How to: Make Homemade Salad Dressing [NaBloPoMo Day 14]

This is an oldie but a goody. Because it's Friday. I'm hoping that because the economy blows, people are going to stop spending money on bottled dressing (which I find outrageously expensive for what it is) and start making their own.

Don't get me wrong, there are some bottled dressings that I adore (Girard's Champagne and Trader Joe's Cilantro for starters) but I'd much rather eat a salad dressed with a vinaigrette of my own creation.

So this weekend I challenge you to grab a jar and make some dressing, then report back and tell me how it went.

Comments

[beyond]

i just made one a few hours ago. in an almost empty organic dijon mustard squeeze bottle. i added white wine vinegar, balsamic, olive oil, sea salt, pepper. salad was mixed greens, french cornichons, honey crisp apple. it was yummy and there's enough dressing left for at least 4 more salads...

[erin]

This is my all time favorite salad dressing which I believe was created by Chef Dianne West from Cortes Island, BC.

Nutritional Yeast Dressing by Dianne West

Gallon recipe ½ gallon 1 quart
20 cloves garlic chopped (or 10 or 5)
1.5 c tamari (or ¾ c or 3/8 c)
1.5 c cider vinegar (or ¾ c or 3/8 c)
1.5 c water (or ¾ c or 3/8 c)

4 c nutritional yeast flakes (or 2 c or 1 c)
Oil to desired consistency

Place first 4 ingredients in blender and blend.
Add nutritional yeast flakes.
Add oil to mixture in blender. There is enough oil when funnel closes in blender.

This recipe makes 1 gallon but it is easy to quarter the recipe. This dressing tastes great on salad, rice and veggies and just about anything else you can think of. The dressing lasts for several months in the refrigerator.

[Stefania/CityMama]

I *love* nutritional yeast in salad dressing. My French friend taught me to do it that way. It's a must in all my mustardy vinaigrettes. It definitely adds something special!

[Mary]

This is a dressing that is a bit unusual. Walnuts are very accessible right now - it's harvest time in Oregon so they are a bit cheaper than usual. I love to use it with pear and endive or a spinach salad. The dressing with nutritional yeast looks absolutely amazing; I'll have to give it a try.

Walnut Vinaigrette
Yields about 2 1/2 cups

1 cup toasted walnuts
1 cup water
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp minced shallots
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup walnut oil

Combine everything but the oils in the work bowl of a food processor or a blender and process until the mixture is smooth. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle in the oils until the dressing thickens. Turn the processor or blender off, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

[Jenny]

here is my thing. If I do dressing it is not following a method.

I do olive oil (extra virgin) salt (used to be kosher until you told me to do sea salt) garlic, red wine vinegar, lemon and pepper. I mix until I think it tastes yummy.

Or else I do that fourseasons packet with oil/vinegar.

Delish!

[LizP]

I love my home made dressing, but no one else does. It's olive oil, basalmic vineger, powdered mustard, garlic powder, and pepper. People don't usually like it because it has a higher percentage of vinegar than most recipes ... like 40 - 50% vinegar.

Girard's was my FAVOURITE dressing growing up!!!

[ann]

We pretty much only use two kinds of salad dressing at my house: Annie's Goddess Dressing and this one:

Shake in a jar:
2 big spoonfuls of dijon mustard, some glugs of balsamic vinegar, a splash of olive oil and a big squeeze of honey. Taste and adjust ingredients.

Sometimes I just use lemon juice, salt and good olive oil on the salad.

[msmaria]

Whee! I love all these recipes. My salad dressing is from my mom:
1 cup oil (can be canola, olive, or any combination)
1/2 c vinegar (usually red wine but can be white wine, champagne, etc.)
2-5 garlic cloves (I always lean towards more)
1/2 tsp salt (adjust according to taste)
1/4 tsp ground pepper

I use my stick blender and mix it all up and store it in an empty Grolsch (beer) bottle (the one with the cute little flippy top). Works great on regular salads, as well as mom's cucumber salad (sliced cucumbers, dressing, sour cream). Add oregano for a Greek version.

Speaking of nutritional yeast, Stefania, can you give us your awesome yeast/mustard/olive oil/other magical ingredients salad dressing recipe too? I remember when you whipped up the beautiest Salad Nicoise on one of my visits (you were still living in the city) and that dressing *rocked*!

[Briana]

Ooh thanks for the refresher course! I do love to make my own when I think of it, so its nice to see all the different combinations of things that can go in. Love it!