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There is something formal and fancy sounding about homemade salad dressing.  But there are few recipes as easy- especially vinaigrette dressings. And my Sweet & Tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette does not disappoint!

Bottled salad dressings have their place, but taking 2 minutes to shake up your own homemade dressing is incredibly worthwhile.  You control the sodium, sugar, type of oil and quality of the ingredients. When done well, salad dressing will enhance the flavors of all your salad add-ins and can take a boring salad up to restaurant quality.

Once you begin making your own homemade dressings, you won’t look back.  A basic vinaigrette has 3 key components:

1. Vinegar or acid (like lemon juice)
2. Oil (or other type of fat like avocado, tahini)
3. Emulsifier (like dijon mustard, honey)

An emulsifier is a scientific name for an ingredient that has a simple job- combines the oil and acid.  This is a critical component that allows the dressing to stick to your salad greens and vegetables without all the vinegar pooling at the bottom of the bowl- which isn’t pretty or tasty! My Sweet & Tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette uses both dijon mustard (I adore Grey Poupon Country Dijon brand) and honey, which also acts to round out the acidity of the vinegar.  

Years ago, just out of school, I began experimenting in the kitchen.  Sweet & Tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing is one of the first recipes I ever created and has become my tried and true go-to salad dressing.  Because there are a only a few ingredients in this recipe, choosing quality ingredients is important.

 

 

 

The best part about making salad dressing is that you can customize it to your liking.  Don’t be scared- you won’t mess it up!

FIRST, shake up my balsamic vinaigrette dressing recipe using the directions below.

THEN, dunk the tip of a piece of lettuce to taste- remember to taste food the way you would typically eat it.

THIRD, adjust seasonings to your preference and taste again.

Recipe Customization Tips…

• Too tangy? Add 1-2 tablespoons of water or additional olive oil
• Not sweet enough? Add additional 1 tsp honey
• Needs brightness? Add ¼-½ tsp dried basil or oregano
• Want something different? Try a fruit infused vinegar like raspberry, fig or pomegranate

 

 

What to do with leftover dressing?!  Here are 3 yummy ideas:

1. Use as a marinade for chicken or pork
2. Toss a few tablespoons dressing on fresh vegetables and then roast in oven on 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes
3. Add to cold salad of quinoa (or other whole grain), chickpeas and fresh vegetables to liven it up!

Now go feel fancy and enjoy a flavorful salad!