Salad dressing recipes

Cafe Society
1

Been eating a lot more salads lately, and I’ve come up with (by accident/experimentation) a really good salad dressing recipe (at least, by my tastes):

Olive oil (a few tablespoons, I think) Sometimes I substitute sesame oil for about half or a quarter of the olive oil.
Balsamic vinegar (about a tablespoon, maybe a little more)
Worcestershire sauce (about a tablespoon)
Sriracha sauce (a tablespoon for me, your tastes may vary)
Honey (a small dollop or two)

All mixed together. Sometimes I add a little bit of mayo to give it a tiny bit of a creamy texture. I find it very tangy and flavorful. My salads are typically iceberg/romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, and mushrooms, if I have all of these ingredients. Sometimes I sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Is there any actual named dressing that this is close too?

And what are your best salad dressing recipes?

2

When I’m making dressing I mix olive oil and vinegar at an eyeballed 3:2 ratio. I add:

pinch of salt
finely chopped clove of garlic
black pepper
dollop of mustard

If I’m going for an Asian flavor, I’ll add some sesame oil, use soy sauce instead of salt, and add ginger as well.

3

Here’s a recipe I got from Herbsaint in New Orleans [modified from the original 2011 post]. We had this last week.

Herbsaint Shaved Beef Salad

Horseradish dressing
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons creole mustard (or whole grain mustard)
4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon hot sauce (we use Louisiana brand hot sauce)
2 tablespoons cane syrup (this is a Louisiana product, and may not be available – you can substitute a mild molasses)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Yield: about 2 cups

Directions
Mix it all together.

I can’t get cane syrup here, so the first time I made it I made simple syrup and added molasses. Now I just use a little Karo corn syrup and light molasses. I use Zatarain’s mustard and Louisiana brand hot sauce.

The beef
Most supermarkets will have packets of thinly-sliced roast beef. I go to the local supermarket’s deli counter and have them shave some Dietz & Watson roast beef as thin as they can get it. Dietz & Watson is the brand The Market carries. Boar’s Head is also popular in this area. We like the ‘shaved’ beef, but it would be easier to plate if we went the next thickness up.

The salad
You can make your own salad, but I find it easier to use the bagged mixed Spring greens.

Assembly
Use three or four slices of thinly-sliced roast beef or the appropriate amount of ‘shaved’ roast beef… Tear it into bite-sized bits (no more than a couple of inches square) and arrange them on a large plate. Pile on the greens. Add as much dressing as you desire. Top with French’s fried onions.

4

My Dad claimed that he got this from LBJ’s personal chef. I don’t have the recipe here right now, but I’ve made it enough I think I can remember it. Start with a small mayo jar that has about 1/4 left (Maybe a cup) add the dregs from a bottle of Italian dressing, or a package of Hidden Valley Italian Dressing. Crumble in about a cup of Blu Cheese. Thin with buttermilk and stir until it is a creamy consistency.

Maybe I should have spoilered this since your arteries will probably clog just reading it. Your taste buds however will thank you.

5

I fixed a salad that had roasted red peppers on it and while you are roasting the peppers you also roast dome garlic and rosemary. About 15 minutes all together. then chop the garlic and rosemary very fine mix with white wine vinegar and olive oil. It was quite yummy.

6

My usual reply to these requests is Japanese ‘steakhouse’ ginger dressing. I use this one:

I just made a batch on Sunday, good stuff.
Double (at least) the ginger and garlic.