Here is a quick recipe for a very easy and delicious Italian dressing. We were in northern Michigan a few years ago, at the home of friends, and they served us a salad so delicious, that I literally wanted to eat nothing else for the whole meal. I asked for the recipe, and didn’t even need to write it down, because it was so simple! You can tweak it a bit to make it your own, by adding and experimenting with other seasonings. It is a basic vinaigrette, which is fairly healthy, as dressings go, and I have used this dressing for leafy green salads, in pasta salads, and even as a marinade for grilled chicken!
Vinaigrettes have two basic ingredients that should be considered the foundation of the recipe. Oil and vinegar are necessities, but everything else is negotiable. There are a hundred variations of vinaigrettes that you can make. Some are made with raspberry vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, some use olive oil, or grapeseed oil, or canola oil. The seasonings have a thousand variations as well: basil, garlic, dill, oregano, etc. You can put all kinds of things into a vinaigrette and end up with a delicious dressing!
For this recipe, I use olive oil, red wine vinegar, shallots, freshly ground pepper and garlic salt. They are all things that I keep around the house, so it is something that I can make on a moment’s notice, if need be. If you can make it a day, or even a few hours before you plan to use it, that is ideal. This dressing gets better and better when it has a chance for the flavors to blend, but if you need to put it together at the last minute, you can absolutely do that! As I said before it is really versatile. It makes a delicious pasta salad if you toss it with cooked pasta, some freshly chopped veggies, and maybe a few olives. If you want to grill some chicken, Marinate 1/2 to 3/4 cup of this dressing in with boneless breast of chicken for a few hours before you grill it, and you will be thrilled with the results! If you are cooking for a crowd, feel free to double the recipe to accommodate larger dishes. You can make it by the gallon if need be, as long as you keep the proportions correct!
Easy Red Wine Vinaigrette
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tbs. finely chopped shallots
2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp (or to taste) freshly ground pepper
Other possibilities
1/2 tsp. dried Italian basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
Combine and shake well. Let sit for a few hours, and dress your favorite tossed salad!
Do you have a great go-to recipe that you love? Share in the comments!
