The Culprit: Salad Dressing
Stop what you’re doing right now, and go check that inner door of your fridge. Have you got anything that looks like this hanging out there? Now listen carefully. Grasp it carefully between your thumb and index finger, and toss it in the rubbish bin.
A fresh green salad is a beautiful thing, and there’s no reason to douse it in a concoction of water, cane sugar, white vinegar, food acids (citric and #332), salt, fresh garlic, vegetable gums (#407, 410, 415 and 440), parsley and natural flavour. (Ingredients from Praise Fat Free French Dressing.)
A simple vinaigrette takes less than 2 minutes to make, and can pop with any flavors that you fancy. The basic recipe is below, but please go ahead and experiment with different types of vinegars, oils, herbs and spices. The possibilities are endless, the labor is minimal, and the taste is leagues above that of bottled dressing. Vinaigrette is easier than instant.
Ingredients & Equipment:
- 1 Tbsp mustard (dijon, seeded, honey mustard, etc.)
- 2-3 Tbsp vinegar (white wine, red wine, balsamic, champagne, etc.)
- 1/4 cup oil (olive, flax, sesame, avocado, walnut, etc.)
- any herbs, spices or flavorings that you fancy
- a medium sized mixing bowl
- a whisk
- Making vinaigrette: Start with mustard, add vinegar, whisk in oil
Step by Step:
- Plop the mustard into a medium sized bowl.
- Add vinegar and whisk together with the mustard.
- Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking constantly with the other hand. Stop periodically and whisk until well combined and thick, then add more oil.
- Mix in any other flavors you like – dried or fresh herbs, minced shallots or garlic, a bit of honey, a little tamari, etc. The possibilities are endless!
- Toss with your green salad and enjoy! This is not a hard and fast recipe, so adjust the quantities to suit your taste and the volume of salad you’re making.
Here’s a great use for those salad dressing bottles once you’re rinsed the contents down the drain:
