Making salads oh-so wonderful for years in my kitchen!
Growing up, we used to have “side salads” with almost any dinner. Any vegetable we had in the fridge was chopped up and sprinkled on some shredded romaine, and then we topped it all with some sort of dressing.
I’ve always navigated towards vinaigrettes –– that classic combo of vinegar and oil always seemed to compliment my salads rather than coat it in a thick blanket of goo like ranch.
A classic vinaigrette follows a simple equation: 1 part your choice of vinegar to 1-4 parts your choice of oil (plus salt and pepper, to taste). But I like to add a creamy special ingredient to make it just a little more luscious and exciting!
Any guesses what it might be? If you’ve been around Fooduzzi for a while, you probably do. We’ve used that same ingredient in:
- Dips
- Pastas
- Breakfasts
- “Crab” Cakes
- Enchiladas
- Wraps
- Sandwiches
- And so many more things!
Yes, my friend. It is hummus. But trust me. It makes for the creamiest, most delightful, ideal-for-your-everyday-salad-needs dressing.
I like to use 1/2 cup of oil to 1/3 cup of vinegar in my vinaigrette.
I find that this ratio is ideal with these ingredients. It’s bitey and tangy from the vinegar, but it’s balanced thanks to the thick fattiness of the oil. It also creates a perfectly thick (but not too thick!) dressing, which I prefer because it coats my entire salad in a thin layer of flavor.
Balsamic is my vinegar of choice in dressings 99.9% of the time. The flavor is sharp and zippy like any good vinegar, but it’s balanced with some sweetness. I love it! Any vinegar will do, but if I’m not using balsamic, I like using a bit more oil than I normally would to make up for the lack of sweetness. We’re all about that balance!
And, at the risk of sounding like the Barefoot Contessa herself, try to use a decent olive oil here. We’re not cooking it at all, so you really will taste the difference –– not sponsored, but I like DeLallo and Liokareas!
And any hummus will do just fine. I like a roasted garlic variety for some extra flavor, but feel free to experiment with different kinds for fun variations on this recipe!
(Pictured above is this salad, and you need to try it with this dressing!)
And that’s that! Feel free to drizzle, dip, dunk, or douse whatever your heart desires with this stuff. We love keeping a batch in the fridge to make getting some veg in our meals even easier (and 100% more delicious).
Excited for this one to become a staple in your everyday salad consumption, friend!
PrintEveryday Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette
A quick, easy creamy balsamic vinaigrette dressing that will liven up the most boring of salads! A vegan ingredient makes it super creamy!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
- Category: Dressing
- Method: Whisk
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hummus*
- salt + pepper, to taste
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon dried herbs**
Instructions
Notes
*I like roasted garlic hummus, but feel free to switch it up here depending on your tastebuds!
**Try an Italian seasoning blend, dried oregano, or dried basil! Yum yum.
***As I mentioned in the post, this vinegar-to-oil works best for me! If you like your dressing a little thicker and less tangy, decrease the vinegar amount to 1/4 cup.
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