3 Salad Dressing Bases to Make 15 Delicious Salads {Part one}

It was 5:00 pm., my children and I were comatose starving, slightly lightheaded-bordering on cranky. We needed to eat something before all …well, you know, broke loose!  “Dinner, yes.  Dinner tonight.  What-am-I-making-for-dinner?”   I say as I open my fridge.

 “Right, I bought lettuce the other day for a salad. Hmm, what else is in here? Celery, green grapes, nuts…this could make a salad.” sigh  “What dressing should I put on this?”  Pause. Pause.  “Ugh, nevermind, I-can’t think right now. I’ll do a salad tomorrow night.”   

To be creative at 5 o’clock in the evening with the pressure of feeding a ravenous family is not the time to “invent” a salad dressing. Since that evening, I have gathered and created a few bases with a combination of flavor boosters so I might be able to grab what I have in my pantry or fridge to actually eat a salad before the lettuce decomposes.

In this two part series I will discuss how to be “creative” with a little help in the foundation department. A base or foundation is something already created that only needs flavor boosters added to make an entirely new creation. Anything can be added and tweaked to suit your tastes and health preferences.  Theses bases are a framework to be inventive with your ingredients. So keep these base recipes in your back pocket and you will always have a way to make a lovely, last-minute salad.

Creamy Salad Dressing Base

Makes 1 cup dressing base

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup buttermilk

¼ cup Greek yogurt

2 Tablespoons sour cream

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon honey

(optional, but balances the tangy-ness of the Greek yogurt)

Add Flavor Boosters

In the fridge, buttermilk and Greek yogurt should last about 3-4 weeks, (depending on the expiration date); mayo and sour cream, ummm…until their gone. When you are ready to make a creamy dressing, simply mix the ingredients together in a small bowl then add your flavor boosters.

Flavor Boosters 101

Flavor Boosters are anything that can be added to your dressing base to change its flavor profile to compliment your dish.   These flavor boosters are usually lurking in your fridge or pantry just waiting to be used.  A few examples are:

Fresh or dried herbs: parsley, cilantro, chives, tarragon, mint and basil

Cheese:  Bleu cheese, Feta cheese, Parmesan or Manchego cheese

Garlic: fresh and dried

Sugar: honey, agave, brown and white sugar

Onions: all fresh varieties and dried

Salsa:  green and red varieties

Corn: canned or fresh

Bell peppers: all varieties

Red pepper flakes and hot sauce

Spices: cinnamon, Chinese five spice, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, paprika

Chipotles in Adobo sauce

Jams (they add a great sweet consistency)

Canned or fresh tomatoes and juice

Vinegar: all varieties (a combination of vinegars adds a deeper nuance of flavor)

Fruits: fresh or canned juices- especially limes and lemons

Worcestershire sauce

Soy sauce

Salt and pepper

 When combining flavors in a creative endeavor, begin with the base then add your ingredients in small quantities- you can always add more as you go.

You might be thinking, “Yes, but how do I know what goes together?”

 Keep in mind the end goal is balance.

A balance of sweetness, tartness, creaminess, and piquantness (a quality that makes the dressing interesting or unique).

 This is where your combination of spices, herbs, and other pantry staples comes into play.  Think of your favorite flavor combinations and start there; for example, a bleu cheese burger with bacon, avocado and BBQ sauce.  What if you took the bleu cheese dressing below (already balanced with creaminess, sweetness and tartness)  then added a special twist of  bacon crumbles, minced shallots  and a smidge of BBQ sauce. This could be used as a dip for chicken wings or drizzled over a romaine salad of tomatoes, avocados, red onions, corn and sliced flank steak. 

In all creative ventures, tasting as you go must remain supreme. As you taste, ask yourself questions, “Does this taste bright? Can I taste the herbs or spices? Is this too sweet or not sweet enough? Is it too tangy or tart? Will a pinch of salt and pepper make these ingredients sing? Do these ingredients make sense with the salad or entree I am making?”

As discussed, balance is important in your dressing, but so is how the flavors interact your accompanying dish.

If your dressing is sweet, combine it with something on the bitter scale like, spinach, arugula, or endive.

If your dressing is creamy, balance it with bright, acidic flavors and crunchy, crisp textures that will cut through the smoothness to add interest in each bite.

If your dressing leans towards the spicy side, combine it with cooling, acidic, and sweet flavors like, cucumbers, tomatoes, mangos and avocado.

 I hope I have given you a guide to encourage boldness and bravery in your kitchen.  I have added a complimentary dish below the salad dressings to help further teach this concept of balance and avoid a 5 o’clock melt down in your family.  Feel free to imagine and create your own incredible dressings and share them with me!

Good ole’ Chunky Bleu

Makes about 1 cup bleu cheese dressing

Ingredients

Creamy Base +

½ cup crumbled bleu cheese, mash a little into the base

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

1  teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Dash of hot sauce, like Tabasco

Salt and pepper to taste

Simply mix all the ingredients together, season with a touch more salt, pepper and honey if needed.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Salad: Grilled romaine hearts {crunchy, crisp},with cherry tomatoes {sweet, savory},pickled red onions*{bright, acidic} and toasted pine nuts{crunch, slightly bitter}.

                *sliced red onions in 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar, marinate for 20-30 minutes

Tangy Ranch Dressing

Makes about 1 cup ranch dressing

Ingredients

Creamy Base +

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 Tablespoons snipped chives

1 Tablespoon chopped dill fronds

1 teaspoon  garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Simply mix all the ingredients together, season with a touch more salt, pepper and honey if needed.  May be served at room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Salad: Whole wheat Pita bread, torn and toasted {earthy} with butter lettuce{crisp, sweet}, cucumbers{crunch}, sliced red grapes{sweet}, shaved turkey{savory}.

Creamy Avocado Lime Cilantro

Makes about 1 cup Lime Cilantro dressing

Ingredients

Creamy base +

½ of medium sized avocado

1 tomatillo, husk removed

Juice from  1 lime, about  2 Tablespoons

1 garlic clove

Dash of hot sauce

½  cup finely chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

In a blender, blitz the creamy base, avocado, tomatillo, lime juice, garlic and hot sauce together. Season with cilantro, a touch more salt, pepper and honey if needed.  May be served at room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Salad: Lime spritzed quinoa{bright, earthy} with shredded romaine hearts{crisp, crunch},  black beans{savory}, grilled corn kernels{sweet}, red and orange bell pepper slices{crunch, sweet, mild heat} and fried tortilla strips{crunch, salty}.

Roasted Garlic Parmesan

Makes about 1 cup garlic- Parmesan dressing

Ingredients

Creamy Base +

1/3  cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon onion powder

Dash of hot sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

In a blender, blitz the creamy base, roasted garlic cloves, onion powder, red wine vinegar, hot sauce and 3 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese (save the remaining Parmesan cheese to be stirred in).  Season with a touch more salt, pepper and honey if needed.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

*To roast garlic cloves: preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, slice the top end off the garlic head keeping the root intact and the husk on, drizzle a little oil on the open end and wrap snuggly in aluminum foil.  Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, your nose will let you know when it is done.  It will be sweet, fragrant and soft to the touch. Squeeze the garlic clove from its husk and set aside to be used in this dressing or smeared on crusty bread or pizza crust.

Salad: Belgian endive {crunch, bitter} with sliced Asian pear or honey crisp apple{crunch, sweet}, toasted walnuts{earthy, savory} and strips of rotisserie chicken{savory}.

Creamy Honey Scallion

Makes about 1 cup honey dressing

Ingredients

Creamy Base +

⅓ cup honey

1 teaspoon onion powder

½  teaspoon garlic powder

⅓ cup scallions, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Simply mix all the ingredients together, season with a touch more salt and pepper if needed.

May be served at room temperature.  Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Salad:  Baby spinach{mildly bitter}, arugula {bitter} and basil leaves {floral, sweet, cooling} with sliced strawberries{sweet}, jicama{crunch} and grilled salmon leftovers{savory}.