• BASICS
Most vinaigrettes start with a ratio of 2:1/olive oil:vinegar or 3:1/O:V, if your vinegar is very strong, and then salt and pepper to taste. That’s it. Measure your oil and vinegar to get the right ratio until you can eyeball it–most people tend to overdose on the vinegar.
From there, you can do endless variations:
ADD-INS: dijon mustard, minced garlic, substitute lemon juice for vinegar, herbs, red pepper flakes, honey…
CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE: use champagne (or white wine) vinegar and add some minced shallots
BLUE CHEESE VINAIGRETTE: use about 1 oz. of blue cheese per 2 t. oil (serves 1) and mash the cheese into the oil until blended. Then add red wine vinegar and salt and pepper.
WALNUT VINAIGRETTE: add some walnut (only like 3, if doing single servings), toast them, and chop them up with some garlic extremely fine (if doing a single serving) or run through a food processor/blender. Then add red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and drizzle in the oil.
• CLASSIC FENNEL & ORANGE SALAD
1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
2 navel oranges
olive oil
s+p
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Cut the top and bottom off the orange and then cut away the peel and pith by paring the sides. Cut the orange into round slices. You can either leave the slices as a backdrop for the salad, or you can separate the sections for a tossed salad. Put your fennel atop the orange slices (or mix them with the orange slices) and drizzle with olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. This will make the basic salad. From there, you can add any (or all) of the following, according to taste:
-shaved parmesan
-red onion
-dry salty black olives
-slivered almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios
-arugula
-dried cranberries or blueberries
-white wine vinegar or lemon juice
-julienned mint
-pomegranate seeds
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(serves 4)
3 t olive oil
2 t apple cider or red wine vinegar
about 1 t minced shallot
1/2 t dijon mustard
a smidge of honey
s+p, to taste
Mix everything together.
For the salad, combine some Belgian endive, cut into strips, some sweet-tart apple (like Pink Ladies or Empire), and crumbled blue cheese (or goat cheese if you prefer). You may also want to add arugula, mint leaves, thinly sliced red onion, and chopped walnuts, pecans, and/or almonds.
For 1
• STRAWBERRY-SPINACH SALAD WITH POPPYSEED DRESSING
Strawberries and spinach make for a classic salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, but this poppyseed dressing really takes it to a new level.
DRESSING
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. canola oil
1 t. salt
1 t. dry mustard
1 1/2 t. minced yellow onion
1/2 t. poppyseeds
1/2 c. granulated sugar
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until the dressing looks like heavy pink cream.
For the salad, combine sliced fresh strawberries, a bunch of fresh spinach, some thinly-sliced red onion, and a few coarsely-chopped walnuts or pecans. Toss with dressing and enjoy.
Generously contributed by Amy R.
• PEPPERS on PEPPERS SALAD
Here’s a recipe for using up those lovely bell peppers in both a salad and dressing. Just don’t buy green:
DRESSING
1 T olive oil
1/2 c. diced yellow/orange/red bell pepper
1 T minced shallot
1/8 t each salt & cayenne peppper (to taste)
2 T white wine vinegar
Combine everything but the vinegar in a blender; then add the vinegar in a steady stream.
The salad consists of red oak lettuce (1 head), red leaf lettuce (1 sm head), chicory (1 sm head), watercress (1 lg bunch), Belgain endive (1 head), 1 yellow bell pepper and 1 red bell pepper, 1 can of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans.
Serves 8
From Sunset Magazine’s Low Cholesterol Cookbook
• “CALIFORNIA COBB” SALAD
The salad’s ingredients are: butter and red oak lettuce (you want a softer, sweeter lettuce), shredded grilled chicken, sliced red onion, chopped cashews (toast them to bring out their flavor if you want), cubed avocado and grapefruit segments. For a single serving, I usually eat half each of an avocado and a grapefruit.
SESAME DRESSING
2 T. rice wine vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 T. canola oil
1 t. fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. cayenne pepper OR 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
2 T. sesame seeds (toasted is preferred, but not necessary)
The dressing recipe will make about 1/2 a cup, or 4 servings
• CORN, GREEN ONION, and CILANTRO SALAD
This is a deliciously fresh cold salad with clean, light flavors.
4 ears fresh corn, kernels shaved and collected (about 4 c. kernels)
1-2 jalapenos, diced (depending on your desired heat)
salt (to taste)
1 T. olive oil
2 t. champagne (or white wine) vinegar
4 t. lime juice
cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 scallion, sliced thin on the diagonal
2 T. cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 pt. cherry tomatoes, diced
Heat the oil in a skillet and add your corn, jalapenos, and about 1/4 t. salt and cook the corn for about 7-8 minutes over medium heat. Comine the vinegar and lime juice with a pinch of cayenne pepper in a bowl and mix in the warm corn/jalapeno mix. Chill.
When the corn is cool, add the scallion and cilantro. Add the tomatoes just before serving and season with salt and pepper.
Serves 4-6
From Anne Sommerville’s Field of Greens
• RASPBERRY VINAIGRETTE
An easy little vinaigrette from The Candle Cafe. They serve it with an arugula and pear salad, garnished with pecans.
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2 c. fresh/frozen raspberries
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. agave syrup
1/2 c. plus 1 T red wine vinegar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Put the raspberries, olive oil, agave nectar, vinegar, and salt ina blender and blend until well combined. Strain through a fine sieve.
Add the pecans and blend again. The vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for about a week.
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Makes 3 cups
From Joy Pierson and Bart Potenza’s The Candle Cafe Cookbook
• ROMAINE SALAD with ANCHOVY DRESSING
…And for heaven’s sake–if you don’t do this already, mix your dressing in the bowl that you’re going to serve the salad in and then throw in your greens.
5 flat anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 small garlic cloves, minced
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. white-wine vinegar
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 hearts of romaine (20 to 22 ounces total), torn into pieces
6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Whisk together anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Whisk in oil.
Toss lettuce with dressing, then with cheese.
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Serves 8
From Gourmet Magazine, July 2009
• CLEMENTINE, OLIVE, and ENDIVE SALAD
A riff off of the classic Italian orange and fennel salad, but a bit peppy-er.
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2 T. red-wine vinegar
1 t. sugar, or to taste
1/2 t. salt, or to taste
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 3/4 lbs. clementines (7 to 11)
2 lbs. Belgian endives (6 to 8)
4 pale inner ribs of celery, including leaves
1/2 c. Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and cut lengthwise into slivers
1 c. drained cocktail (pickled) onions (5 ounces), quartered
3/4 c. loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Whisk together vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with pepper.
Cut off tops and bottoms from clementines to expose fruit, then, resting fruit on a cutting board, remove peel, including all white pith, by cutting off vertical strips with a sharp paring knife. Cut segments free from inner membranes.
Halve endives lengthwise, then cut out and discard cores. Cut endives diagonally into 1/2-inch-wide strips and put in a large salad bowl.
Separate celery leaves from ribs and cut ribs diagonally into very thin slices, then add leaves and ribs to endives along with olives, onions, parsley, and clementine segments. Whisk dressing, then gently toss salad with enough dressing to coat.
Serves 8
From Gourmet Magazine
• FIG, CANTALOUPE, and ARUGULA SALAD
A delicious combination of peppery greens and mild sweet fruit. Great for the waning days of summer.
ORANGE VINAIGRETTE
1/4 t minced orange zest
2 T fresh orange juice
1/2 T champagne vinegar
1/4 t salt
3 T olive oil
SALAD
2 handfuls of arugula (or red mustard greens or mizuna)
orange vinaigrette
1 small cantaloupe (or ambrosia or Sharlyn melon)
8-10 ripe figs
1 T pine nuts (preferably toasted)
To make the vinaigrette, combine everything in a small bowl except the oil, then whisk in the oil. Cut the melon in half, scoop out the seeds, thinly slice and peel, following the contour of the rind. Rinse the figs under cool water and cut into halves or quarters, leaving the stem end on. Arrange the arugula on a serving platter and losely arrange the melon and figs on it. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the fruit and sprinkle with pine nuts.
Serves 4
From Anne Sommerville’s Fields of Greens
• MACHE & PEAR SALAD
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. dry Sherry
1 T. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
8 c. mâche (lamb’s lettuce, about 4 ounces)
1 c. Parmesan shavings (about 2 ounces)
1 lg. Bosc pear, peeled, halved, cored, cut crosswise into thin slices
1/3 c. walnuts, toasted
1 shallot, peeled, thinly sliced
Whisk mustard, Sherry, and red wine vinegar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually add oil, whisking until well blended. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Toss mâche, Parmesan, pear, walnuts, and shallot in large bowl to combine. Toss with enough dressing to coat.
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Serves 4
From Bon Appetit, March 2003
• DANDELION GREENS with BACON SALAD
One of my favorite salads. It doesn’t end up being necessarily “healthy” because you are eating the bacon fat that you’d ordinarily drain, but it does make a satisfying lunch. You can tell yourself that Atkins would be proud.
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2 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. the best bacon you can find, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
1 T. chopped shallot
4 c. torn dandelion greens (you could substitute another peppery green, like arugula)
1/4 c. red-wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
s+p
Place the olive oil in the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Add the bacon and cook slowly until it is crisp all over, 10 minutes or more. Add the shallot and cook a minute or two longer, until the shallot softens. Keep the bacon warm in the skillet.
Heat a salad bowl by filling it with hot water and letting it sit for a minute. Dry it and toss in the greens. Add the vinegar and mustard to the skillet and bring just to boil, stirring. Pour the liquid and bacon over the greens, season to taste (it shouldn’t need that much salt) and serve warm immediately.
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Serves 4
From Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything
[...] RECIPE: Mache & Pear Salad [...]