How to: Master Homemade Vinaigrette
Hello you guys!
How do I make my own vinaigrette?
This one of the most frequent questions I get. Making your own salad dressings or vinaigrette is something that you just need to learn the basic “rules” and then play around and get deliciously creative. Trust me, once you learn this technique you will NEVER buy a supermarket dressing bottle again for three simple reasons: They are way more expensive than making your own, they are full of sugar and additives, and yours will be WAY more yummy.
Let’s get down to business…
The first and most important thing you need to know about how to make a vinaigrette is this little ratio 3:1. this means three to one: 3 parts oil - 1 part vinegar.
Every time you make a vinaigrette you will be using this ratio, for example: I always like to make big batches that last about a week in my fridge so I always use 1/4 cup vinegar and 3/4 oil.
Any vinegar and any oil works. The classic vinaigrette is made with Olive oil and balsamic vinegar. but you can use Canola Oil, Avocado Oil, Almond Oil, Sunflower Oil…. any oil you like! and this goes for the vinegars as well. White Wine Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Champagne Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar, or even lime juice or orange juice…. your possibilities are endless! so get creative.
Now that you have the basic components for your vinaigrette, it’s time to add some flavor!
I always add a bit of salt and pepper and here are some flavors you can add:
Sweeteners: it’s always a good idea to add some honey or agave
Fresh herbs: fresh herbs do magic in vinaigrettes! they add so much flavor and freshness to your salads. Cilantro, Mint, Dill are just some examples of what you can use
Garlic, shallot, onion: all these add a handful of flavor to your vinaigrette. If you are using them make sure they are super finely chopped. No one likes a big piece of onion on their salads.
Mustard: my personal favorite! I use old fashion whole grain mustard or dijon. This gives your vinaigrette so much flavor and helps the emulsion process.
What is an emulsion?
Ok, last but not least. You have your ingredients ready, now what do you do? There are several ways to make your vinaigrette. Basically, oil and vinegar are to liquids that naturally separate and we need to force them to combine, that is called and emulsion and there are three basic ways to obtain it.
Whisk: this is my go to method, it’s very fast and convenient. Just mix all your ingredients in a bowl and whisk until emulsified. If you do this ahead of time it will likely separate again so make sure you whisk it right before serving.
Blender: you can blend all your ingredients and it will give you the same result.
Jar: I don’t normally choose this method because as I said, for me the most convenient is the whisk but you could get a jar with a lid, add all ingredients and shake shake shake until emulsified.
Now that you know the basics to making your own vinaigrette it’s time to get creative! Here you will also find lots of salad and vinaigrette recipes to get you started.
Hope you enjoy this “How-To” Article, stay tuned for more!
Much love,
Mariana.