Don’t leave your salad naked on the table! Dress it up with a house dressing right at home!
I was watching Good Eats back in the day, and I recently recalled a particular episode when Alton Brown read this quote, “it takes four men to dress a salad: a wise man for the salt, a madman for the pepper, a miser for the vinegar, and a spendthrift for the oil.” Well, it had me reeling. I was young and didn’t quite understand a lot of idioms. The message wasn’t lost on me—good salads do require a hint of salt, a healthy amount of pepper, a stingy amount of vinegar, and a whole lot of oil. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about one thing—it takes four men to make a salad dressing? I can make the dressing by myself, thank you very much.
I guess you could say this recipe is my “house” salad dressing. I use just a pinch of salt, a healthy cranking of black pepper, a little vinegar, and a heaping of olive oil! Now, I can be wise, mad, a miser, and a spendthrift at the same time, and you can, too!
This salad dressing is perfectly proportioned with heart-healthy olive oil, glycemic-index-friendly vinegar, zippy Dijon, and a tantalizing trio of seasonings that would definitely qualify as Good Eats!
Is Salad Dressing Healthy?
There are a lot of unhealthy toppings for a salad, but this salad dressing isn’t your run-of-the-mill buttermilk ranch! Olive oil is a heart-healthy fat (and the only fat present in the whole mix!). Plus, red wine vinegar has been known to help lower blood sugar. I’m not saying this recipe is a miracle cure, but at least it’s healthy!
a wise man, a madman, a miser, and a spendthrift walk into a bar…
Remember that quote from earlier about the four men it takes to make a delicious dressing? I don’t know for sure, but I’ve heard that this “proverb” was coined to recall the ingredients of a classic salad dressing during a time when literacy (and, subsequently, reading recipes) was very low. That doesn’t mean it can’t still help educate your decisions when crafting your own house dressing! Here’s why each of these ingredients gets handled in a specific manner:
Too much salt makes a salad dressing salty and obsoletes the refreshing palate of a scrumptious salad. Excessive salt can even cause the water in your greens to sweat out into the bowl. You don’t want that soggy mess! Too little or no salt at all, however, results in a dressing that fails to complement the crisp, bright vegetables it tops! As such, it needs a wise man’s careful eye to only ever put the “just right” amount!
Not enough pepper runs the risk that your salad dressing ends up tasting bland, and nobody wants that! You might think it’s crazy to put any more than equal amounts of black pepper and salt, but that’s why the madman has the pepper mill. While you want to limit the salt, keep adding pepper until you’re certain you’ve gone off the deep end!
A miser is someone who hoards wealth yet doesn’t spend a dime, and red wine vinegar has a very powerful kick to it that can be thoroughly experienced even in very small volumes. Too much, and your salad tastes pungent, even sour. A little bit goes a long way—just because you have a “fortune” of flavor doesn’t mean you have to “spend” it all!
A spendthrift is someone who is irresponsible with their money, the polar opposite of a miser. So, if they’re in charge of the oil, then you know what that means! Oil composes the majority volume of delicious dressings, emulsifying with all of the other ingredients to make a consistent and tasty mix! A good rule of thumb is to use about 3x as much oil as you have vinegar (a 3:1 ratio). Just imagine that the miser and the spendthrift went to a restaurant together—the miser only wants to pay for his one entrée while the spendthrift pays for his appetizer and dessert!
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Whisk
Combine oil, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings.
Taste & Store
Adjust flavor and store or serve.
Devour!
FAQs & Tips
Salad dressing is so easy to make ahead (because it’s just mixing!), so why not make it in a larger batch and refrigerate it for all of your salads? If you upscale the recipe to make a big volume of dressing, store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and when it comes time to dress your next salad, give it a good emulsifying shake and drizzle!
The spendthrift and the miser are in charge of oil and vinegar, respectively, but that doesn’t mean you have to use olive oil and red wine vinegar! While that combination makes superb salad dressings, avocado oil and apple cider vinegar can be used to make totally distinct dressings of your own!
One of two things has happened if your salad is wilted and soggy. Either you’ve added too much salt or damaged your greens with a temperature change. Cooking most leafy greens wilts them, as does freezing them). When the leaves release their water, your salad becomes a moist mess.
Serving Suggestions
This salad dressing can go on anything you want it to, but may I recommend that you pair it with a couple of not-so-standard salads you can only make at home? Try a colorful cabbage salad or a beautiful broccoli salad! If you feel up to honoring the four men of the salad dressing proverb, try topping our orzo salad.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper until the dressing is emulsified and smooth.
- Taste the dressing and adjust seasoning if necessary. The dressing can be used immediately or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week; shake well before using if separated.
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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