I’m not sure when I stopped buying pre-made salad dressing but it was a while ago…one year, maybe two? I would always read the labels and undoubtedly there were in ingredients in them that were less than stellar – canola oil, vegetable oil, additives I didn’t recognize, sugar. So I started making my own on a regular basis. I often have dressing made up in the refrigerator ready to go but I’ve noticed lately that I really enjoy making a salad that’s dressed already for dinner. I like the opportunity to toss the dressing. The taste is lighter on the ingredients and I enjoy the salad being evenly covered, not smothered in dressing. So, this post is really about inspiration, it’s not necessarily a recipe to follow to a T. I’ll give you some guidelines as to how I simply (and maybe literally) throw together a vinegar and oil dressing on top of a salad I’ve just made.
Oil and Vinegar Dressing on a Green Salad
- salad greens
- chopped vegetables of your choice (i.e. peppers, cucumbers, snap peas, thin onions, tomatoes, avocado)
- olive oil
- vinegar (I use apple cider and/or balsamic)
- sea salt and pepper
- optional adds: squeeze of fresh lemon juice, fresh garlic for a kick)
In a large bowl with extra room for tossing, create your salad using bright colored vegetables. Sprinkle olive oil on top layer of salad. Follow up with about 1/3 the amount of vinegar. Add any optional ingredients like fresh lemon juice. Follow up with salt and pepper to taste. Toss well and serve immediately.
(Note – when starting out this method, go light on the olive oil and vinegar and do a taste test after all ingredients are added. If you need more, add a little more.) I promise this will get easy and it’s so simple and healthy!
Source: Jackie Mack, Lingonberry Lane