Lemony Italian Vinaigrette
You’ll Want to Drizzle This Dressing On Everything!
What makes me eat more salads? A good dressing. And I bet it’s the same for you.
The best thing about vinaigrette is that it’s quick to whip up, almost impossible to get wrong, and you can customize it with whatever herbs you’ve got on hand. Oops, that’s 3 best things! Yup. I like to make this in larger batches so I can keep it in the fridge for the week.
Maybe because of my Italian heritage, I’m partial to Italian herbs so I’ve got a few of them growing in my garden- it makes it easy to just snip some for a quick salad or other dish. For this dressing, I might use thyme, oregano and sage, but later on in the summer I’ll also have basil and rosemary. I love mixing and matching different flavors into frenzied delight.
Like any vinaigrette, this one has its base in an acid and a fat, but I also add a little sweetness. The rest is what we call aromatics: salt, pepper, herbs and spices.
Notice I did not use any words you can’t pronounce. That dressing you buy in the grocery store? Even the expensive stuff has additives that give it shelf life or help keep the ingredients mixed together. And more likely than not, it’s made with inflammatory oils like canola, ‘vegetable’, or sunflower. Yuck! When you make your own dressing, you avoid all that nasty stuff.
As you go out about making your vinaigrette, here are a few tips to get you from basic to stellar
Use a high quality olive oil
The bargain stuff that comes in a plastic bottle? It’s ok in a pinch- and is a solid choice when you’re roasting or sautéing. But for a vinaigrette, the better the quality olive oil, the tastier the dressing. Choose one that comes from a single source and is packaged in a dark glass bottle or -even better- tin can. The less light that can leak through, the better. Of course, in the end, taste is key so use one whose taste you really like.
Squeeze your own lemon juice
I know we live busy lives and we’re all about convenience, but this is one of those times when an extra minute or two juicing a fresh lemon outweighs the convenience of that stuff that comes in the yellow lemon-shaped plastic bottle. Get fresh lemons and squeeze them yourself. Just be careful to remove the seeds from your juice.
Use fresh herbs
If you’ve got access to fresh herbs and garlic, use them! If you don’t have any, though, it’s ok to rely on dried herbs and spices. Just know that you’ll need less dried herbs than fresh, so go slowly and taste as you go.
Choose A good quality sea salt
There should only be ONE ingredient in your salt: sea salt. No iodine, no anti-caking agents. If you can, try to get your hands on some grey sea salt. I also like to finish off my salad with a little sprinkle of a fine finishing salt, like fleur de sel.
Mix and Store in a glass jar with a lid
When I buy pasta sauce, pickles or peanut butter, I like to clean and save the glass jars for later use. It’s a great way to reuse them: I’ll add all the dressing ingredients to a jar, screw on the lid, and shake it up to mix the ingredients. Note: if you make up a batch and have leftovers, keep in the fridge but know that you’ll need to allow the dressing to come to room temperature in order to use it (the oil will likely solidify in the fridge).
Dress the salad Just before serving
If you are serving salad to 2 or more people, mix all your salad items in larger bowl and toss with dressing right before you’re about to serve. I always appreciate when I go to a restaurant and the salad is served with the dressing already incorporated (rather than served in a little bowl on the side). It usually means I’m in for a treat. You want all the elements of your salad to be covered in the dressing, not just a few leaves of lettuce on top.
Feel Free to Experiment!
You are not bound by the ratios of oil to acid and sweet that I give you (though the 2:1 oil to acid ratio is pretty standard for vinaigrettes). In terms of sweetener, I’m using maple syrup but you could also use agave or honey. I like to balance off the acid with a little sweetness, but you could omit that if you prefer. In sum, consider this recipe a starting point, and if you want more oil, less (or no) sweetener, more garlic, whatever… start experimenting!
Lemony Italian Vinaigrette
Makes ~1 cup
Ingredients
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoon minced fresh Italian herbs
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2-3 teaspoons)
Pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes
Directions
Add the olive oil through maple syrup to a small jar with a lid; tightly fasten the lid and shake vigorously (alternatively, add the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together with a fork or small whisk). Add a little salt and freshly ground pepper, shake vigorously, then taste the dressing. Add more of each until you’re happy with the results. Finally, whisk in the herbs, garlic and red pepper flakes (side note: use more or less garlic depending on how garlicky you want your dressing).
Now go dress up your favorite salad or make a double batch to keep in the fridge for the week!
