There's nothing better than sitting outdoors enjoying the sun and eating a salad with a homemade vinaigrette. You too can enjoy this delightful dining experience. Just remember that when making a vinaigrette, the ratio of acid (lemon or balsamic vinegar) to olive oil is one to three. See the guide in Step 1 for how to make your own vinaigrette at home.
Ingredients
Basic Vinaigrette
- Mustard
- One lemon or four tablespoons of lemon juice
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Balsamic vinegar
- Garlic
- Salt
- Sugar, brown sugar or honey
- Pepper
- Olive oil
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making a Basic Vinaigrette
Step 1. Put a little mustard in a small bowl
You'd better put mustard at your fingertips. Mustard acts as an emulsifying agent -- when two liquids don't mix, such as water and oil, mustard will break them up and help them mix.
You can also add a fingertip of mayonnaise to the bowl. Mayonnaise is also an emulsifying agent and can give a vinaigrette a creamy texture. However, to make a lower calorie vinaigrette, don't use mayonnaise
Step 2. Put the tamarind ingredients in a bowl
The choice of this material depends on the type of vinaigrette you are making. Vinaigrettes are generally made with lemon. Squeeze one fresh lemon into your bowl. If you don't have fresh lemons, you can also use four tablespoons of canned lemon juice. Toss the lemon juice along with the other ingredients in a bowl. Make sure all ingredients are evenly mixed.
Other options you can use as an acid are red wine, white wine, and apple cider vinegar
Step 3. Add olive oil
To mix all the ingredients well, keep stirring the lemon mixture while slowly pouring in the olive oil. Stirring while mixing will help the lemon juice mix with the oil. Keep stirring until all ingredients are evenly mixed.
Step 4. Add the spices
For a basic vinaigrette, all you need is pepper and salt. Add as many as you like. Add seasonings for flavour. If you want to add other seasonings, now is the time. Other spices you may want to add include:
- Minced garlic or onion.
- Finely chopped basil, parsley, thyme or dill.
- Other spices such as cumin or paprika.
Step 5. Pour the vinaigrette over your salad
Pour in when you're about to eat it so the lettuce leaves in the salad won't get runny. Enjoy your salad!
Method 2 of 3: Making a Balsamic Vinaigrette
Step 1. Put the balsamic vinegar in a bowl
Add the sugar and salt and stir until both are dissolved. Once dissolved, add the pepper and garlic. Pepper, garlic and salt are spices that you can add according to your taste. Mix until evenly distributed.
If you're using a high-quality balsamic vinegar instead of a cheap one, you'll likely need to add sugar. Once you've mixed the salt, pepper, and garlic, taste the mixture. Add sugar if you think necessary
Step 2. Continue to stir while adding the oil
To make it easier for the vinegar and oil to mix together, keep stirring while you slowly add a few drops of oil. Once you've added all the necessary oil, continue to stir for a few moments to make sure all the ingredients are well combined. Taste this vinaigrette and add more spice if you wish.
Add other ingredients if you like. Some recipes add a little mustard, chopped herbs, or chopped onion and garlic. Feel free to try adding it to your vinaigrette
Step 3. Pour the balsamic vinaigrette over the salad
Pour right before you eat so your salad doesn't get runny. If you're not using the vinaigrette right away, store it in a tightly closed container. When you are going to use it, stir again because the ingredients in it will separate while in the refrigerator.
Method 3 of 3: Other Vinaigrettes
Step 1. Try making a strawberry vinaigrette
If you prefer a slightly sweet salad dressing, you'll love the strawberry vinaigrette. Add walnuts, apple slices and you have a very tasty salad.
Step 2. Try making a traditional Italian vinaigrette
Imagine you're in Italy for a day with this classic Italian salad dressing. When you put a spoonful of salad in your mouth, you will be transported to a villa while enjoying the sound of the waves of the Mediterranean sea.
Step 3. Make a sweet orange marmalade vinaigrette
This sweet vinaigrette will also taste a little bitter from the marmalade but will taste great.
Step 4. Try making a salty miso vinaigrette
If you're making a salad with buckwheat noodles, this miso vinaigrette is the perfect match for you. Guests in your home will be very curious about the recipe.
Step 5. Try a soy curry vinaigrette with a salad
This unique vinaigrette has a very appetizing taste. Pour it over the chickpeas and cherry tomatoes to give the healthy greens a stronger flavor.
Tips
- Don't have mustard? Use salt instead, although mustard will also add flavor to the vinaigrette.
- Keep in mind that the standard ratio for making a balsamic vinaigrette is one part vinegar to three parts olive oil.
