Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

Salad dressings are very simple so I’m surprised by how many people never venture beyond the bottled stuff.  You really can’t go wrong by starting with a basic combination of oil and something acidic, like vinegar or lemon juice.  From there, just add whatever strikes your fancy.  Want a creamy version?  Simply whisk in a little heavy cream.

This combination started  in someone else’s kitchen and we were throwing together a quick salad for lunch.  Rifling through the pantry for oil and vinegar, I spied a jar of dry mustard.  “Mustard, huh?” she asked.  She pulled a jar of dijon out of the fridge and I rounded up the salt, cayenne, oregano and garlic.   We dumped in a little of this and a little of that, stuck a finger in the bowl for a taste, added a little more of this and that and came up with this.  All except the honey, which I added to a much later version.  It’s very good with or without it.

Whisk it up and pour it over your favorite salad.  I did my old standby of mixed greens, avocado, tomato and feta.  If I’d had one handy, I would’ve tossed in red onion, sliced into thin rings.

• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Dijon Mustard (I like the coarse grainy stuff)
• Honey
• Granulated or Powdered Garlic
• Oregano
• Cayenne
• SaltAs usual, I really didn’t measure a thing.  I suppose I started with about half a cup of oil and maybe 1/4 cup of vinegar.A teaspoon of granulated garlic?  Maybe two teaspoons?A dash or two of cayenne.A generous dash of oregano.A couple of forks of mustard.Two or three squirts of honey and then a dash of salt.Whisk it all together and taste it.  Adjust the seasonings as you like.  Too spicy?  Just add a little more oil and vinegar.Toss together your favorite salad.

Tagged as: dijon, honey, mustard, salad, salad dressing, vinegar