination but it’s fun and easy to experiment with variations. Try using herb infused olive oils or walnut oil with flavored vinegars like balsamic or champagne. You can also use simple vegetable oil and enhance it with freshly squeezed citrus juices like lemon, orange, or grapefruit. Additionally, you can add some good mustard like Dijon from France or Savora from Argentina and use it as an emulsifier – meaning it will give some viscosity to the vinaigrette and stick to the greens and vegetables better. A great twist is adding vegetable purees like beet, carrot, or cucumbers (see recipe below) to the oil and vinegar mixture. Not only does it add an incredible amount of flavor but the added colors are phenomenal. Other ideas include adding your favorite olives, capers, minced garlic, shallots and fresh herbs.
Creamy cucumber-basil dressing
Ingredients
- 1 whole cucumber – peeled, seeded and roughly cut
- 1 clove garlic – roughly cut
- 1 cup fresh sweet basil
- Good sea salt and fresh ground pepper – to your taste
- 5 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 15 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of cream or yogurt – depending upon the consistency
Directions
Add cucumber, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and vinegar to a blender or food processor and pulse a few times to bring the ingredients together. Then, while the motor is running drizzle the oil in slowly until all the oil is used. Depending upon the consistency add in some cream or yogurt. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If not tart enough, add some vinegar. If too tart add some more oil and cream. If too thick add some water. If not thick enough add some more cream or yogurt.
The classical way to make a vinaigrette is to whisk together the acid with salt and pepper in a bowl. Then, add your oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking quickly until the dressing is emulsified. An alternative method is to add 1 part vinegar to 3 parts olive oil in a jar, seal tight, and shake until you see the dressing homogenize and become viscous. Whatever method you choose, remember to not overdress the salad making it soggy. Add a tablespoon or two of dressing at a time and lightly toss with salt and pepper. The great thing about making your own vinaigrette is you can make a lot of it and keep it refrigerated or at room temperature for the week’s salads.
Remember there’s no need to buy salad dressing at the supermarket which is loaded with unsaturated fats and unhealthy preservatives. All the ingredients you need for a home made vinaigrette are in your pantry. You can adjust the dressing according to your culinary tastes making it genuinely your reciupe. And when you make it yourself, trust me – your family will definitely taste the difference!
