Salad dressing is one of the easiest things to stop buying and start making. It takes all of two minutes to make, and usually only requires a quick whisk or a shake, making it an excellent job for kids of any age.
Sarah and Rachel share their personal family favorites below that taste great on any type of greens and are simple enough to whip up on a moments notice (preferably by one of their kids!).
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S A R A H ' S S A L A D D R E S S I N G
I've been making my own salad dressing for as long as I can remember. Seriously.
Making salad dressing with my maternal grandmother is one of the earliest kitchen memories I have - actually, it’s one of the earliest memories I have, period.
I've been asked by a variety of people for my family salad dressing recipe – and I always hesitated. Why? Was I afraid to divulge my delicious secret? Nope, it’s because I always made salad dressing off-the-cuff. It was never exactly the same twice. I experimented with types of vinegars, substituting types of mustard, using fresh garlic when I didn’t have any garlic powder on hand.
After many (many, many years) of making salad dressing, I have come up with a recipe that my family uses multiple times a week. Paired with a colorful salad with lots of crunchy lettuce, this dressing could win over even the most salad-averse person at your table. I’m not saying it’s total magic, but it might just be a little magical.
K I D D U T I E S : (kids can do any or all)
Help measure and pour all ingredients
Shake the dressing
Be official taste testers
I N G R E D I E N T S :
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
I N S T R U C T I O N S :
Combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid or other container with a lid or tight-fitting top. Shake like crazy, at least until the honey and Dijon are dissolved. Taste, either from a spoon or on a piece of lettuce and adjust to taste. Makes about 1 cup salad dressing. Enough for several salads.
In our household, we use a lot of salad dressing and we keep our prepared salad dressing in a dark cabinet and we have never had it go rancid. Most homemade salad dressing recipes suggest keeping extra dressing in the refrigerator, just don’t forget to take it out and bring it to room temperature and shake before dressing your salad.
R A C H E L ' S S A L A D D R E S S I N G
Similar to Sarah's recipe, this dressing utilizes dijon and extra virgin olive oil, but swaps the vinegars for lemon juice as the acid used. Just shake it all up or stir it to incorporate the mustard and you're done. Use whatever size spoon you want (a tbsp is a good place to start), but usually a regular old kitchen spoon gives the perfect amount for one salad.
K I D D U T I E S : (kids can do any or all)
Help measure and pour all ingredients
Shake/stir the dressing
Pour dressing over the salad
I N G R E D I E N T S :
1/2 spoon Dijon mustard
1 spoon lemon juice
2 spoons extra virgin olive oil
pinch of salt
We want to see it! Share your photos of your family making this recipe on our facebook page or instagram, tagging us with #familycookingclub. We'll pick our favorites each week!
