How to Make Flawless Salad Dressing

With just about any vinegar you have on hand...

I taught a cooking class last summer. It was simple! We spent an evening talking about salads and salad dressings, and I had no idea how helpful the class would be. So many women remarked, one after the other, “That was easy!” “I’m never going to buy store-bought dressing again.” and “Wow, I had no idea.” When we're used to only seeing things in a store (like salad dressing), it can be easy to think it'll be too difficult to make at home. But actually, it's incredibly simple! Maybe even simpler than finding the right bottle in that grocery store aisle crammed full of so many options! 😉

INGREDIENTS (makes about 1 cup)

• ½ cup oil 

• ½ cup vinegar

• 1 Tbsp. sugar 

• 1 Tbsp. emulsifier¹

• 1+ tsp. aromatics (citrus zest, herbs, or alliums like onions, shallots, etc.) 

• 1 large pinch of pink salt

You’re probably thinking, “Amanda, this is just too broad.” But it’s really not. For instance, try my…

APPLE CIDER VINAIGRETTE (shake all of the ingredients together in a jar)

• ½ cup olive oil 

• ½ cup apple cider vinegar 

• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup  

• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp. lemon zest 

• 1 large pinch of pink salt 

or…

RED WINE VINAIGRETTE (shake all of the ingredients together in a jar)

• ½ cup olive oil 

• ½ cup red wine vinegar

• 1 Tbsp. sugar 

• 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise 

• 1 tsp. minced garlic

• 1 tsp. minced red onion 

• 1 tsp. dried oregano 

• 1 large pinch of pink salt 

And if you think those are too easy here’s a *fancy* one …

MINT & LEMON DRESSING (blend in a blender until smooth)

• ½ cup olive oil

• 6 Tbsp white wine vinegar 

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice 

• 1 Tbsp. honey

• 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise

• 1 Tbsp. fresh mint 

• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil 

• 1 tsp. lemon zest

• 1 large pinch of pink salt 

There are more combinations out there! Try to think of the cuisines you are cooking in. If you’re making Italian or Mediterranean, you’ll probably want to use red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. If an Asian chopped salad is on the menu, you’ll probably want to add sesame oil, ginger and lime juice or cilantro. If you're pairing an arugula salad with coq au vin, perhaps try a dressing with sherry vinaigrette, blood oranges and herbes de Provence. Grab yourself a mason jar and let’s get shaking.

xoxo & bon appétit

1. Emulsifiers help substances that would naturally separate, like oil and vinegar, to fully mix together. Often artificial emulsifiers are added to store-bought dressings, such as xanthan gum, guar gum, soy lecithin and polysorbate 80. But common emulsifiers that are healthier and are most likely already in your kitchen include dijon, egg yolks, honey and perhaps acacia gum.