Healthy food lovers, you must be aware that salads are an essential part of your diet. But, they don’t have to feel like you are eating grass. This is where the salad dressings or vinegarettes come in. These flavourful liquids bind the salad’s ingredients and make them delicious to eat. You can quickly make them with a few ingredients in your home pantry and mix up a hearty bowl of wholesome salad in no time.
Chile-lime- a little bit of heat never hurts
Chile-lime is a bright, citrusy dressing that best suits the Indian palette. A little bit of spicy kick is what adds to its oomph. If you can tolerate more heat, you can add more chilli flakes to it. Just a few ingredients, including honey, red wine vinegar, cumin powder, EVOO, and of course chilli and lime, make for a zesty addition to your protein-loaded beans or chicken salad, tacos, and even as a sauce to various dishes.
Honey-mustard- tangy to taste
This one is a super versatile dressing. With a sweet and tangy taste, honey-mustard dressing is so damn quick and easy to make you can easily remember it. Combine honey, mustard, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. And it’s done!
Cilantro lime- Mexican to the core
Another vinegarette with lime as its main ingredient, Cilantro-lime is as fresh as it gets. It is a great Mexican themed dressing to add to your salad. Mix cilantro, coriander, lime, a little maple syrup, salt, pepper, and some garlic, and it’s ready!
Sesame-ginger- Asian is the way to go
Sesame-ginger is an earthy and warm-on-throat dressing that will give you cosy vibes in chilly weather. Add it to slaws, noodle salads, or experiment with some other combinations as well. You can even use it as a marinade in Asian dishes for a warm hug from the inside. Remember to toast the sesame beforehand for that nutty flavour.
Italian vinaigrette- Not so Italian!
You may get several packaged Italian dressings in the supermarket aisles, but nothing can beat the homemade version. Fun fact, this dressing does not originate from Italy. It is an American staple in the pantry. It is a simple combination of olive oil, mustard, and seasonings of your choice. Shake all these ingredients in a tight jar, and you will get a restaurant-style emulsified dressing in no time.
So master these few vinegarettes, and you’ll never have to buy the bottled ones with stabilizers and emulsifiers.
