Homemade Shallot Vinaigrette

Is it wrong that I consider myself a Salad Dressing Connoisseur?  I know, it’s probably weird to be a self-proclaimed expert on Salad Dressing of all things.  But, I don’t know if you’ve heard, my salad dressings are kinda a big deal.  Haha!  I’m totally kidding but, in all honesty, when people try them, I do get quite a few accolades about my homemade salad dressings.

This Homemade Shallot Vinaigrette is one of the favorites!

I think it’s because the simplicity of the dressing is unexpected and so the shallot vinaigrette actually complements the salad as opposed to overpowering it.  Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, a Shallot, Salt and Pepper…that’s it!  But the taste…oh the taste…give it a little time for the freshly minced shallots to marry with the other ingredients…sweet perfection!

3 Reasons to Make Homemade Salad Dressing

There are tons of reasons to make your own homemade salad dressing, prime among them, homemade salad dressings are:

1. Fresh and Tasty
2. Quick and Easy
3. A Cost Savings

Fresh and Tasty Homemade Salad Dressing

The freshness and taste of a homemade salad dressing is enough to make it a better decision than store bought dressing all day long and twice on Tuesday.  Sure, you can run to the grocery store and pick up a bottle of salad dressing anytime.  Super easy and just a few bucks.  Unfortunately, quite a few of them are just packed with preservatives…and, of course, those infamous minced dehydrated vegetables that…well…are minced, dehydrated vegetables that only come to their full potential (ahem) sitting comfortably at the bottom of the jar until you decide to shake ‘em up.  You know what I’m talking about.

In my opinion, there is just a staleness to most mass-produced store-bought salad dressings.  They get the job done but when was the last time you said, “That is an amazing salad!”  I’m guessing that doesn’t happen a lot and it’s probably because of the dressing, not because of what’s in the salad itself.

Let me prove my point with this little experiment for one of the simplest salads you can make:

1. Make this Shallot Vinaigrette.
2. Mix about a tablespoon (or less) of the Vinaigrette with about two handfuls of Arugula in a large bowl (enough to give you some mixing room). Mix the Arugula and dressing thoroughly until every leaf is lightly coated.
3. Put the dressed Arugula on two plates and top it with Parmesan Cheese. (Use the grated if you’ve got it…shaved parmesan if you want to get fancy.)

Essentially only three ingredients (Arugula, Cheese and Dressing) and I’d be willing to bet, you will say “Now, THIS is an amazing salad!”  The main reasons is this dressing.  It doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors…it’s fresh, flavorful and just a little bit goes a long way.

Quick and Easy Homemade Salad Dressing

Essentially, in most cases, you’re buying convenience…and I get that.  Saving time is huge and picking up a bottle of dressing is not that hard.  The truth is, however, you could mix up your own homemade dressing in just a couple of minutes.

Nothing could be easier and as an added benefit, you get to control what goes in the salad dressing and what does not.  Like Calcium Disodium EDTA…not in this dressing!  But, it might be in the one you’re buying at the store.  Sure, Calcium Disodium EDTA helps to preserve the freshness of the dressing so that it can sit in your fridge…for a year or two or three?

I am preaching to the choir here as I am guilty of using a salad dressing beyond the time any human being should use a salad dressing.  You know that bottle of dressing that you bought that sits right next to the Ketchup that’s been there for years…the one with dried out crusty dressing around the threads of the bottle.  Time to throw it out!

I just did that myself.  I’m not proud of this, but I found a dressing in my fridge that expired in 2012.  2012!  That means it was probably made sometime in 2011…8 years ago!!!  Thankfully, it wasn’t one I was still using.  I bought way back because the name sounded super tasty.  If only that super tasty name translated to what was inside…

The time saving of buying dressing is negligible.  I’m telling you, you can make this in just about two minutes and you’ll know that it as fresh as it can be…and not bogged down with preservatives.  Plus, you can store it in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks so you’ll have salad dressing ready at a moment’s notice….just like the store bought.

Homemade Salad Dressing Saves Money

A bottle of salad dressing is only a few bucks but you can actually make this shallot vinaigrette for less and with better quality ingredients.  You probably already have the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  The shallot I bought cost me just about $.30.  So, for about a buck or so, you can make a homemade salad dressing.  And because it is freshly made and so flavorful, a little goes a long way!

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Summer is just around the corner, which means you’ll probably be having a salad or two over the next few months.  Try this Shallot Vinaigrette!  It’s one of my favorites and one that I always have on hand because it is so versatile, whether dressing a green salad…or even pasta salad. Speaking of…try this Pasta Salad…works perfectly with this Homemade Shallot Vinaigrette.