We wonder how many times you've dressed a fresh vegetable salad thinking it was the most inconsequential thing in the world. Adding salt, oil, and vinegar to a dish can't be that difficult, can it? The difference between a well-seasoned salad and a badly seasoned one is remarkable.
Salad basics - Evoo, salt and vinegar
These are the ingredients that make up a salad dressing and shouldn’t be used casually. Since it’s a dish of uncooked vegetables, it is also very important that their natural flavor isn’t overwhelmed. This is why it’s good to measure the quantities of your salad dressing and be sure to choose the best quality products. A good extra virgin olive oil makes all the difference in a mixed salad.
As for vinegar, on the other hand, the most commonly used vinegar is white wine, but you can also choose red wine if you love stronger flavors or apple vinegar for a more delicate taste. If you love balsamic vinegar however be careful not to exaggerate with the quantities. If you don’t like the taste of vinegar, replace it with lemon juice. The acidic part is in fact a fundamental in a salad dressing. Oil and salt alone are not enough because the salt wouldn’t evaporate, and the oil would create an annoying oily layer on the leaves.
Dressing & co.
You can also dress salads with different types of emulsions or creams, something the Anglo-Saxon world call dressing.
The classic vinaigrette, for example, is an emulsion of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and vinegar and is an excellent solution to create a perfect dressing. You can serve it separately so that each diner can dress their own salad with the amount of dressing they prefer.
You can also prepare excellent emulsions with orange and lemon juice or even pomegranate to give color and taste to your dish.
We recommend however that you avoid buying ready-made dressings, but to prepare it at home with fresh ingredients if you can. Everyone likes the classic yogurt, lemon, and aromatic herbs, but careful not to use too much of it as it will overpower the natural taste of fresh vegetables.
Take a look at our tutorial to find out what the 5 most common mistakes are when dressing a salad.