Salad Dressing

This is the classic salad dressing, one I rely on all the time not only for salads but as a marinade for meats, to drizzle on crostini, and more.

This is a robust dressing that is good with strongly flavored greens like escarole or spinach. It’s also very good on grilled foods and vegetables like potatoes, or as a dressing for chicken and pasta salad. Because the garlic thickens the dressing and gives it body, less oil is needed than for a conventional vinaigrette.

The addition of buttermilk to a basic vinaigrette imparts creaminess and reduces the amount of oil needed for thickening. This dressing has a lighter body than the others, perfect for tender lettuces.

Buttermilk and low-fat yogurt replace some of the mayonnaise and the usual sour cream for a lighter, more refreshing dressing. This is a favorite for spooning over chilled wedges of iceberg lettuce, and it also goes well with hearty Belgian endive spears. The dressing can be made with any crumbly blue cheese, ranging from mild Danish blue to the more pungent Roquefort, Stilton, or Gorgonzola.

The addition of cucumber to the traditional recipe results in a dressing with a decidedly lighter, fresher flavor.

This dressing is flavored with the fresh taste of herbs. It would be lovely as a sauce for poached fish and chicken or boiled shrimp.

We put so much dried oregano in this vinaigrette that you might think it’s a typo. It’s not. Because the oregano is so prominent, look for sources such as Penzeys that specialize in dried herbs.

This is our most basic vinaigrette, used to dress many of our salads, and as a starting point to make other dressings, such as the mustard vinaigrette that is spooned over leeks in one of our most popular Mozzarella Bar items, Burrata with Leeks Vinaigrette and Mustard Bread Crumbs (page 72). Because it contains shallots, which can get a bit of an “off” flavor, you don’t want to keep it for more than two or three days.

Cumin seeds contain vitamin E as well as flavonoids, both powerful antioxidants.

To achieve a uniform consistency, grate the carrot on the small holes of a box grater before pureeing in the food processor. We like to serve the colorful dressing in its own dish and let each person spoon some over a salad of butter lettuce, sunflower sprouts, sliced radishes, and edamame.

This is a good vinaigrette for a simple green salad. Use extra-virgin olive oil if you prefer a fruitier flavor.

The trick to achieving a good emulsification—suspending the oil in water-based ingredients such as vinegar—is to add the oil toward the end and whisk it in a little bit at a time.

Let dressing sit overnight to meld flavors.