Week 27 -- Salad Dressings & Dips
Cold sauces and salad dressings can present even more challenges than hot sauces for the chef and home cook because of the lack of heat which can thicken and modify flavors. Cold sauces rely on their ingredients and skillful mixing for great results. Dips are a lot like salad dressings only a bit thicker.
- Salad Dressings
- Liquids or semi-liquids used to flavor, moisten and enrich salads
- Sometimes considered cold sauces
- Salad Dressing Categories
- Oil and vinegar
- Mayonnaise based
- Sour cream or yogurt based
- Thickened fruit juices
- Cooked dressings
- Most dressings are primarily oil and acid, plus flavor and texture additives
- Emulsions in Salad Dressings
- An emulsion is the uniform mixture of two unmixable liquids
- One liquid is in suspension with the other
- Temporary emulsions: oil and vinegar is temporary because they separate after shaking
- Permanent emulsions: mayonnaise is a mixture of oil, vinegar, and egg yolk
- Egg yolk acts as an emulsifier
- Proteins in the yolk provide a layer around droplets and suspend them
- Commercial dressings often use gums, starches, gelatins to achieve the same goal
- Oils may include: corn, cottonseed, soybean, canola, safflower, peanut, olive, sesame, walnut, other nuts
- Vinegars may include: cider, white/distilled, wine, sherry, liquors, balsamic, soy sauce
- Lemon or lime juice can replace vinegar for tartness
- Seasonings and other flavorings
- Almost any herb or spice can be used in salad dressings (allow at least 2-3 hours maceration before serving for full flavor benefit)
- Condiments may include, but not restricted to: mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, siracha, wasabi, ginger, soy sauce, honey, fruit juices, jellies/jams, etc
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- Basic Vinaigrettes -- usually used as salad dressing or marinade
- Start with something acidic, like some kind of vinegar or lemon/lime juice
- Enhance the flavor with seasoning (S&P) and herbs and spices, or maybe some cheese, goat cheese always good
- Mix in some kind of oil, keeping in mind that different oils impart different flavors, too
- Two vinaigrettes
- Italian: balsamic vinegar, oregano, basil, about the same amount of olive oil as balsamic vinegar
- Asian: soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, possibly some peanut butter
- See also marinades
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- Basic Mayonnaise
- Put two egg yolks in food processor, add pinch of salt and sugar, 1 tsp vinegar, mix
- Add olive oil very slowly while processor is running, keep adding olive oil slowly until desired consistency is attained (start with 1 cup), then season/flavor any way you like, other oils can be used, eg., canola, and the oil itself can be a flavored oil (with herbs/spices or other foods using maceration)
- Mayonnaise gets its white color through the emulsification process -- egg yolk proteins surround tiny droplets of oil, holding them in suspension
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- Basic Caesar Dressing (similar to mayonnaise making)
- Put 1 tbs diced garlic in food processor, add two egg yolks, tsp dijon mustard, 1 tbs balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, then mix well
- Add olive oil very slowly while processor is running, keep adding olive oil slowly until desired consistency is attained (start with 1 cup)
- Use imagination and your own likes/dislikes to modify your own recipe
- Cooked Dressing
- Cooking allows us to infuse flavors not possible with cold sauces
- Shrimp Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Begin by sauteing shallots/onions, garlic, then add shrimp, continue to saute
- De-glaze with balsamic vinegar, and reduce the resulting sauce to a thin syrup
- Add basil, oregano, and any other herbs/spices you desire
- Once the basalmic vinegar is well reduced, you have a base for any other type of salad dressing
- Put it in food processor, add egg yolks, oil and emulsify, and you have creamy shrimp/balsamic salad dressing
- Or, just add oil and shake it up for a shrimp/balsamic vinaigrette
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Avocado Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing
- Ingredients
- 1 avocado chopped, 1 clove garlic peeled
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbs lime juice
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
- Water for thinning as desired
- Procedure
- Place all ingredients in food processor
- Process until smooth, thin as desired with 1/3 cup of water or less
- Keep in airtight container up to 2 weeks
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Green Goddess Salad Dressing
- Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
- 1 tbs lemon juice
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 or 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 clove garlic, minced fine
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- S&P to taste, careful with salt if using anchovies
- Procedure
- Put all ingredients in blender or processor
- Blend/puree until smooth
- Keep in airtight container up to 2 weeks
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Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Ingredients
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced fine
- 2 tbs honey
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Add oregano, basil, thyme, onion powder, etc as desired
- Procedure
- Put all ingredients in a bottle, close lid and shake
- Re-shake when ingredients become separated
- Keep in airtight container, refrigerated up to 2 weeks
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Creamy Hot Bacon Dressing
- Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon, crisped and chopped
- 1 tsp flour
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 eggs, well beaten
- 3 tbs cider vinegar (or rice vinegar), or use more or less depending on desired tartness
- 1.5 tbs sugar, or use maple syrup (complements the bacon)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- Procedure
- In 10-inch iron skillet, cook bacon until crisp, remove and chop, set aside
- Add flour to bacon grease, stir in, cook off the flour proteins for a minute or so
- Remove the skillet from the heat for the moment
- Add cream and butter to the roux in the skillet, put back on low simmer, no bubbles
- Whisk together eggs, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, mix well
- Be aware that the vinegar (acid) in the mixture will inhibit the thickening of the sauce, but be not dismayed, we are not looking for gravy here, but a nice thin salad sauce, still, thicken it as it will
- Very slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the skillet with the warm bacon fat roux, cream, and butter, and whisk constantly to avoid making scrambled eggs, continue whisking for a couple minutes until the dressing begins to thicken and become smooth
- Add the chopped bacon into the "thickened" dressing
- Keep dressing warm until ready to serve, stirring frequently
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Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
- Ingredients
- 2.5 oz blue cheese
- 3 tbs buttermilk (or whole milk for milder taste)
- 3 tbs sour cream
- 3 tbs mayonnaise
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- S&P to taste
- Procedure
- In bowl, mash blue cheese and milk with fork until desired texture
- Stir in sour cream, mayo, vinegar, sugar and garlic powder
- Season to taste with S&P
- Keep in airtight container up to 2 weeks
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Ginger Salad Dressing (think decent Asian eatery)
- Ingredients
- 4 tbs fresh ginger, grated/minced
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 tbs celery, chopped
- 2 tbs carrots, choppede
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbs water
- 1 tbs ketchup
- 1 tbs soy sauce
- 2 tbs agave nectar or honey
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tsp white miso paste (optional, but recommended to smoothen the flavor)
- 1/2 cup peanut oil
- Procedure
- In a food processor place the onion, grated ginger, celery, carrots and garlic and puree until the vegetables are fine and grainy but not fully pureed
- Add the vinegar, water, ketchup, soy sauce, agave, lemon juice, salt, pepper and miso paste. Pulse a few times to mix the ingredients
- With the processor running on low speed, add the oil in a steady stream then stop. The mixture should be loose and be a bit grainy
- Enjoy over a simple iceberg lettuce and tomato salad, or however you desire--romaine lettucce, loosely chopped, is wonderful, too
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Cole Slaw Dressing (makes 1.25 cups, for 1/2 head cabbage, 1 small carrot)
- Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tbs white vinegar/rice vinegar
- S&P to taste (1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper)
- Procedure
- Combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, S&P until sugar and salt dissolve
- Refrigerate until ready to use
- Put 1/2 head cabbage and 1 small carrot into processor, using desired shredding attachment, and shred to desired consistency, consider using some purple cabbage, or some onion
- Use just enough dressing to coat everything well, because after about 1/2 hour, moisture from the vegetables will add to the sauce, add more dressing then if needed
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Tahini Sauce
- Ingredients
- 1/4 cup tahini paste
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs lemon/lime juice, or more to taste
- 3 tbs ice water, or more as needed for desired consistency
- 1 garlic clove, minced (or use roasted garlic)
- 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Procedure
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl
- Refrigerate for 2 hours for flavors to meld
- Optional: While not traditional, a tbs of ketchup makes a great addition
- Optional: Use other spices/herbs -- curry powder, tumeric, cumin, coriander, cayenne, garam masala, parsely, cilantro, mint, etc
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Tzatziki Sauce
- Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1/2 cucumber, seeded and shredded finely
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or use roasted garlic)
- 1 tbs dill, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- S&P to taste
- Procedure
- Strain yogurt with cheesecloth to remove excess moisture
- Sprinkle a little salt onto the seeded and shredded cucumber, on top of paper towels, after a few minutes wring out the excess moisture
- Mix the yogurt, cucumber, dill, garlic, lemon, season to taste, to temper it add a tbs mayo
- Enjoy with beef, chicken, lamb, pork, vegetables, salad or anything
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Tabbouleh (Tabouli)
- Ingredients
- 1/2 cup bulgur wheat or 1 cup quinoa or couscous
- 1 cup cucumber (1 small to medium), finely diced
- 1 cup tomato (romas are great), finely diced
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 2 bunches parsley
- 1/3 cup mint
- 1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3-4 tbs lemon juice, to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Procedure
- Cook or soak the bulgur until tender, drain off excess water, set aside to cool
- Combine diced cucumber and tomato in medium bowl with 1/2 tsp salt, let stand at least 15 minutes
- Remove stems from parsley, remove stems from mint, chop fine in processor
- Combine the cooled bulgur and the parsley/mint in serving bowl
- Strain the cucumber and tomatoes, and add to serving bowl, mix
- In measuring cup combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and 1/2 tsp salt, mix then add to serving bowl, mixing well
- Let tabbouleh salad rest for at least 15 minutes to mingle flavors, then serve or chill for later
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Pomegranate Molasses (makes 1.25 cups)
- Use for dressings, sauces, BBQ sauce, roasts, vegetables, drizzle over ice cream or pound cake, etc
- Ingredients
- 4 cups pomegranate juice
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbs sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- Procedure
- Bring all ingredients to a boil, then back off to soft simmer, uncovered for slow reduction
- Allow to simmer for 45 minutes, stir occasionally to keep sugars from sticking to bottom or sides
- After 45 minutes, there should have been a lot of reduction, reduce heat to barely simmering, watch carefully over the next 15 minutes, don't allow to turn brown or get too thick
- Use spoon to check nappe, if it sticks, it's done, the molasses further thickens as it cools
- Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months
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Muhammara (makes 1.25 cups)
- Ingredients
- 3 red bell peppers (or buy roasted red bell peppers jarred or canned)
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup walnut, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1.5 tbs pomegranate molasses
- 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tbs tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3 tbs olive oil
- Procedure
- Preheat oven to 450F
- Cut peppers in half, remove stems, seeds, membranes
- Put bell peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast for 20-25 minutes, until the outer skin is blackened
- Transfer the peppers to bowl and cover, let sit 30 minutes, the outer skins should slide right off after they have steamed for a bit, dice up the peppers
- Add the diced peppers, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, salt, red pepper flakes/black pepper, cumin and olive oil to food processor, and blend everything smooth
- Taste and adjust seasoning as desired
- Transfer Muhammara to a serving bowl and top with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- Serve with pita triangles, chips, crackers, crostini, or use as spread
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Hummus
- Ingredients
- 1 cup of dried chickpeas
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 5 garlic cloves, minced (or more to taste), or use roasted garlic
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- Salt to taste (1/2 tsp or more), black or white pepper to taste (1/2 tsp or more)
- 2 to 3 tbs water
- Pinch of paprika for garnish
- Use whatever other flavorings, additions you like, eg. black olives, feta cheese, pine nuts, diced sundried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, roasted red pepper, etc
- Procedure
- Follow instructions for soaking and cooking chickpeas (for Israeli/Palestinian hummus add 1 onion quartered, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks when simmering the garbanzos, then remove the celery when removing the garbanzo skins, and process the garbanzos with the onion and carrots, then proceed as below)
- In processor, combine tahini and lemon juice, whip for 1 minute, scrap down sides, then whip for another minute to ensure smooth, creamy hummus
- Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and 1/2 tsp salt, process for 30 seconds, scrap down sides, process 30 more seconds
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas, add half the chickpeas to the processor and whip for 1 minute, scrape down the sides, add the rest of the chickpeas, whip for another couple of minutes, scraping down the sides every 30 seconds or so
- The hummus will probably be too thick and somewhat granular still, so slowly add 2 to 3 tbs of water in increments while running the processor, until desired consistency
- Taste for salt, adjust as needed, serve with a sprinkling of paprika
- Serve with pita triangles, chips, crackers, crostini, or use as spread
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Babaganoush (makes 1.75 cups)
- Ingredients
- 2 lbs eggplants (2 small-medium)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (or more to taste) or use roasted garlic
- 1 tbs lemon juice (or to taste)
- 1/4 cup tahini (consider substituting pureed chickpeas)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbs chopped parsley (more for garnish)
- 3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp dried coriander
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder (or to taste)
- Pinch of paprika for garnish, consider using smoked paprika
- Use whatever other flavorings, additions you like, eg. black olives, feta cheese, pine nuts, diced sundried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes, roasted red pepper, cilantro, etc
- Procedure
- Preheat oven to 450F
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, halve the eggplants lengthwise and coat with olive oil, place them cut sides down (skin up)
- Roast eggplant until very tender, 35-40 minutes, set aside to cool, scoop out the flesh, leave skin behind and discard
- Place strainer over large bowl and drain the eggplant flesh of excess moisture
- Tranfer the eggplant to another large bowl (discard the liquid in the first bowl and clean)
- Add garlic and lemon juice to the eggplant, stir vigorously with a fork, until eggplant breaks down, add tahini and stir until incorporated, add olive oil, keep stirring until mixture is pale and creamy, use fork to break down any remaining eggplant strings
- Stir in parsley and cumin, then taste for salt and lemon, add more as desired
- Serve with pita, crackers, crostini, romaine or iceberg lettuce, or use as sandwich spread, etc
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Guacamole (makes about 3 cups--6 servings)
- Ingredients
- 3 avocados
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed, chopped
- 3 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (or use roasted garlic)
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/4 tsp cumin (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Procedure
- Slice avocados in half, remove pit, skin, and place in bowl for mixing
- Mash the avocado with a fork, as chunky or smooth as you like
- Add remaining ingredients and stir together
- To preserve the quality of any leftover guacamole, press into bowl, and put a layer of water over the top, cover, and refrigerate--next day, pour off water, and bright green guacamole again
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Pico de Gallo (makes 4 servings)
- Ingredients
- 1/4 onion, finely diced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed, diced
- 1 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp lime juice (or to taste)
- Pinch of cumin (or to taste)
- Pinch of garlic powder (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- Procedure
- Place all ingredients in bowl for mixing
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow to stand 5 minutes for flavors to mingle a bit
- Test for taste and adjust ingredients as needed for flavor to sing
- Cover bowl with wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving
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Salsa Roja (makes 4 to 6 servings)
- Ingredients
- 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
- 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp lime juice (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp cumin (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp oregano (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- Procedure
- Place all ingredients in processor, pulse until desired consistency
- Test for taste and adjust ingredients as needed for flavor to sing
- Transfer to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate a couple hours
- Serve with chips or use for further cooking
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Salsa Verde (makes 3 to 4 servings)
- Ingredients
- 1 lb tomatillos
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbs lime juice (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- 3 tbs water or more to adjust consistency as desired
- Procedure
- Place tomatillos and jalapeno on foil lined baking sheet and broil, 4 inches below elements, to produce slight charring, rotate vegetables and char other side lightly
- Slice up jalapeno and tomatillos, place all ingredients in processor, pulse until desired consistency (coarse puree can be nice, but smooth puree is good too)
- Test for taste and adjust ingredients as needed for flavor to sing
- Transfer to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate a couple hours
- Serve with chips or use for further cooking
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Cilantro Avocado Chutney (Indian green sauce)
- Ingredients
- 1 bunch of cilantro (about 3 oz), most stems removed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbs lime juice (or to taste)
- 2 tsp sugar or honey
- 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 to 2 tbs water or more to adjust consistency as desired
- 1 ripe avocado
- Procedure
- Blend all ingredients in a small food processor
- Use the water to adjust the consistency of the smooth chutney sauce
- Test for taste and adjust ingredients as needed for flavor to sing
- Transfer to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate a couple hours
- Use as a dipping sauce or serve over another food product (eg., aloo tiki potato cakes, naan flatbread, rice, etc)
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Thai Peanut Sauce (makes 4-6 servings, depending on how used)
- Ingredients
- 4 tbs creamy peanut butter
- 2 tbs coconut milk
- 1.5 tbs soy sauce
- 1.5 tbs water
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (adjust for taste, sesame oil is a potent flavorant, start with less then add more if desired)
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ginger powder, or more to taste
- 4 oz angel hair pasta (optional), or rice, quinoa, couscous, or whatever, or use over a grilled or stir-fried protein product or vegetable, or as salad dressing (may want this thinner by adding more water, in small increments until desired consistency is achieved)
- Procedure
- Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan, heat gently (low simmer), until smooth and creamy
- Serve warm over pasta or rice or protein product or vegetables
- Serve cool over salad as dressing
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Cocktail Sauce
- Ingredients
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tbs horseradish
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Optional: dash of hot sauce to taste
- Procedure
- Place all ingredients in small bowl and mix
- Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate a couple hours before serving
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Catalina Dressing
- Ingredients (makes about 1 cup)
- 4 tbs ketchup
- 4 tbs sugar
- 4 tbs red wine vinegar
- 4 tbs olive/canola oil
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Procedure
- Place all ingredients in small bowl and mix
- Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate a couple hours before serving
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Cherry Tomato Garlic Roast
- Ingredients (makes about 1 cup)
- 4.5 oz cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 4 garlic cloves, thin slice
- 1 tbs olive/canola oil
- 1/4 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Procedure
- Place all ingredients in bowl and mix
- Place in baking dish
- Roast for 20 minutes in 425F oven
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