Tip of the Day: Make the Perfect Salad Dressing with Oil and Vinegar

by Max Shrem, Posted Jan 10th 2009 @ 1:15PM

When making salad dressings, ever wonder why oil and vinegar mix well in some cases and not in others? Find out how to make the perfect salad dressing with two simple ingredients, and maybe just a few more.

There are just a few ideas to bear in mind when making salad dressing with oil and vinegar. First, oil and vinegar do not easily blend well. Use a wooden bowl and whisk the two ingredients with a spoon until they emulsify so that they do not separate. Forget plastic or glassware!

Nut oils are delicious in salad dressings and add a rich savory flavor to the salad. I often use walnut oil, but hazelnut oil and pistachio oil (although price prohibitive) are even better. You can use it to replace the olive oil or to accompany it. Also, you may want to consider using rice vinegar, because it's less strong. However, if you are a vinegar fan, you may want to explore different vinegars, such as sherry wine vinegar and Banyuls vinegar.

After considering the selection of oil and vinegar, think about whether or not you want a more savory or sweet salad or a combination of the two. You can add a dash of mustard. Honey Dijon mustard works well. Acacia honey works particularly well in salad dressings. When I'm out of honey, I use maple syrup.

Filed Under: Tip of the Day, Ingredients, How To
Tags: acacia, olive oil, OliveOil, salad, salad dressing, SaladDressing, salads, soup, tip of the day, TipOfTheDay, vinegar