Salad dressing can be a bit of a challenge. For those trying to eat healthy, salad is often the place they go for a healthy meal. More often than not, a half a cup or more of store-bought creamy salad dressing negates much of the good intention. Often tons of calories and unhealthy fats can derail good intentions very quickly.
Making your own salad dressing is a simple option and can ensure that you know exactly what is in it. Including healthy fats, like olive oil, and knowing there are no preservatives that you can’t pronounce really makes me feel a little better.
I have been making Balsamic Vinaigrette for many years. But, as an oil and vinegar dressing it will separate over time. Because, science. No biggie, you shake it up and off you go. But, I recently tried a Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette that I loved. Obviously, it was time to do some research.
Basically, you need to create an emulsion. Without getting too technical, you add something that keeps everything mixed and in suspension rather than than separating over time. In this case, I discovered, one can used mayonnaise or plain Greek yogurt. In this case I opted for the Greek yogurt, but I have used Olive Oil Mayonnaise before as well.
Home made salad dressing is super simple: Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, sweetener (Honey, agave, sugar), mustard, salt and pepper. If you want to try out the creamy variety, a little Greek Yogurt or Mayo. I would advocate for the Greek Yogurt to lower the total fat content and add a little calcium. If you go for the Mayo, I would opt for a ‘healthier’ version such as an olive oil variety.
I will post my approximate measurements in the recipe below, but this is definitely a ‘to taste’ type of recipe. I have done everything from a 1:1 ratio of oil:vinegar to 1:1.5, and tweak all the other ingredients until it tastes good to me.
I used this salad dressing shaker to make and serve my dressing. It’s nice to dirty one thing, then just throw it in the fridge when I’m done. You can also use a mason jar or a bowl and whisk.
Play around. Food is supposed to be fun!
Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup Greek Yogurt optional
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients in salad dressing shaker or bowl. Shake or whisk to combine. Adjust ingredients to taste.
