How to Make Vinaigrette Without a Recipe

What’s the best way to eat more veggies? Plan ahead. Some days, just going to the store feels like too much effort – let alone washing and cutting a pile of veggies…then figuring out what to do with them. But with a little foresight, you can have all the fixings for a super-healthy side salad ready and waiting in your fridge, any time you need them. So even if you do order a pizza for dinner, you can still get some greens on your plate, too. When you get home from the grocery store, try washing and chopping several servings worth of your favourite salad ingredients and portioning them into zip-top bags or containers.

But what about the dressing? Store-bought dressings are an amazing convenience, but all too often they’re packed with more sugar, salt and preservatives than you really want on your plate. But whipping up a dressing from scratch can feel daunting – especially if you don’t have a recipe memorized. The good news? You don’t really NEED a recipe. All you have to remember is a handy ratio:

3 parts oil (ex. Olive, canola, sunflower)
1 part acid (ex. Vinegar, citrus juice)
1 tsp – 1 tbsp emulsifier (ex. maple syrup, Dijon mustard)
Add-ins (ex. fresh herbs)
Salt + pepper

How easy is that? The right balance of heart-healthy oil and tangy vinegar, with an emulsifying agent to help everything mix together, and some tasty add-ins to keep things interesting. Our favourite trick? Buy a plastic squeeze bottle or two and make a big batch of dressing right in the bottle. It’ll keep in the fridge for weeks, and you’ll have something tasty and healthy to dress your veggies with at a moment’s notice.

Here are some of our favourite variations to get you started…but the sky’s the limit! This is a great place to experiment and have fun – especially with all the incredible herbs, fruits and veggies starting to arrive at the markets now that summer is finally here.

Got a go-to salad dressing recipe? We want to try it! Give us a shout at blog@madradish.com.