Dressed to thrill! An easy vinaigrette for every occasion.

Salads / January 30, 2014

No question about it, once you learn how to make your own salad dressings you will NEVER GO BACK TO BOTTLED AGAIN. And it’s so dang easy that good salads are now a given every time you create a meal for those you love.

There are a lot of combinations for making your own dressing — an endless amount really — but the basics are an oil, an acid, and then your choice flavors. From there you can add something to give it body and dimension like onion, syrup, honey, fruit, etc. Then emulsify everything together, and voila: COOL GREENS AND KILLER SALADS.

Here is my go to recipe for nearly every occasion, which is a good lemon mustard shallot vinaigrette. Looking for more options? Check out my latest article on The Common Cook Education Series Page which includes recipes for 5 varieties including: Spicy Thai, Maple Herb, Easy Raspberry and a Fragrant Rosemary.

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Lemon Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette

3 T lemon juice (fresh squeezed is the ONLY option!)
Zest from the lemon
3 T light sunflower oil (I use a little less than the 1 to 1 ratio)
Salt and Pepper (Be deliberate. These two flavors are key to this dressing)
2 t white sugar (taste the dressing after you’ve mixed it to see if it needs to be cut with a bit more sugar. You won’t know because the tartness of the lemons is a variable.)
2 t yellow mustard
1 T finely chopped shallots (That’s those things that look like a giant, brown, garlic clove. They’re more mild than an onion and a more sweet flavor.)

Then, (Ahem…this is important) EMULSIFY with a good whisk. You will see it lighten and thicken in consistency. Then toss with the greens RIGHT BEFORE serving or it will wilt them. Unless you’re doing spinach, then do about 30 minutes before serving.