A great way to make an ordinary salad stand out is to use a vinaigrette that brings depth and zing. We often fall into the trap of making the same few types of vinaigrette over and over again and might become tempted by the abundance of choices offered in grocery stores. We must make it a habit though to make our own dressings and vinaigrettes because the commercial ones often feature nasty ingredients like some unwanted vegetable oil or sweetener.
Eating our salads with dressing, lots of it, is not only tasty, but is also a very good idea nutritionally. First of all, we already know that fat is good for us and that obtaining up to 75% of our calories as fat is a good idea. The other part of this is that most vitamins are fat soluble, which means that the vitamins in the lovely vegetables will be much better absorbed in the presence of a generous quantity of fat.
Vinaigrettes and dressings don't have to be boring or repetitive. Instead of the habitual extra virgin olive oil, you can use avocado oil, homemade Paleo mayonnaise, macadamia oil or even homemade yogurt. As for the acid part used in most oil based vinaigrettes, you have a multitude of choices: lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, wine vinegar and tomato juice. It all becomes even more interesting with the addition of herbs, spices and flavorings. Ginger, garlic, basil, oregano, dill, black pepper, mint and mustard are all perfect examples.
If you indulge in a bit of dairy in your diet, crumbled feta and Parmesan are super-star cheeses for vinaigrettes that will get rave reviews from everybody who tastes them.
General preparation guidelines
The whole process is all pretty simple and getting all the ingredients is actually the hardest part. For a classic oil based vinaigrette, you will want to put the vinegar used in a bowl with the spices and seasonings. Adding salt before the oil is important because it will get a chance to dissolve in the vinegar. You'll then want to slowly drizzle the oil while whisking vigorously at the same time. The whole process can of course be done with the help of a blender or a food processor.
Dijon mustard is often included in vinaigrette recipes, it helps with the emulsion of oil and vinegar and gives a nice taste, but it can always be omitted. You can also make your own mustard to be sure you don't eat any unwanted ingredient or preservative.
A good rule of thumb is to use 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil.
Always wait until the last minute to dress the salad so the vegetables don't become soggy.
The vinaigrettes and dressings roundup
Here is a simple roundup of classic and not so classic vinaigrettes and salad dressings. I hope you'll also use your imagination and creativity to come up with original creations of your own.
The classic lemon vinaigrette
This is the classic vinaigrette, which is very versatile, but goes particularly well on salads with fresh herbs or smoked salmon.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice;
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard, optional;
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Technique
Follow the general preparation technique by combining all the ingredients except the oil and then adding the oil slowly while whisking vigorously. Using a blender will help to emulsify the vinaigrette. Shake well before using.
Balsamic vinaigrette
This is a classic of Italian cuisine and also acts as a proper marinade for your meat. It's also famous when drizzled on cooked vegetables.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar;
- 1 crushed clove of garlic;
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano;
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard, optional;
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Technique
Put all the ingredients in a jar that has a lid. Close the lid tight and shake well to combine all the ingredients.
Crushed tomato vinaigrette
This dressing is good for all kinds of salads, but also really great on grilled fish or chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 quantity of the classic lemon vinaigrette;
- 4 oz cherry tomatoes;
- 1 crushed clove of garlic;
Technique
Add all ingredients in a blender and process to a smooth purée. You can thin it with a little water if necessary.
Sauce vierge warm dressing
Sauce vierge means virgin sauce and this warm dressing is sure to please taste buds that are still virgin to this sauce. It's excellent when served on warm vegetables or fish.
Ingredients
- 1 crushed garlic clove;
- 1 finely chopped shallot or small onion;
- 7 tablespoon olive oil or clarified butter;
- ½ cup peeled and finely diced tomatoes;
- Juice of ½ lemon;
- 2 teaspoon chopped basil;
Technique
Place the garlic and chopped shallot or onion in a pot with the oil or clarified butter and heat the ingredients until soft without frying. Add the tomatoes and cook at a low heat for about 5 minutes and then add the lemon juice and chopped basil and stir. Season to taste and serve the sauce hot.
Caesar dressing
There are many variations on this dressing, with some that include Worcestershire sauce, eggs and sour cream, but I find this version especially delicious and simple to prepare. Anchovy fillets have traditionally been part of the Caesar dressing. Caesar salad usually consists of romaine lettuce dressed with croutons, parmesan and Caesar dressing. In our case, we'll go without the croutons and add the Parmesan only if desired for a Paleo Caesar salad.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice;
- 2 tablespoon Paleo mayonnaise;
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil;
- 6 garlic cloves, minced;
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard;
- Minced anchovy fillets;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Technique
Using a blender, process the lemon juice, garlic and mustard. Add the Paleo mayonnaise and blend again. Slowly add the olive oil while the blender is in motion. Use a spatula to scrape all that delicious dressing in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, add some more lemon juice to taste and add some minced anchovy fillets to taste.
Raspberry-walnut vinaigrette
This i a nice twist on the classic lemon vinaigrette where raspberry vinegar is used instead of the lemon juice and walnut oil instead of the olive oil. The chopped walnuts give a very nice texture to this vinaigrette. Serve on a salad topped with extra walnuts.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon raspberry vinegar;
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard, optional;
- ¾ cup walnut oil;
- 2 tablespoon chopped walnuts;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Technique
Simply proceed like you would for classic lemon juice vinaigrette and add the chopped walnuts at the end.
Orange & Rosemary vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice;
- ½ tsp Dijon mustard, optional;
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil;
- Grated zest and juice of 1 orange;
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Technique
Simply prepare classic lemon juice vinaigrette and add the grated zest and juice of one orange and 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary. Let infuse overnight for a better taste.
Ginger Asian vinaigrette
This vinaigrette is especially good on bitter greens or salads featuring roasted beets.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar;
- 1 large piece fresh ginger;
- ⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil;
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Technique
Peel the piece of ginger and grate with a box grater, then squeeze the resulting grated ginger to obtain about 1 tablespoon ginger juice and discard the grated ginger. Whisk together in a bowl the grated ginger juice and the rice vinegar; continue whisking to incorporate the olive oil. Add the sesame oil and season to taste.
Roasted chili dressing
This is a dressing with a bold taste so it will go well with bold salads that feature strong herbs or root vegetables.
Ingredients
- 3 red chilies;
- 10 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil;
- 3 ½ tablespoon lemon juice;
- 1 bunch of finely chopped mint leaves;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Technique
Prick the chilies with the tip of a knife so they don't burst while roasting. Place them under the broiler until well roasted. You can also use tongs and hold them close to the flame of a gas stove.
Once roasted, cover with plastic wrap for a couple of minutes so they steam and are easy to peel. Peel the chilies, open them, remove the seeds and finely chop the flesh. Mix thoroughly in a bowl with the oil, lemon juice and mint and season to taste.
Creamy yogurt dressing
This one goes well with salads that feature bitter greens like dandelion or endive since the sour of the yogurt cancels some of the bitterness and creates a nice blend of the two tastes.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoon white wine vinegar;
- 4 tablespoon walnut oil;
- ½ cup homemade yogurt, sour cream or crème fraiche;
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard;
- 8 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil;
- Handful of chopped fresh parsley leaves;
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;
Technique
Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. Season to taste and adjust with a little more vinegar if needed.
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