How to Make a Vinaigrette That Goes With Everything
We’ve already established that you don’t need to spend money on a commercial salad dressing as long as you can make it yourself by following a few guidelines . But if you can learn just one versatile dressing, make the perfect lemon vinaigrette out of it.
This recipe is taken from Causwells , a restaurant in San Francisco, where they cook cheeseburgers. I brought a friend over to try a burger for lunch and something funny happened: As much as we loved our hamburgers, we found ourselves gushing out from the lightly flavored greens they went with them. They were covered with a bandage, tough enough to make you want to bite again, but not so sour that your mouth wrinkles. The salt level was enough to bring out the full flavor of the salad and vinaigrette, but it wasn’t too salty either. The mixed greens salad wasn’t just good – it was perfect . And I never, never say that about mixed greens.
“It’s a great dressing for a simple salad because it allows you to taste different types of salad in the mix and it goes well with the salad,” Adam Rosenblum, the restaurant’s chef, told me. “I use it as the basis for many other dressings and marinades.”
Another thing to note about this vinaigrette is that it remains emulsified thanks to a drop of Dijon mustard and stirring in a blender. The second part is important; The first time I skipped this part, the dressing came off quickly (you can see it in the vinaigrette in the photo). But try mixing it in a blender and you’ll never worry about the sauce breaking. Here is Rosenblum’s recipe:
Lemon vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
- 1/4 tablespoon Dijon mustard (creamy, not whole grain)
- 1/4 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon shallots, minced
- Kosher salt 5 teaspoons
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup 90/10 soy / olive oil (note: you can also use vegetable oil)
- 1/4 cup pure extra virgin olive oil
Place the first seven ingredients in a blender on medium speed; slowly add oils until completely emulsified. This makes about 2 cups.
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