My relationship with salad is, at best, a marriage of convenience. I vowed to eat one low-calorie, highly nutritious bowl a day. But after consuming roughly a gagillion pounds of romaine, I’m now sticking it out for the sake of the kids. And by kids, I mean my hips and thighs. Fortunately, I’ve found magic in making my own salad dressings. A whole world of flavor is unleashed when you mix an acid with an oil. And you just need a little of each to transform a routine green into something exciting.
I have never met a vinegar I didn’t love. My salad dressings use every vinegar in my pantry, from tangy apple cider to refined Champagne to sweet balsamic. If you are less enamored with a pucker-producing punch, use a citrus juice as your acid. Freshly squeezed lemon juice is always easy, but don’t forget lime and orange juice are tasty options, too.
Pairing an acid with an oil allows the dressing to cling to the veggies. Heart-healthy extra-virgin olive oil is the gold standard, but I make kissy faces at canola oil, whose neutral taste allows the acids to shine. For kicks, experiment with flavorful oils, like sesame, coconut and those that are infused with herbs. One of the advantages of making your own salad dressing is that you can use less oil (and therefore consume less fat and fewer calories). For these recipes, I swap tap water for about half of the usual oil. A dollop of Greek yogurt works if you’re craving something creamy.
You can stop right there, or add some aromatics (onions, shallots, herbs) for bonus flavor. The dressing will keep up to a week in the refrigerator; longer if it’s a simple acid and oil pairing. And if you don’t love one, well, there’s no shame in moving on to the next.
Credit: Kellie Hynes
Credit: Kellie Hynes
Citrus-Honey Dressing
This versatile sweet-tart dressing pairs beautifully with fruit: fruit salad, green salad with goat cheese crumbles and berries, or simply drizzled over watermelon wedges. Combine it with diced mango as a topper for fish tacos and jackfruit carnitas. Add some red pepper flakes or fresh jalapeno slices for heat.
Creamy Caprese Dressing
What’s fresher than a simple summer tomato salad? A simple summer tomato salad dressed with creamy basil. Its milky goodness comes from fat-free Greek yogurt, so it tastes and feels more decadent than it really is. For something different, drizzle this dressing over grilled eggplant or zucchini.
Tarragon Vinaigrette
If salad dressing is your go-to marinade, keep this recipe handy. Tarragon pairs beautifully with chicken, fish and shellfish. Prefer to use your salad dressings on salad? Skip the heavy bacon dressing and sprinkle this over a pile of fresh spinach leaves. If neither of these specialty vinegars is handy, the mildest vinegar in your pantry will allow the licorice-forward notes to shine.
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