How to make a good salad dressing
The secret to a good salad? It’s the vinaigrette, of course! To enhance lettuce and vegetables, they must be
coated with a dressing that has some punch. Here are the basics for creating homemade salad dressings with simple
ingredients.
The dressing basics
All salad dressings should contain these basic elements for a good balance of flavour and texture:
- A fatty element: oil, mayonnaise, sour cream, etc.
- Acidity: vinegars, lemon juice, lime juice, etc.
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, spices, etc.
- Sugar: maple syrup, honey, hoisin sauce, etc.
There is no exact proportion to follow. It is, however, necessary to use quantities not just according to your
desired taste and texture, but also according to the food items in your salad. A fragile lettuce needs a lighter
dressing, while a romaine lettuce will support a creamy dressing. It’s important to taste the dressing before
adding it to your salad. To make sure it works, test the dressing by dipping a piece of lettuce or vegetable in it
since they dilute the flavour.
The importance of fat
There are two main families of salad dressings, those with oil and those that are creamy. For oil salad dressings you
can use oils of any kind, such as more neutral ones—vegetable oil or grapeseed oil—or more pronounced
ones—olive oil, sesame oil or nut oils.
For a creamy dressing, incorporate commercial products into your salad dressing such as mayonnaise, sour
cream or Greek yogurt. The latter two will also bring acidity to the vinaigrette. You can also make it
creamy by making an emulsion.
What’s an emulsion?
It is the result of combining liquid molecules (vinegar) and fatty (oil) ingredients. To bind them, you need an
emulsifying agent such as an egg yolk or mustard. The latter are able to cling to the molecules of vinegar and oil
in order to obtain a homogeneous preparation. To create an emulsion, slowly drizzle the oil into the vinegar
and emulsifying agent while whisking until a smooth, creamy texture is obtained. This is the basic
principle of a mayonnaise or Caesar dressing, which can be reproduced with any salad dressing.
The world of vinegars
Vinegars come in a wide variety of flavours and intensities. Some come from the maceration of alcohol, such as red
wine, white wine, cider or even champagne vinegar. They are very aromatic. White vinegar is more neutral. If
you’re cooking with vinegar for the first time, taste a few drops to figure out how to use it.
Always salt
Before you even think about the different spices to add to your salad dressing, think about salt! It is an essential
flavour enhancer. It gives an immediate taste profile to salad dressing, even if you don’t necessarily taste it.
And sugar?
Even in a salad dressing that’s not sweetened, a small amount of sugar can soften the acidity of vinegar or
lemon juice. Think maple syrup, honey, fruit juice or applesauce, for example.
Tips for a successful salad dressing
- Dried herbs often tolerate salad dressing better than fresh herbs that tend to wilt on contact with liquid, such
as basil.
- If you have put too much vinegar in your preparation, you can make up for it by adding sugar.
- For delicate lettuces like Boston or watercress, add the dressing at the last minute so that the leaves
don’t soften.
- If you make a yogurt-based vinaigrette, you must watch out for the amount of vinegar or lemon juice that’s
added because it could curdle.
Looking for inspiration for your next salad dressings?
Here are some recipes to try: