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I know summer feels like it's almost over with school just around the corner, but the truth of the matter is that it's only half over and there's still a lot of heat left. Which means, a lot of salad is still left to consume.
If you're like me, salad is just salad until you add some dressing. Also, if you're like me and you eat a lot of salad, buying salad dressings from the store can begin to wear a hole in the budget.
Simple solution: make your own.
If you don't know where to start, here are some very simple, easy to play around with, easy to double or half if need be. I usually pick one, make a good sized batch, and use it until it's done and then make a different one and repeat. Buying a nice dressing "mixer" from Pampered Chef or even Target is a good suggestion. Although, a mason jar with a tight lid works just as well.
Enjoy!
Scot's Sunset [Oil-free] Dressing
My dear husband likes to stay away from extra oil when possible. Seeing how we eat so much salad, I decided to make an oil-free salad dressing. This is so simple to throw together and the balance of the citrus and the vinegar is just right for us. If you, too, are looking for an oil-free salad dressing, now you have one!
Scot's Sunset [Oil-free] Dressing
Serves 4 (½ cup)
Active time: 5 minutes
What you'll need:
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 TBLS honey OR other sweetener
What you'll do:
- Mix all together until honey (or sweetener) is dissolved.
Will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for over a week.
Simple Balsamic Dressing
I went to a wedding once that served salad with only olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a blend of spices on the table. It was amazing and I started dressing my salads that way at home. I finally took the time to measure things out so others could enjoy the simple combination, too.
Please note that you can very easily half or even quarter this recipe to suit your immediate needs. It keeps for up to a week.
Simple Balsamic Dressing
Serves 8 1/2 cup total
Active time: 3 Minutes
What you'll need:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp Herbs de Province
What you'll do:
Whisk together (or put in a jar with a lid and shake) and drizzle on your salad.
Spicy Apple Cider Dressing
Not spicy in the true sense, but it does give a little bit of kick, especially if you use a good grainy mustard with some horseradish in it! Easy to half or double.
Spicy Apple Cider Dressing
Serves 6 (1/3 cup total)
Active time: 5 minutes
What you'll need:
- 2 TBLS olive oil
- 2 TBLS apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar OR honey
- 2 tsp grainy mustard
What you'll do:
Sweet Balsamic Dressing
This is my personal favorite and the one that is usually in the "shake it up" bottle I have for my dressings. It's simply wonderful.
Sweet Balsamic Dressing
Serves 6 (2/3 cup)
Active time: 5 minutes
What you'll need:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 TBLS honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (preferably one made with white wine)
What you'll do:
- Combine all ingredients and drizzle over salad
Red Berry Vinaigrette
If eating salad is so good for us, then I'd like to have delicious and healthy dressings on them to change things up a bit. This incredibly simple dressing is so tasty and you'll be shocked it only has 3 ingredients! All the combinations are great, but the raspberry jam with the red wine vinegar is our favorite.
Red Berry Vinaigrette
Serves 2 (2.5 TBLS) **
Active time: 5 minutes
What you'll need:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 TBLS red wine vinegar OR apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBLS + 1 tsp raspberry jam OR strawberry jam*
*the dressing is best, and healthiest, if you can find a jam with minimal "fillers" - so 100% fruit, or fruit-only jams work best. Also, some people prefer seedless jams for dressings, but we leave that to your discretion
** this serving suggestion is very small, if you would like to make this for a group, or to have some in your fridge, then the following proportions will yield 1 1/4 cups: 2 TBLS olive oil, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup + 2 TBLS jam.
What you'll do:
- Whisk all ingredients together.
Italian Vinaigrette
My mother is famous for her salads--a salad is her standard potluck contribution, and folks frequently ask what her secret is. She nearly always uses Good Seasons Italian Dressing packets as her base, but plays with the oil/vinegar combination. Because buying the packets can get pricey, it has been my goal to come up with a simple seasoning blend that can hold its own against Good Seasons.
Italian Vinaigrette
Serves 8
Active time: 10 min
What you'll need:
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp table salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ⅛ tsp dried parsley
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- a pinch to ⅛ tsp paprika, for added color (optional)
- ¼ cup vinegar (white, or your favorite vinegar/combination of vinegars*)
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup oil (canola, olive, or a combination of the two*)
*Note: My favorite way to prepare this dressing is with a combination of half apple cider vinegar, half balsamic vinegar AND half canola oil, half extra virgin olive oil--this mixture seems to prevent any one flavor from overpowering the others.
What you'll do:
- In a glass jar with a lid, combine sugar, salt, herbs, and spices.
- Add vinegar and water. Close lid, shake, and let it rest 5 minutes to allow spice blend to dissolve and re-hydrate.
- Add oil, replace lid, shake well.
- Refrigerate until you are ready to serve (chilling for several hours or overnight allows the flavors to combine nicely, but is not essential).
- Shake well just prior to each use.
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