There's nothing better than always having a bottle of French dressing in the fridge to enjoy with any type of salad. But remember that when you make French dressing yourself, you will consume it in the best way. Store-bought versions always contain preservatives, sometimes thickeners, and in some cases too much sugar. So here are some recipes on how to make French dressing yourself.
Make your own white French dressing – how and what do you need?
Make your own French dressing with garlic, onions, mustard, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper to season; apple cider vinegar for the sour taste; egg yolk to make it thick and white; 2 types of oil for a creamy consistency. It goes well with all kinds of greens, rice and pasta salads as well as for dipping bread.
French Dressing – Ingredients:
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 100 ml vegetable broth
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 50 ml olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 100 ml apple cider vinegar
- 200 ml sunflower oil or rapeseed oil
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- Pfeffer
Make your own French dressing – variations:
- Instead of apple cider vinegar, use white or red vinegar.
- Swap the olive oil for avocado oil.
- Replace the sunflower oil with canola or rapeseed oil.
- Add fresh or dried herbs.
- Add poppy seeds.
- Use spices like paprika, curry powder or chipotle.
French dressing recipe – preparation:
- Peel and chop the garlic and onion. Cook them with the vegetable stock in a small pot for 10 minutes. The vegetables should be soft and the liquid reduced to about half. Pour them into a bowl and let them cool for 5 minutes.
- Puree with the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and sugar in an electric mixer/food processor until smooth.
- Add the vinegar and oil and mix until the color changes from light yellow to white. Season it with salt and pepper.
- Store the white French dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Which salad dressing goes with which salad? Thefind out here!
What do you need for the vegan alternative
This creamy white vegan salad dressing recipe is a plant-based adaptation of the popular white French dressing recipe. The original recipe is made with egg yolks, which makes the salad dressing white and creamy. But it's easy to replace the egg yolk with soy milk and get the same creaminess and thickness you want in a salad dressing. It's amazing how swapping out a single ingredient can transform a beloved classic recipe into a dairy-free alternative! But you have to use soy milk! This effect cannot be achieved with any other plant-based milk alternative!
Vegan French Dressing – Zutaten:
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 120 ml vegetable broth
- 60 ml unsweetened soy milk
- 100 ml sunflower oil or rapeseed oil
- 60 ml apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 30 ml olive oil
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- Pfeffer
preparation:
- Cook the minced garlic, onion and vegetable stock in a small saucepan for 10 minutes. Put the whole thing in a bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Add all ingredients to your food processor (or hand blender) and puree until you have a smooth and creamy dressing.
- Season the dressing with more salt and pepper to your taste.
Important Notes:
- Add a little water if you prefer the dressing a little thinner, but note that this vegan salad dressing will thicken slightly in the refrigerator.
- You can store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- This dressing goes well with all types of salads.
- The use of soy milk is essential for this recipe and cannot be substituted with any other plant-based milk.
Make classic French dressing yourself – quick recipe
Tipp: As you toss, the salad will absorb as much dressing as it needs to be coated (if the salad is more heavily coated, continue tossing), and any excess dressing will naturally remain at the bottom of the bowl. This is a much better method than dumping heavy, runny dressing on delicate greens.
Classic French Dressing – Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallot, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- A pinch of kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- Whisk together oil, vinegar, shallot (if using), and mustard in the bottom of a large salad bowl.
- Add salt and pepper to the mixture in the bowl.
- Add the salad you are making and toss to combine.
For preparing in advance or for smaller salads: Gather the ingredients. Either whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl or measuring cup, or place the ingredients in a jar, cover and shake. Covered and refrigerated, they will last up to a week.
What happens when the olive oil gets cold? Be aware and be warned that the olive oil will curdle in the cold and look quite unsightly. Rest assured that nothing bad has happened to the dressing. It will look normal and taste delicious once it returns to room temperature and the oil has become liquid again. If you wish, you can speed up this process by aiding it with frequent shaking or whisking.
You can find more easy vinaigrette ideas to spice up any saladfind here!
