I learned to make salad dressing when I was 7 or 8 years old. An old aunt of ours taught me and had me make it every time we visited her house. It’s a basic dressing I think most Swiss kids learn how to make. Years later I still make this basic dressing, sometimes I switch out the components with the same proportions and get my second dressing. Lots of people like and comment on it when they have a salad at our house. It’s foolproof, it’s versatile and it’s a good one to know off the top of your head.
Ingredients
- Version 1:
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Canola or Sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon White wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs such as Italian or Provencal
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Version 2:
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dried Italian herbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients at the bottom of the salad bowl and stir vigorously until well combined. Add a splash of water if you want a thinner dressing. Alternatively, double or quadruple the recipe, add all components in a mason jar, tighten lid and shake vigorously until well combined. Use part of it for your salad and keep rest in fridge for future use. Keeps a couple of days.
- Dressing 1 has a tart taste due to the white wine vinegar, Dressing 2 is a bit sweet and silkier due to the balsamic vinegar and the olive oil.
Notes
Once you master a basic dressing you can change things up as you wish. Try adding sour cream instead of mayonnaise, try a shallot infused oil, add fresh herbs in the summer, try buttermilk instead of mayonnaise, or add some feta to the balsamic dressing. The sky is the limit - just make sure you have a 2:1 ratio for your oil and vinegar.
