So, I eat a lot of salads. They’re so easy for lunches, and can be guilt free. I used to fall into the trap of going out to eat with my friends for lunch and getting a “healthy” salad that had fried chicken, ranch dressing, about a cup of cheese and a teeny tiny bit of greens hiding under all that. That’s not what you want. You want some robust, leafy greens dressed nicely, like it's Sunday morning. You want clean proteins and lots of veggies and herbs. We’ll get into salad building another time--but first let’s take a look at some all-purpose vinaigrettes.
I’m not saying I don’t still love ranch. Believe you me, I do. I just try to limit it as a dipping sauce instead of slathered all over a bed of greens. Instead, I like to make my own vinaigrettes. They’re so, so easy. These are the three I use most often. Oil and vinegar are a classic combo. They’re Johnny and June, Bonnie and Clyde, my dog George and those beef jerky treats from Costco. You get what I’m saying. When you combine them, you kinda can’t go wrong. I always recommend using good olive oil (what’s up Ina Garten) and for this I especially would. The flavor is going to be right there in front of you, not masked by a ton of other things. My go to is California Olive Ranch.
The honey mustard one goes especially well with a grilled chicken salad with walnuts, grapes, and feta. Just warms up the soul. It sounds simple but can be very satisfying. Spinach is a great choice for a green on that one.
The lemon vinaigrette is a go-to, easy to make, light and fresh dressing. This one is great if there’s lots of other complex flavors and ingredients in the salad, like roasted vegetables, a strong cheese, fruit, or a heavily spiced protein. You don’t want the flavors to be competing with each other, so this is a good basic dressing. It’s also what I use to dress any sort of greens that may go on a burger or sandwich. (FYI dressing your greens on a burger or sandwich can be a game changer!)
Last but certainly not least, the balsamic dressing is another all-around good one. It’s zingy and goes well on so many types of salads. If I’m in a rush, sometimes I’ll just take olive oil in one hand, balsamic in another, and swirl them both on my salad. Sprinkle some salt, stir her up, and you’re good to go.
Lemon Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
Instructions:
Mix ingredients together until combined. Use to dress a salad or greens, and enjoy! Store in an airtight container.
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