Salad dressings: basic vinaigrette and variations
Basic oil and vinegar vinaigrette with salt and pepper, plus variations with mustard, yoghurt, citrus, herbs or nuts. How to emulsify it and dress a salad without drenching it.
At a glance
- Prep5 min
- Total5 min
- Servings4 servings
- DifficultyEasy
Allergens
- Sulphites
Who this recipe is for
A homemade dressing to replace bottled sauces. It works with any salad, with variations to suit your taste.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4 servings. Tick off what you already have.
Step by step
- In a clean, dry bowl, add the vinegar or lemon juice and dissolve the salt and spices in it.
- Add the oil and whisk with a small whisk or fork until the mixture thickens and turns cloudy (emulsifies). You can also shake it in a sealed jar.
- Dry the salad leaves and vegetables thoroughly: this helps the dressing cling and prevents a puddle forming at the bottom.
- Dress the salad just before serving so the leaves do not wilt.
- Toss with two spoons: first the leaves, then the remaining ingredients, leaving those that release more water until last.
Adaptations
How to change it depending on the day. Each change keeps the dish, it does not replace it.
With mustard
Add a small dab of mustard to the basic vinaigrette.
Yoghurt (creamier)
Replace the oil and vinegar with plain, unsweetened, unflavoured yoghurt, with lemon, salt and pepper. Contains dairy.
Citrus
Replace some of the vinegar with freshly squeezed orange or lime juice, plus the zest.
Herbs
Add fresh or dried herbs to the basic vinaigrette: basil, mint, chives, parsley or thyme.
Nuts or seeds
Add chopped walnuts or toasted sesame seeds to the basic vinaigrette. Contains nuts (or sesame).
Less oil
Increase the proportion of vinegar or lemon, or replace some of the oil with citrus juice or stock.
No vinegar
Replace it with lemon juice.
Less salt
Use chopped herbs, spices, garlic and onion; if you use soy sauce, use very little because of its salt content.
What it provides
Extra virgin olive oil is the fat in this dish: one tablespoon per person is a reasonable measure as a guide, not a fixed rule. No dressing “detoxes” or “burns fat”.
The dietitian's tip
Bottled vinaigrettes often contain a lot of salt: if you use one, dilute it with olive oil and do not add extra salt to the dish. Keep the basic vinaigrette in a sealed jar in the fridge for a few days and shake it before use (leave out fresh raw garlic if you plan to keep it for several days). Bear in mind that the variations change the allergens in the base: the yoghurt version contains dairy, the mustard or soy version contains those allergens, and the nut or sesame version also contains allergens.
What a recipe is not
This recipe fits into a plan; it does not replace one. It cures nothing and it is not calculated for one particular person: the quantities are indicative and will need adjusting to your case.
If you have a medical condition, take medication or follow a prescribed diet, check with your doctor or your dietitian before changing anything.
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A recipe fits or does not fit depending on what is going on with you. In clinic we build the whole plan around what you eat, what you tolerate and what you fancy.