Salad Dressing 101 and Recipes for Six Killer Dressings

Dressing can make or break a salad! So here is a post telling you all about how to make a brilliant salad dressing. Your own Salad Dressing 101. And to make it even better, it has the recipe for 6 of my favorite salad dressings.

Most of the times, the thing that takes a salad from an ok salad to a bad salad is the dressing. A dressing is also what takes the salad from being an alright one to a spectacular one. So in this post, we will try to understand the dressing in a little bit more detail. So are you ready for the Salad Dressing 101?

When it comes to Salad dressings they are mainly of three types. Vinaigrette, which are light dressings based on a delicate balance between acid and oil. Creamy dressings which are richer dressings made with cheese, yogurt or mayo. And then there are the lean low-fat dressings, typically made with sharp spices and a bit of acid and only a touch of oil.

The kind of dressing you choose for a salad totally depends on what kind of salad are you making. For a salad full of fresh greens a Vinaigrette is what will be perfect. Think of eggs and potatoes and you know you need a nice creamy dressing. Think citrus salads and a lean dressing is what will bring out the best flavors.

Tips to make the best Salad Dressing

So here are my top tips to make a good salad dressing

1. When you are making a Vinaigrette the perfect ratio of acid: oil is 1:3. That means 1 part acid (various vinegars, lemon) to 3 part oil. Yes, they do feel light but Vinaigrettes are pretty high in fat content
2. Like everything else in the kitchen but especially in the case of raw foods. Use best of the ingredients possible. There is nothing worse than old, rancid oil in your dressing. I typically use Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Toasted Sesame Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil and Cold Press Mustard oil for my dressings.
3. Mustard, sugar, and honey act as great emulsifiers in a salad dressing. Of course, they add a lovely flavor too.
4. A touch of sweetness works very well in the salad dressing, rounding off the flavors beautifully. The sweetness can come from more places than plain sugar. Honey, maple syrup work excellently well or even a touch of your favorite jam can do wonders for the salad dressing.
5. TASTE, honestly that is my mantra for everything in the kitchen. Let your taste buds be the guiding factor for dressing. But do keep in mind that dressing is a seasoning and should taste fairly strong by itself. But what works like a wonder is tearing a bit of lettuce leaf and dipping it in the dressing to taste.
6. Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavor and additions to your dressings. Especially with a Vinaigrette, there is so much one can do. Personally, I prefer to add whole or lightly pounded spices and herbs in my dressing and avoid powdered spices. I just think the powdered spices take away from the smoothness of the dressing. Think of your favorite sauce of herb and add it to the Vinaigrette. A touch of churan and chutney also works very well in the dressing.
7. Creamy salad dressings tend to thicken when stored, you can thin it with a bit of milk/water/stock.
8. Most salad dressings last in the fridge for a week and can also be frozen in ice cube trays and then shifted to a ziploc pouch. Thaw it 12 hours before you are making your salad.
9. When it comes to dressings, less is more. Like they say a dressing should dress the salad, not drown it. In case of creamy dressings coat your ingredients lightly and in case of lean dressings and Vinaigrettes, a light drizzle on the top is just enough. You can always serve extra dressing on the side for those who want more.

 

Recipes for Six Killer Salad Dressings

And here are the recipes for some of my favorite dressings.

1. Greek Yoghurt Dressing

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 cup mixed chopped herbs (I like to use a mix of parsley, dill and mint)
• Juice of 1/2  lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup milk

To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients except the milk in a bowl. Stir in milk little by little until you reach your desired consistency. I like it flowy but not too thin. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge!

2. Vegan Roasted Garlic Dressing

• 2 heads roasted garlic roasted and peeled
• a handful cashew nuts
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp mustard
• 1 tsp capers
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• Vegetable stock for thickening if needed
• salt & pepper to taste

In a mixer, blend together all the dressing ingredients until creamy. Add vegetable stock if needed.

Note – Here is how you can roast garlic

3. Creamy Avacado & Coriander Vinaigrette

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp corainder leaves
• Juice of one lemon
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a mixer, blend together all the dressing ingredients until creamy.

4. Olive and Basil Vinaigrette

• 1 clove garlic, grated
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard (I love using Kasundi instead of Dijon mustard)
• ¼ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together all the dressing ingredients and store in the fridge

5. Miso Vinaigrette

I love and adore Asian flavors and the Japanese Miso is one of my favorite condiment in my fridge. That makes this one of my most favorite salad dressings.

• 1 red birds eye chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp miso
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• ½ teaspoon grated peeled ginger

Mix together all the dressing ingredients and store in the fridge

5. Orange Ginger and Sesame dressing

• 1 tsp orange zest
• Juice of one large orange
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp  rice vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• sea salt to taste
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Mix together all the dressing ingredients and store in the fridge. This dressing won’t last too long, so make it just before you are going to use it.

If you make any of these dressings, share a picture with me on twitter, instagram or Facebook? I would love to hear what you say. And track all the posts for the Salad A-Z here