Homemade salad dressings add a touch of freshness and style to any meal. Here are six sure-fire ways to please the palate, and your guests.
Chutney Dressing
Combine ½C red wine vinegar, 5T chutney, 1 garlic clove, 2T coarse-ground mustard, 2t sugar, and ½C vegetable oil in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Asian Chicken Salad Dressing
Whisk ¼ C sugar, ¼ C unseasoned rice vinegar, ¼ sweet onion, chopped, and ¾ t dry mustard in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in ½ C canola oil. Stir in 1½ t poppy seeds. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
Spicy Caesar Salad Dressing
Roast 4 red jalapeños. In a blender, combine 2 egg yolks; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 shallots, minced; 4 anchovy filets, 2T Dijon mustard, 1T Worcestershire sauce, 2t Tabasco sauce, and 2t balsamic vinegar. Puree until smooth. Slowly add ¾C canola oil and ¾C olive oil until dressing is emulsified and creamy. Add chopped jalapeños, 1T chopped cilantro, 2T frozen limeade, and salt.
Blue Cheese Dressing
Place ¾ C sour cream, ½ t dry mustard, ½ t black pepper, ½ t salt, 1/3 t garlic powder, and 1 t Worcestershire sauce in mixer bowl. Blend until thoroughly mixed, ~ 2 minutes at low speed. Add 1 1/3 C mayonnaise and blend 2 minutes more. Add 4 oz crumbled blue cheese and continue blending no longer than 4 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
Toasted Cumin Dressing
Heat small skillet over high heat. Add 2T cumin seeds and stir until lightly browned and beginning to smoke, ~1 minute. Remove from heat. Add 6T sherry wine vinegar and 2T rice vinegar and 2T water. Cool to lukewarm. Transfer to a blender. Add 1 ½ T Dijon mustard and 1 garlic clove, minced. Blend until smooth, ~20 seconds. With blender running, add 1 ½ C olive oil.
Green Goddess Dressing
Blend 1/2 C sour cream, 2t fresh chives, 1/8 t black pepper, 2t anchovy paste, 1 clove garlic, minced, 2T white wine vinegar, and 1 T sweet and sour until thoroughly mixed, ~ 2 minutes at low speed. Add 1 C mayonnaise and blend 2 minutes more. Add milk to thin, if needed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.