In no other dish does the condiment take center stage as it does in salad. With a billion varieties of dressings out there, it’s easy to be tempted by a bottle of Hidden Valley (or Annie’s, if you drive a Volkswagen). But, most of that bottled junk is full of calories and fat so it will have a long shelf life. This recipe is the base for most of the salad dressings I make. It takes all of 90 seconds, and it beats the pantaloons of anything I’ve had from a store.
Makes: 1/4 cup, enough for 2 dinner salads, or 4 side salads
Total kitchen time: 90 seconds
Shopping list:
- 1/4 cup roasted garlic olive oil (homemade, or premade. I’m currently loving my bottle from the Temecula Olive Oil Company, $17)
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or cup and whisk with a fork until emulsified.
Done! What makes this dressing really shine is starting with a great olive oil. Oh, and if you’re curious about the salad in the picture, it’s field greens, goat’s cheese, candied walnuts and dried cranberries.