Hey guys. I just learned how to spell vinaigrette properly. Like just today. Pretttty sure I’ve always spelled it like vinegar + ette unless spellcheck helped me out.

Anyone? Just me?  Ok whatever.

But hey, I’ve been so excited to share this one with you guys!

It’s true, I’m often content with just olive oil + lemon juice on tossed greens.
But sometimes, a salad needs that creamy-outspoken-punchy-perfect dressing.

It can be difficult to find healthy store-bought dressings that are void of white sugars or hydrogenated oils. So I played with some fun ingredients to create a fresh homemade sweet zesty one.

The inspiration for my homemade vinaigrette – two items:

1.) one lonely pear in my fruit basket
2.) White Balsamic Vinegar!

 

There are basic components that make a dressing, dressing:  oil / vinegar / salt / sweet.   But when it comes down to it – it’s a dance of give or take, with endless options.
Choose olive oil or avocado oil. Choose honey, or maple syrup, or sugar.
Choose red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar, or white vinegar.
Sometimes garlic.  Sometimes avocado.
My friend who is a vegan-chef uses sesame seeds for texture, before blending.
There are so many options!

A fun ingredient I used here is White Balsamic Vinegar – I hadn’t ever used this until my friend passed it along to me from her pantry. Both of us were unsure of it’s best uses, but this experiment proved it to be a keeper, indeed.

So, this is my take on a sweet zesty vinaigrette!

HIGHLY recommended on a salad with BACON and a sharp cheese of your choice.
Trust me on this.

(This particular salad included: spinach, red cabbage, pear, feta cheese, turkey bacon, cherry tomato)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP white balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey (or pure maple syrup)
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
1 TBSP lemon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup, chopped ripe pear pieces

BLEND in vitamix or other mixer for about 30-45 seconds, give or take.

Toss in a little bit at a time until the salad has just enough for flavor, while not too much to drown your spinach or lettuce leaves.  Only toss what you will eat presently!  We all know leftover salad is a soggy disappointment.

Jar your remaining dressing and keep it in the fridge to use some other time.

Happy salad tossing!

from my Tiny Kitchen,
glorieanna