All You Need to Know about Single-Portion Vinaigrette

August is the “feels like 102” season in Florida, and that means that we’re all craving big bowls of cold, juicy vegetables. It’s salad time, and that means vinaigrettes.

It also means that I turn into an obnoxious lobbyist for NEVER buying salad dressing. And why would we? We have oil. We have vinegar. And we have dijon mustard. For crying out loud, let’s make a dressing!

It turns out, it’s not that simple. Store a dressing with olive oil in the fridge and the next day, you’re topping your salad with solid oil. Simply add a dash of vinegar and a splash of oil to your salad and you miss the bite of mustard that a dressing would have.

So I decided to turn the classic vinaigrette dressing ratios into personal portions so you don’t have to bother with either the bottled stuff or the “fiasco” of saving your homemade salad dressing. Each portion is enough to lightly dress a small salad. No judgment if you double them…I totally would!

Balsamic vinaigrette

• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon Dijon

This is my all-time favorite. The bitter-sweetness of balsamic gets even spicier with the hefty Dijon, only to be mellowed (slightly) with the honey. I’d even try losing the honey altogether for a richer bite.

White wine vinaigrette

• 3 teaspoons oil
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon

White wine vinegar is milder and smoother than the others, so no need for honey in this one. I love this dressing with pungent greens like arugula. Try it on roasted zucchini salad. It’s zippy.

Apple cider vinaigrette

• 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon Dijon

This makes slightly more in quantity than the others, but I’m not complaining. Apple cider vinegar is full of health benefits, so I’d add this to my rotation every so often. I like it on salads, but more so as a dressing for starches, like potatoes or chickpeas.

Lemon dressing

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons neutral oil

On a salad, lemon juice does much better with a neutral oil. If topping pasta, however, olive oil would do the job. You’d be surprised how versatile this dressing is–try it on roasted sweet potatoes, grain bowls, or even greens.

Tahini dressing

• 4 teaspoons tahini
• 4 teaspoons water
• 1 teaspoons lemon juice

This one is certainly not a vinaigrette, but I just couldn’t help myself! The water makes the tahini a bit smoother, and the lemon juice adds just enough tang. Tangy, smoky, and perfect for dipping falafel or topping a bowl of roasted veggies.

Poppy seed vinaigrette

• 4 teaspoons honey
• 3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon Dijon 
• ¼ teaspoon poppy seeds

This is a super sweet dressing, something that classically tops a spinach salad with blueberries, pecans, strawberries, and goat cheese if you’re not vegan.

Celery seed vinaigrette

• 1 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons white wine vinegar
• pinch celery seed
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard

Unlike poppy seed vinaigrette, celery seed vinaigrette is less sweet, but still mild. The celery seed makes this mild dressing interesting enough for a big plate of greens.

Fennel Vinaigrette

• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ⅛ teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon fennel fronds
• ¼ teaspoon garlic mashed with salt (see below)

This dressing is more complicated than the rest to show how you might get creative with vinaigrette variations! I took the familiar ratio of oil and vinegar and added some spices. If you try a variation, leave me a comment below and let me know how it goes!

Italian Dressing

• 2 teaspoons sherry wine vinegar
• 3 teaspoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon honey
• ¼ teaspoon Dijon
• ⅛ teaspoon garlic mashed with salt (see below)
• pinch oregano

This has got to be the dressing from every pizza parlor of my youth. Before downing square slices of pizza, we’d have your typical salad–romaine, tomatoes, croutons, canned black olives, and this dressing. This and garlic knots make my childhood come alive again!

Additions:

Herbs

Try fresh basil in balsamic vinaigrette or dill with apple cider vinaigrette. Whatever’s on hand can make a salad come to life!

Garlic paste

If you have a mortar and pestle, feel free to use that to mash garlic to a paste, along with a pinch of salt. or, if you grate your garlic with a citrus grater, all you need to do is mix the salt into the garlic with your fingers. The salt helps break down the tough material and paste-ify the garlic so that it distributes more evenly in your dressing.

Shallots

Yes, every vinaigrette listed above could be even better with a teaspoon or so of minced shallots. Shallots are expensive in my area this time of year, so I didn’t add any. But if you have some in your area, then you can be a vinaigrette hero.

I, for one, have seven different salads to eat right now. What are you waiting for? Try some of these out or make a variation, and let me know how it goes!

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