How to Dress a Salad with Olive Oil

What could be a healthier way to enjoy olive oil than a salad dressing with wholesome fruits and vegetables? Making a straightforward oil and vinegar dressing gives you control over the number of components, including salt and fat. Additionally, you can quickly prepare a fresh salad dressing using basic kitchen materials.

Method to Dress a Salad with Olive Oil

Here is a basic olive oil dressing recipe following the principles of traditional French vinaigrette:

Three to four parts oil—usually extra virgin olive oil—and one part acid—often red wine vinegar—make up a traditional French vinaigrette:

Salt, freshly ground pepper, and frequently Dijon mustard and garlic are used as seasonings.

Start experimenting with a 3 to 1 oil to vinegar or citrus juice ratio. If you use one of the following vinegar in your dressing, you might be able to use less oil and more acid ingredient:

• White wine vinegar
• Rice vinegar,
• Vinegar made from raspberry, 
• Blueberry,
• Other fruit,
• Lemon, lime, orange juice or 
• Champagne vinegar

Although lime and lemon juice can stand alone in salad dressings, adding orange juice with vinegar will produce a more flavorful dressing. According to the Joy of Cooking (Simon & Schuster Inc., 1997), pickling is the ideal application for distilled white vinegar, not salad dressings.

Mix the oil and vinegar thoroughly for optimum flavor. As usual, salt, pepper, and other seasonings should be whisked in with the vinegar.

Once the dressing is transparent, slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking continuously. Mix the ingredients in a little jar and tightly close the lid. Shake or whisk the dressing one more before using; if not, use it immediately.

Use about one tablespoon of the oil/vinegar dressing for every two cups of salad. To keep the calories down, dress your salad rather than drowning it. You can cut calories by using less salad dressing because it adheres better to dry lettuce. Dry your lettuce between two layers of clean dish towels or use a salad spinner.

Salad Dressing Staple of Oil and Vinegar

Vinegar and any additional seasonings or flavors should be whisked together. Olive oil should be whisked in gradually. Alternately, combine all the ingredients in a little jar and tightly close the lid.

Serve homemade dressings the same day you create them to ensure safety and freshness.

Olive Oil: How to Choose, Store, and Use Extra Virgin

Air, heat, and light all work against the freshness of olive oil. According to the UC Davis Olive Center, look for containers made of dark glass, tin, or clear glass stored in boxes or mostly concealed by labels.

Olive oil should be kept cool and dark inside a cupboard away from the stove and oven. Olive oil will solidify and turn hazy when refrigerated. Returning olive oil to room temperature restores its color and consistency to normal. 

Final Words

To preserve the quality of olive oil, you purchased in bulk; you might want to refrigerate a portion of it until you are ready to use it. Get the best quality olive oil from the Verde Valley Olive Oil traders; we provide all kinds of oil. Shop now to get it delivered to your doorstep.