I’m kind of proud, though – I’ve managed to work all of them into all kinds of recipes. Traditional recipes, new recipes, and, yeah … a few miserable failures. And I only gave one away to a neighbor! Okay, and four or five away to family. And another half dozen away to friends. And I’ve grated and frozen about 20 cups worth. But other than that, I’ve used up every last one!

This recipe for Spicy Zucchini Refrigerator Pickles was a new thing for me this year. I’d only recently heard of zucchini pickles, but I knew they were something I had to try. Initially, I wanted to develop a veggie burger recipe with pickled zucchini ribbons, but I ended up liking the pickled zucchini so much that I decided to make it a recipe all its own.

These zucchini pickles taste incredible! A bit sweet, a bit of heat, tons of flavor. They don’t quite have the same crunch as traditional cucumber pickles, but there’s still definitely a bit of bite there.

Plus, they’re so super easy to make. A couple of minutes slicing, a couple of minutes heating up the vinegar mixture. Pour, refrigerate, wait, devour.

Devour plain. Devour on a sandwich or on a burger. Chop ’em up for tuna (or chickpea) salad. Or eat them plain. Oh, I already said that, didn’t I? Guess it’s clear how I liked them best.

(more…)

The post Spicy Zucchini Refrigerator Pickles appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I’ve always loved a good green salad. The thing is, I’ve never been able to find a premade salad dressing that I like. Most of them – especially store-bought oil and vinegar dressing – taste weird to me.

That’s why I started making my own homemade vinaigrette, and once I learned how easy this simple salad dressing was, there was no going back.

In this Article

• What is Vinaigrette?
• Vinaigrette Ratio
• Vinaigrette Ingredients
• Different Vinaigrette Flavors to Make
• How to Mix Vinaigrette: My Two Favorite Methods
• Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve
• More Salad Dressing Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

What is Vinaigrette?

Vinaigrette is a simple, versatile salad dressing made with oil and vinegar. From there, you can add many different ingredients to add flavor and make it your own.

Vinaigrette Ratio

The ratio is very straightforward!

It’s:

1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil
+ salt and pepper to taste

Simple, right?! But that’s not all you need to know! Read on for even more about making the perfect homemade vinaigrette for you.

Vinaigrette Ingredients

What are the ingredients in vinaigrette? Oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and anything else you want to add for flavor and texture.

Oil

You can’t go wrong with extra virgin olive oil, which I use 95% of the time.

Or choose a light, flavorless oil like grapeseed oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil. Avocado oil can be delicious, too. For some extra flavor, you can even swap in a touch of nut oil like walnut oil or hazelnut oil; or a bit of sesame oil adds a nutty vibe that complements Asian foods nicely. Just use a light touch with the more potent oils.

It goes without saying that higher quality oil is going to taste the best. But personally, as you can see by the photo, I’m not opposed to a little Costco generic brand love. Tastes pretty great to me!

Vinegar

Ahhh, so many lovely varieties of vinegar. Most wine vinegars will yield a lighter vinaigrette. Rice vinegar is also a nice, light choice. Apple cider vinegar lends a nice little bite (I like using it in salads with apple). Balsamic vinegar is a bolder choice, but lends a wonderful sweet/tart flavor to the mix. Sherry vinegar is also nice, but can be bold, so tread lightly.

Lemon juice is often substituted for vinegar, but I prefer to supplement the vinegar with acidy citrus juices (orange and lime juices also fall into this category) rather than replace the vinegar entirely. Generally I’ll swap out half the vinegar for citrus juice if I’m going that route.

Other ingredients

As I referenced in the formula above, aside from oil and vinegar, the only other thing you really need for a superb and super-simple vinaigrette is a bit of salt (I like kosher salt or sea salt) and pepper (I prefer freshly ground black pepper).

Sugar or honey helps mellow the vinegar’s acidity. Bonus if you use honey, which works as a salad dressing emulsifier, too (more about emulsifiers in a bit).

Different Vinaigrette Flavors to Make

1. Balsamic Vinaigrette

• Use balsamic vinegar. I like to use white balsamic vinegar for a lighter balsamic dressing in both flavor and looks.
• A touch of sweetener – granulated sugar, honey, pure maple syrup, or even brown sugar – helps mellow out the acidity, while a bit of Dijon mustard helps round it out.

2. Creamy Vinaigrette

• Add sour cream or vegan sour cream to your vinaigrette and mix well.
• You can also add mayo for a nice creamy result. I suggest starting with a couple of tablespoons and going from there.

3. Herb Vinaigrette

• Add fresh chopped herbs like dill, basil, parsley, cilantro, mint, or thyme (dried herbs work, too, but can be more potent – you’ll want to start with about 1/3 of dried vs. fresh.)

4. Ginger Vinaigrette

• Add finely minced ginger – one or two tablespoons.

5. Garlic Vinaigrette

• Add a teaspoon of finely minced fresh garlic (about one clove of garlic) or even some garlic powder in a pinch.

6. Raspberry Vinaigrette

• Add fresh or frozen raspberries along with the other salad dressing ingredients to a blender and puree.
• Also works with strawberries or blueberries!
• Go with about 1/2 cup berries per 1 cup of dressing.
• A bit of shallot and a drizzle of honey go nicely too.

7. Champagne Vinaigrette

• Use champagne vinegar for a light, elegant touch.

8. Citrus Vinaigrette (lime, orange, or lemon vinaigrette)

• Swap out half of the vinegar for lemon, lime, or orange juice. Blood orange is especially pretty!
• Throw in a little zest for an extra punch.

9. Spicy Vnaigrette

• Crushed red pepper flakes, a dab of horseradish, or even a bit of Sriracha add a touch of heat.

10. Shallot Vinaigrette

• Add a bit of finely minced shallots to the equation. Shallots add so much flavor! You can also add onion or scallions.
• I like to use white wine vinegar along with a touch of honey, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice in my shallot vinaigrette.

11. Dijon Vinaigrette

• Dijon mustard adds flavor and acts as an emulsifier – it’s kind of vinaigrette’s best pal. More about emulsifying in a minute.
• I like to add about a half teaspoon to a teaspoon of Dijon mustard per 1 cup of dressing.

12. Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette

• Add fresh or dried thyme and a squeeze of lemon juice for this flavorful twist on vinaigrette.

How to Mix Vinaigrette: My Two Favorite Methods

Yes, oil and vinegar likes to stay separated. But for vinaigrette, we want it together – at least long enough to get it onto our salad.

One effective way of mixing it together (also known as “emulsifying”) is to use a blender. But I feel like that over-complicates the process and, let’s be honest, I don’t like the extra clean-up. And this is all about simple!

So I almost always mix my vinaigrette one of two ways:

Whisk it in a bowl

Add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and briskly whisk until all of the ingredients come together. That’s it! You can also add all of the ingredients except the oil, then whisk while adding the oil in a stream, which can help with the emulsification.

A tip Brandy shared has been a bit life-changing, too: just whisk the vinaigrette right in the salad bowl, add the greens, and toss. It only works if you’ve got just the right quantity for your salad, but it’s still an incredibly convenient option when the stars align.

Shake it in a mason jar

This is my favorite method because it’s easier (read: lazier). Just add all of the ingredients to a mason jar, screw on the lid, shake for a few seconds, and: voila, vinaigrette!

Bonus: you’ve now got a ready-made container for storing leftover dressing in the fridge for later on!

Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve

Once it’s mixed, just taste and adjust the  seasonings if you like, and you’re good to go. Tasting tip: For the most accurate idea of what the dressing will taste like on your salad, dip a leaf into the dressing, shake off the excess, and try.

If you’re not serving your vinaigrette right away, you may have to shake it again right before serving. But here’s where the bonus of a couple of the add-ins come into play: both Dijon mustard and honey help emulsify the dressing, which keeps it together longer. So consider adding one or both of these if you’re entertaining and don’t want the embarrassment of a broken-down dressing (the horror!) or if you are just plain tired of shaking.

Here’s the full, printable recipe!

If you try and love this recipe for homemade vinaigrette, please leave a review! Even if you don’t absolutely love it, I welcome any and all feedback and I share all legit reviews. I test my recipes multiple times in my home kitchen, but I really appreciate knowing how they’re working for others; your reviews help me make tweaks until my recipes are just right! And they’re so valuable for other readers, too. Thank you! ❤️

Print

Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe

Homemade vinaigrette is so much better than store-bought – and EASY! This recipe yields enough to lightly dress a salad for four. Read the entire post for tons of variations and ideas!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Diet Diabetic, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword vinaigrette

Prep Time 2 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 189kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil* or a more neutral-flavored oil like grapeseed, canola, or vegetable
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar** or balsamic, apple cider vinegar, rice, sherry, or other wine vinegar
• Pinch kosher salt
• A turn of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Add all of the ingredients to a small mason jar, screw on the lid, and shake until blended. You can also whisk the ingredients together in a bowl or whirr them together in a blender.
• Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Add to salad, toss, and serve.
• Keep leftover dressing in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days.

Notes

*Additional notes on oil

I recommend extra virgin olive oil. Other options are light, flavorless oils like grapeseed oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil. Avocado oil can be delicious, too. For some extra flavor, you can even swap in a touch of nut oil like walnut oil or hazelnut oil; or a bit of sesame oil adds a nutty vibe that complements Asian foods nicely. Just use a light touch with the more potent oils.

**Additional notes on vinegar & subbing lemon juice

Most wine vinegars will yield a lighter vinaigrette. Rice vinegar is also a nice, light choice. Apple cider vinegar lends a nice little bite (I like using it in salads with apple). Balsamic is a bolder choice, but lends a wonderful sweet/tart flavor to the mix. Sherry vinegar is also nice, but can be bold, so tread lightly.

Lemon juice is often substituted for vinegar, but I prefer to supplement the vinegar with acidy citrus juices (orange and lime juices also fall into this category) rather than replace the vinegar entirely. Generally I’ll swap out half the vinegar for citrus juice if I’m going that route.

Customization ideas

Balsamic vinaigrette: When using balsamic, a touch of sweetener – granulated sugar, honey, pure maple syrup, or even brown sugar – helps mellow out the acidity, while a bit of Dijon mustard helps round it out. I like to use white balsamic vinegar for a lighter balsamic dressing in both flavor and looks.

Herb vinaigrette: Add 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs like dill, basil, parsley, cilantro, mint, or thyme (dried herbs work, too, but can be more potent – adjust to 1-2 teaspoons instead.)

Ginger vinaigrette: Add 2 teaspoons finely minced ginger.

Garlic vinaigrette: Add a finely minced garlic clove or even some garlic powder (start with 1/4 teaspoon) in a pinch.

Parmesan vinaigrette: Add 2 tablespoons grated or shredded Parmesan. Pecorino Romano, Gorgonzola, or feta are delicious too.

Raspberry vinaigrette: Add fresh or frozen raspberries along with the other salad dressing ingredients to a blender and puree. Also works with strawberries or blueberries! Go with about 1/2 cup berries per 1 cup of dressing. A bit of shallot and a drizzle of honey go nicely too.

Champagne vinaigrette: Use champagne vinegar for a light, elegant touch.

Citrus vinaigrette (lime, orange, or lemon vinaigrette): Swap out half of the vinegar for lemon, lime, or orange juice. Blood orange is especially pretty! Throw in a little zest for an extra punch.

Spicy vinaigrette: A pinch of red pepper flakes, a teaspoon or two of horseradish, or even a bit of Sriracha (start with 1/4 teaspoon) add a touch of heat. 

Shallot vinaigrette: Add 2 teaspoons finely minced shallots to the equation. Shallots add so much flavor! You can also add onion or scallions.

Dijon vinaigrette: Add about a half teaspoon to a teaspoon of Dijon mustard per 1 cup of dressing. Dijon mustard adds flavor and acts as an emulsifier – it’s kind of vinaigrette’s best pal. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons (1/2 recipe) | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 29mg | Sugar: 1g | Iron: 1mg

More Salad Dressing Recipes

When you know how to make your own salad dressing, you can take on the world! Or at least, it’ll feel like it. Here are some more recipes for homemade salad dressing:

• Honey Dijon Mustard Dressing – This homemade version of a perennial favorite is so good!
• Thousand Island Dressing – So creamy and delicious!

The post Homemade Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

In fact, it is so easy to make homemade 1000 island dressing, that I’m sort of kicking myself for ever buying it ready-made.

Five minutes and a little chilling time in the fridge, and you’ve got a tangy, zesty, “secret” sauce that’s equally at home on a piled-high burger as it is atop a nice, simple bed of greens.

It’s far less expensive than store-bought and it tastes, well, 1000 times better!

In this Article

• Why is it Called Thousand Island Dressing?
• Ingredients
• How to Make Thousand Island Dressing
• Ideas for Customizing Thousand Island Dressing
• How to Store 1000 Island Dressing
• Can I Freeze This Sauce?
• Dietary Questions
• More Salad Dressing & Sauce Goodness

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Reviews & Comments

Why is it Called Thousand Island Dressing?

When I first shared this recipe, I didn’t know why! But some research turned up that “the name presumably comes from the Thousand Islands between the United States and Canada in the St. Lawrence River. 

In the Thousand Islands area, one common version of the dressing’s origins says that a fishing guide’s wife, Sophia LaLonde, made the condiment as part of her husband George’s shore dinner.” (source)

Reader CJ shared, “They call it Thousand Islands Dressing – originally known as Sophia’s Sauce because the recipe originated in the Thousand Islands. This unique and once the play ground of the very rich during the gilded age was and is a fisherman’s paradise. Today, although and nonetheless beautiful, and still a vacation destination, like most of upstate New York, the evidence of poverty can not be denied … I have a copy of the original, hand written recipe …”

Reader Kathy also shared, “Just wanted to let you know that Thousand Island dressing comes from the Thousand Island area of up state NY. Where are over a thousand island in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Fishing guides would take them out to fish and then cook them a ‘shore dinner’ One of there wives came up with the recipe. They lived in Clayton NY and who can still go there and get the original dressing..I grew up there and when I moved I realized most of the country had no idea that’s how it originated.“

Scroll down to read the comments for even more interesting information about the origin of Thousand Island Dressing.

Ingredients

What’s in Thousand Island Dressing? My recipe calls for ketchup, mayo, and relish; along with some finely minced onion and garlic. Then a bit of vinegar, salt, a dash of hot sauce if you like, and bam. Homemade Thousand Island.

How to Make Thousand Island Dressing

Just mix the ingredients together in a small bowl – yup, that’s it! The flavor develops when you refrigerate it, so it’s even better when you can make it in advance.

Ideas for Customizing Thousand Island Dressing

• To make a vegan version, just swap in some vegan mayo like Vegenaise.
• Many people like to add a finely diced hard boiled egg to the recipe, in fact, the original recipe (mentioned above) apparently included that. The egg adds a nice rich texture.
• Worcestershire sauce adds some nice flavor. One reader adds that and a pinch of ground cloves! Sounds delicious.
• Others like to use tomato sauce or tomato paste instead of the ketchup – the tomato paste would add a nice concentrated tomato element along with a bit of that coveted umami flavor.
• Many readers like to add some horseradish for a nice bit of zip. Others add a bit of cocktail sauce or even substitute the ketchup completely with cocktail sauce.
• To spice it up, add a dash of Tabasco as the recipe suggests. One reader adds chili-garlic sauce; another loves Sriracha. Yum!

So many ideas to make it your own!

How to Store 1000 Island Dressing

Keep your dressing in an airtight container or jar and store it in the refrigerator. It should keep well for up to 7 days.

Can I Freeze This Sauce?

I don’t recommend freezing thousand island because of the mayo. Freezing and thawing it could alter the texture.

Dietary Questions

Does Thousand Island Dressing have dairy?

No, this recipe is dairy-free.

Does Thousand Island Dressing have eggs?

Mayonnaise has eggs, so, yep! But you can use a vegan mayonnaise to omit the eggs.

Is Thousand Island Dressing vegan?

No, it is not, because the mayonnaise has eggs. But it’s a really easy swap – just use Vegenaise or another fave vegan mayonnaise instead of the classic mayo. Done!

Is it Gluten Free?

Yes! As written this Thousand Island Dressing recipe is gluten free.

More Salad Dressing & Sauce Goodness

• How to Make Vinaigrette Dressing – Ratio, Variations, & More (make any salad magic with this easy homemade hack)
• Homemade Tartar Sauce – customize however you like!
• Honey Dijon Mustard Dressing – tangy, sweet, and delicious!
• Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette – one of my favorite variations of vinaigrettes! So lively and vibrant.
• Creamy Vinaigrette: Creamy, zingy, and just delicious.
• Lemon-Garlic Kale Salad with Almonds
• Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado & Chickpeas
• Epic Winter Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Baby Kale, & Avocado
• Kale Caesar Salad with Tofu Croutons & Kalamata Caesar Dressing

Print

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing Recipe

Five minutes and a little chilling time in the fridge, and you've got a tangy, zesty, "secret" sauce that's equally at home on a burger as it is over a salad. Far less expensive than store-bought and it tastes, well, a thousand times better!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword salad dressing

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 57kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 2 teaspoons finely diced onion I use red onion but yellow or white would work just fine
• 1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic about half of a small clove
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce optional

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. Taste and add additional salt if desired. Refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld. Serve.

Notes

Storage Notes

Keeps refrigerated for up to a week. 

Substitute Ideas

Sweet relish substitute ideas: Dill relish is also delicious, or you could even finely chop some sweet or dill pickles and add them to the mix. We had a reader report using a spicy zucchini relish with success too! Make it your own. 

Onion powder substitute ideas: 1/4 teaspoon onion powder works instead of the fresh onion. 

Vegan Option

Use a vegan mayo like Vegenaise. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 273mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

The post Thousand Island Dressing Recipe appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.