Winter Vinaigrette by TheDevineKitchen

Winter Vinaigrette by TheDevineKitchen

Aim for 1 cup

Homemade dressings can be made in minutes, and if you make lots you can have lots of salad throughout the week.  Simple or fancy, once you start making your own salad dressings, you will never go back to bottled.

Here’s the basic formula/ratio: 

• 2 parts oil, such as cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil, sunflower, avocado, or canola oil; add smaller amounts of intense oils such as walnut oil  

• 1 part acid, such as vinegar, fresh squeezed citrus, or fruit juice

Note: Try mixing 2 different oils, and 2 different acids in the same dressing. You are by no means limited to just one!  As a side note, the average sized salad takes 2 tablespoons of dressing. 

Then add:

• Emulsifiers (for flavor and for a smooth emulsion):

1-2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, mustard of choice, nut butter such as tahini, or sunflower butter. Choose 1 sweet, and 1 savory!

• Enhancers (for added dimensions of flavor and texture):

½-1 minced shallot, or garlic; small handful finely chopped scallions, or chives; fresh herbs such as thyme, mint, tarragon, parsley. Choose 1 or 2. 

• Sea salt, to taste (which, by the way, will elevate every ingredient in the vinaigrette)

• Fresh ground pepper, to taste (always fresh ground)

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a liquid measuring cup.  Using a small wire whisk, blend using a brisk forward and back motion such as when warming one hands.  This motion will emulsify your vinaigrette very quickly!

Try the following flavor profiles:

• Pomegranate juice, champagne vinegar, lemon juice, honey, pomegranate seeds.

• Frozen apple juice concentrate, apple cider vinegar, Dijon, lemon, honey, fresh thyme, sliced apples.

• Fresh squeezed orange juice, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, orange segments, fresh mint.