You haven’t had a salad until you top it with homemade salad dressing from scratch.
Easy to make; fresh salads are something you will now make more often. Homemade croutons top it off…
Homemade Salad Dressing
HOMEMADE OLD FASHIONED FRENCH DRESSING
1 cup water
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp white sugar
1 lemon, juiced
2-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp homemade worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups extra virgin olive oil (they used to use Wesson oil)
Blend the first 9 ingredients in a food processor or blender (no oils).
Now add the olive oil and pulse. Pour into an airtight 2 quart mason jar and store in the refrigerator. Shake well before serving.
Makes approximately 1-1/2 quarts.
For Homemade Croutons
3 slices bread, cubed
6 TBS homemade unsalted butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with vegetable oil.
Place bread cubes on cookie sheet for approximately 15 minutes or until cubes are dried. Melt butter in skillet and add the dried bread cubes. Toss well to coat and cook on low heat until they are crisp.
More French Salad Dressing Recipes
Because we are starting this recipe with homemade mayo and not store-bought, you will find this so creamy and good that you will want to eat it with a spoon. It is great with Spicy Buffalo Wings and so much more.
Homemade Mayonnaise
1-1/4 cup canola oil, divided
1 egg, room temperature
3 TBS vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
pinch cayenne pepper
Place 1/4 cup of oil, salt, cayenne pepper, mustard and egg into a blender or food processor and pulse until completely blended.
SLOWLY add a thin stream of the remaining canola oil while the appliance is running until all is processed. Add the lemon juice and vinegar and whip until smooth and creamy.
Store in a airtight container in the refrigerator.
EASY BLUE CHEESE DRESSING RECIPE
1 cup homemade mayonnaise, recipe above
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk*
2 TBS onion, chopped
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
dash of homemade hot sauce
2 tsp white sugar
1 tsp homemade worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp white pepper or freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces of good blue cheese
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream and buttermilk in a blender or food processor. Pulse to blend. Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the blue cheese and pulse until thick and creamy.
Place the salad dressing in a bowl and add blue cheese a little at a time and stir. (This is so you don’t go overboard on the cheese.)
This homemade salad dressing must be refrigerated overnight before using. You don’t want to go through these steps and not get the full flavor of the dressing.
*If you do not have buttermilk, pour the milk in a measuring cup and add 2 tsp vinegar. Stir and let it sit for 15 minutes. I offer more homemade salad dressing recipes below.
Homemade Italian Salad Dressing
Yum. This is a simple homemade salad dressing to make and tastes great. Use as a dressing for Reuben sandwiches.
Old Fashioned THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING
1/2 cup homemade mayonnaise base, recipe above
2 TBS ketchup
1 TBS white vinegar
2 tsp white sugar
2 tsp sweet pickle relish
1 tsp white onion, finely minced
1/8 tsp kosher salt
dash of white pepper or freshly ground black pepper
Whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Place in the refrigerator for several hours before serving and stir every hour for the flavors to blend and the sugar to dissolve completely.
ANOTHER EASY RECIPE FOR THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING
1 cup mayonnaise, recipe above
1/2 cup homemade ketchup
1 cup sweet pickle relish
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
Mix ingredients together and chill for several hours before serving.
In Madison, Wisconsin there is a “super secret” vinegar and oil salad dressing that is served at Toby’s Supper Club. This is delicious and it was adapted from Catherine Murray at Cooks’ Exchange in the Wisconsin State Journal.
HOMEMADE VINEGAR AND OIL SALAD DRESSING
1-1/2 cups salad oil
1-1/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 TBS whole oregano
1 TBS garlic salt
2 garlic cloves
1 small onion, chopped
Blend all ingredients in a blender. Keep refrigerated. Makes 1 quart.
This homemade salad dressing is delicious.
WILD ONION (RAMPS) SALAD DRESSING
2 TBS minced wild onion
3 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 TBS milk
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.