This is hands down the World’s Best Salad Dressing. As someone who’s never used a bottled salad dressing in her life, I feel pretty confident in my assessment. In fact, my friends often refer to this as the “Crack Salad Dressing” because it’s just so addictive. Although, in this case, it’s also good for you. Which is a plus. It’s basically my own simplified riff on a old Mark Peel recipe from his Campanile days. And it’s good on everything: Salad greens, steamed vegetables, leftover chicken, fish, pasta, rice, farro, the spoon, your finger…. well, you get the picture.
I’ve included measurements, but keep in mind that they’re just a guide line. The best method for making it, honestly, is to eyeball it. Salad dressing is actually a great way for perfectionists such as myself to let go, relax and go with flow. Because here’s the thing: if you screw it up, you can always fix it. If it’s too acidic, just add more oil. If it’s too oily, add more acid. Frankly, I wish everything in life were so simple.
As a general rule of thumb, any vinaigrette is 2/3 olive oil to 1/3 acid (in this case, white wine vinegar & lemon juice). I tend to prefer a 50/50 ratio, but that’s because I like things tart. Just play around with it and see what works for you.
The World's Best Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp minced shallot from 1 small or 1/2 medium shallot
- 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Take an empty jar such as an old jam, mustard or pickle jar. Preferably something with a wide enough top to fit a spoon. If you don't have an empty jar, buy a mason's jar at the grocery store. Place your minced shallot into the jar and cover with the white wine vinegar. Let sit for at least 5 minutes.
- Wash and dry your lemon. Use a microplane to remove the zest, add it plus the juice from said lemon to your shallots (a handheld juicer is great for this).
- Add your olive oil, salt and shake to combine. Taste and adjust accordingly.
