Basic Vinaigrette

This basic recipe for vinaigrette will unleash a world of flavor combinations that you choose on your own.

When I turned 16, I got a job at a grocery store. On my first day, my dad gave me some coaching: arrive early, stay late, do exactly what they tell you to do.

So, obedient, overachieving daughter that I was, I did just that. The manager didn’t realize that I had worked 20 minutes over schedule. He asked me to do something, and I did it. I don’t remember which one of us brought it up, but eventually, I got to go home. I had no clue that you clocked yourself out.

He looked at me, this short thin guy with a mustache named John, and said, stroking his mustache, of course, “There’s one last thing you need to do. You know the salad dressings? Well, the oil and vinegar separate during the night. So, before you go, I need you to go down the salad dressing aisle and shake all the bottles.”

And you know what? Foodie though I was — someone who knew that you had to reshake before serving — I went down the salad dressing aisle and started shaking each and every bottle. After about five or six bottles, a customer clued me in: they were pranking the new girl.

I walked back to the deserted front of the store — it was 9:30 pm by this time — shaking my head. John and the few checkers in the checkstands were busting up laughing.

So, there you have it. One of my most embarrassing moments.

You won’t catch me in the salad dressing aisle these days. I know how to make it myself! And you can, too.

Salad dressing, particularly vinaigrette, is super easy to make yourself. There’s a general basic formula that you need to know and then you can tweak and change ingredients to your heart’s content. With this recipe, you can make an untold number of vinaigrette varieties. Experiment and find your favorites!

Making vinaigrette yourself.

Mixing up a vinaigrette takes just a few minutes. I typically don’t measure. I just grab a small mason jar, pour in vinegar or citrus juice, add some herbs, spices, jam, garlic and/or mustard, shake well, add the oil, shake again. Voila!

Making it cheaper.

An 8-ounce bottle of good quality, bottled dressing typically costs $3 or more. The same amount of homemade breaks down so much more economically.

olive or sunflower oil $0.80
vinegar $0.25
generous allowance for scant herbs, spices, condiments $0.25

Total for 8-ounces of homemade dressing = $1.30 or less than half of the commercial product.

An added bonus is that you can control the ingredients in your dressing. Bottled dressing is most commonly doused with corn syrup. Corn syrup?!

Make your own and make it good.

Recipe: Basic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/4 cup vinegar or citrus juice or a combination

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Optional mix-ins (choose a few): 1 tablespoon jam, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon or dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, 1/4 teaspoon favorite dried herbs such as basil, oregano, Italian herbs, herbes de provence, tarragon

1/2 to 3/4 cup sunflower or olive oil

Instructions

In a Mason jar, pour the vinegar, paprika, salt, and pepper. Add the mix-ins of your choice. Cap the jar and shake until well combined.

Add the oil and cap again. Shake.

Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

Do you make your own salad dressing?

This is part of the DIY Convenience Foods series.

Don’t want to miss a post in this series? Subscribe to 31 Days of DIY Convenience food here. Get updates via email here.