looking for vinaigrette or homemade salad dressing recipes (1,018 views)

I started making my own dressings several years ago and use a basic vinaigrette from Cook's Illustrated and then vary it to my tastes. Sometimes I use lemon juice, balsamic, sherry vinegar, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar etc.... depending what flavor I am going for i.e. for a honey mustard I'd use apple cider vinegar. Mostly I use olive oil but sometimes add a touch of walnut or other oil. If I want a more neutral flavor like a honey mustard, I might use a mild olive oil or regular vegetable oil. If I want a creamy dressing, I may swap some of the oil with Greek yogurt and/or mayo. The basic proportions are up to you but I tend to go a bit heavier on the acid than the typical 3 to 1 ratio of fat to acid but that is just my preference. Then I usually always include a bit of garlic, some form of onion (shallot or red onion), honey, Dijon mustard, S & P. If available, I will add a fresh herb such as parsley, chives, oregano, or thyme. Otherwise, I use dried.

I also love making tahini dressings. Thin tahini with an equal amount of water; season with S & P. From there it is up to you....add yogurt, lemon juice or red wine vinegar, zata'ar or other favorite seasonings, a dash of soy sauce is good, fresh herbs. Tahini ranch is also good. I keep a dry ranch mix on hand that I make using buttermilk powder and add a few tablespoons of that. Once you make your dressings from scratch, you won't go back....so much tastier than bottled! And bonus that they are probably better for you too.

Karen

Easy Caesar Salad Dressing (Keto friendly)

1 cup Mayonaise
1 clove crushed garlic
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper.

Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth. Makes 1 cup.

For those who think anchovies are required in a real Caesar Salad Dressing. The reason people think so is that when a chemical analysis was done on Caesar Cardini's Salad Dressing (because he wouldn't give up the recipe) they found anchovy. This was later revealed to be an ingredient in the Worcestershire sauce, not a separate ingredient for the dressing.

Not vinaigrette, but yes, good and quick, too. This dressing you mention, is also super good without the pickle relish...and just fresh chopped up garlic. Aunt Ethel taught me to make it when I was little. Can thin with milk. Easy and delish. Catbatty (PS: That was interesting about the anchovies! Up in your Caesar dressing post. Thanks!)

Edited to add: Aunt Ethel played the mayo/ketchup ratio by eyesight, adding just enough ketchup to color the mayo pinkish. (3 ingreds: mayo, ket, garlic...how hard can it be? LOL Tastes far better than it's parts would have you believe, too, in my humble. Adding some hot dog relish might give it some tang. I can't wait to try that.)

Making a slight change:
I am thinking now that Aunt Ethel probably did not use fresh garlic back then. (Sides, I like it that way, but it might have put off some guests.) SO, I think she probably just used garlic salt or garlic powder. I was a little kid and have made it a zillion times, but what the garlic was escapes me now. (And I use fresh for just husband and me.)

It's all good, Wizard. I'm sure all dressings are welcomed. The Olive Garden one, is that a recipe or is it sold in stores? I guess I don't go through dressing isle all that often anymore. (We now only buy the refrigerated kind found by the produce section in markets...usually Feta Dressing. Love the stuff. That is, if we are using a premade one.)

I wish I had a recipe for it but buy it at Walmart on the dressing isle. It's magic stuff.