The Best Dressings Make the Best Salads

Using my salad spinner to extract water from wet greens makes it easier for the dressing to adhere to the leaves.

I once kept a refrigerator door packed with salad dressings with enticing names and flavors. But no more. In recent years I’ve started making my own blends. After all, salad dressings are little more than a mixture of oil and vinegar, usually in a 3:1 ratio, with a few spices or flavorings and a bit of sweetness.

I mean no disrespect to actor-turned-salad-dresser Paul Newman, but your homemade blends will be far tastier than his and cost way less.

I would guess you have most of the ingredients on hand. All you have to do is put them in a glass jar and give a hearty shake—or use a food processor. I recently bought some attractively shaped bottles with cork stoppers that are fun to use. Below are three salad dressing you’d usually find in my refrigerator. My favorite is the Basil Vinaigrette that I served at the Governor’s Mansion; it was one of our most requested recipes. Fresh basil is the key ingredient. This dressing is so good it will encourage you to grow your own basil or find a friend who does.

This Butternut Squash Salad has an especially tasty dressing.

The second recipe is a simple balsamic, more of a honey-mustard variety, with just a little tang. And the third a quick Italian dressing. All are without mayonnaise. And all three are versatile enough to use on any green salad, as well as on cooked vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, carrots, potatoes or green beans. Give these a try. It’s spring and time to dress up your salads! Not only will your salads spring to life, you’ll gain more space in your refrig with the removal of all those half-used bottles of dressings.

Basil Vinaigrette

2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup sugar (I use about half that much)
3/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 cup oil

Using a food processor, blend garlic, sugar, basil, salt, and pepper until bail is chopped very fine. Add vinegar and blend again. Pour in oil slowly and blend until smooth.