Salad Dressings

By Food & Wine
Updated April 25, 2017
These terrific recipes include creamy garlic vinaigrette and carrot-miso dressing.
Start Slideshow

1 of 13

Basic Vinaigrette

Credit: © John Kernick
Go to Recipe

A good, puckery vinaigrette has a ratio behind it: three parts oil to one part acid. Acid can take the form of vinegar or citrus juice. "Once you understand that, you got this," says chef Hugh Acheson. "Add whatever you want. Go flavor-crazy. Shake that jar. Work those forearms." If you make too much, it will keep in the fridge for seven to 10 days in a sealed container.

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 13

Honey-Lemon Dressing

Go to Recipe

This sweet-tangy dressing matches well with a watercress salad, carrot salad, fennel salad, mixed green salad, and citrus salad.

3 of 13

Citrus-Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Go to Recipe

Bobby Flay combines lime, orange and grapefruit juices for a dressing that's great on greens or fruit, especially honeydew.

Advertisement

4 of 13

Basil Vinaigrette

Go to Recipe

This simple 5-minute dressing is great with an heirloom tomato salad, pasta salad, panzanella salad and grilled fish, chicken or lamb.

5 of 13

Ginger Vinaigrette

Go to Recipe

Melissa Rubel Jacobson says the easiest way to peel fresh ginger for this punchy Asian-inspired vinaigrette is to scrape it with the edge of a spoon. She then grates it on a Microplane zester (other fine graters work well, too) before using it in the dressing. The vinaigrette matches especially well with cabbage slaw, Chinese chicken salad, mixed green salad, grilled eggplant or tuna, and summer rolls.

6 of 13

Smoky Orange Vinaigrette

Go to Recipe

This marmalade-sweetened dressing is quintessential Bobby Flay, with bold flavors that taste best with grain salads or grilled meat.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 13

Scallion Vinaigrette

Go to Recipe

Bobby Flay never met a chile he didn't like. Here, he uses jalapeños in a versatile dressing that's as good on delicate greens as it is on grilled vegetables, fish or meat.

8 of 13

Reinvented Russian Dressing

Go to Recipe

Bobby Flay's version of Russian dressing is tangier than the classic; made with nonfat Greek yogurt, it has just one-sixth the calories.

9 of 13

Carrot-Miso Dressing

Go to Recipe

Besides accenting salads, this tangy, slightly sweet dressing can be used as a dipping sauce for vegetables or boiled shrimp.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 13

Creamy Garlic Vinaigrette

Go to Recipe

For this lower-fat tribute to creamy Caesar dressing, Bobby Flay adds sweet roasted garlic puree instead of lots of mayonnaise.

11 of 13

Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette

Go to Recipe

Soaking shallot slices in vinegar makes them deliciously pickle-like. For a tarter flavor, let the shallots soak for up to 2 hours. The vinaigrette goes well with a cucumber salad, sliced tomatoes, pasta salad, steak salad, steamed asparagus or green beans.

12 of 13

Creamy Feta Vinaigrette

Go to Recipe

Instead of tossing chunks of feta into her salad or crumbling the cheese on top of cooked vegetables, Melissa Rubel Jacobson purees it right into a vinaigrette. This makes the dressing smooth and luscious and ensures a little bit of tang in almost every bite.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 13

Blue-Cheese Tarragon Dressing

Go to Recipe

Blue cheese dressing doesn't have to be the gunk served with chicken wings at dive bars. Melissa Rubel Jacobson makes her splendid, refined version with red wine vinegar and plenty of fresh tarragon. It is great with a hearty green or tomato salad.

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

By Food & Wine