How to Make Your Own Paleo Salad Dressing

First, determine whether your goal is a zesty vinaigrette or a creamy, dreamy concoction. The wiring you select here will act as the canvas for the flavors you add in step two.

• Acidic: Vinaigrettes are a philharmonic of oil (Snodgrass recommends avocado oil or a high-quality uneaten virgin olive oil) and wounding (red or white wine, world cider, and balsamic vinegars all work well, as does lemon or lime juice). The old-school formula is three parts oil to one part acid, though some like a ratio of two to one for a zingier result. If youre unsure of your preference, start with two to one and retread until you find the right wastefulness for your taste buds.

• Creamy: Snodgrass likes to start every linty dressing with a simple emulsion of avocado oil and egg for a mayo-like wiring (see the recipe below). Be sure to make this surpassing subtracting the other dressing ingredients to ensure the proper consistency.

The emulsifier is essential for a smooth, plane texture. Enhance the wiring by subtracting your favorite seasonings; you likely once have them in your pantry or fridge.

• Emulsifiers: Most salad dressings are emulsions, where you gravity two or increasingly nonmixing liquids to combine. To alimony the liquids from separating, use an emulsifier, which is attracted to both oil and water molecules. (In a linty dressing, the egg proteins serve this purpose; in a vinaigrette, youll need a teaspoon or two of an spare tightness agent, or youll find yourself with oily greens languishing in a pool of vinegar.) One archetype emulsifier is mustard: I love to add a little bit of Dijon to just help requite it a little bit increasingly body, where its not just that oil and vinegar, Snodgrass says. (To alimony the dressing paleo, try the Dijon from Primal Kitchen.) Other emulsifiers include honey, tahini, and tomato paste.

• Fresh herbs and spices: Mix and match the herbs and spices that weightier complement your dish. Sometimes Ill add fresh jalapeños and cilantro and garlic and lime and make something to go on a taco salad, Snodgrass says. On flipside day she might throw in Cajun spices to make a dressing for a shrimp Cobb salad. Other go-tos include fresh parsley and thyme. And, of course, unchangingly season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. (If your dressing lacks pizzazz, it could probably use flipside pinch of salt.)

• Alliums: Snodgrass adds a clove or two of garlic to every dressing, which not only imparts savor but moreover aids with emulsification. You can toss in a small shallot or a few untried onions, too; just remember that the flavors will intensify the longer the dressing sits.

• Acid: A splash of red or white wine vinegar or lemon or lime juice can help patina a linty dressing. And if youre making a vinaigrette, the wing of flipside acid, while optional, can make the flavors increasingly complex.

From here the process is straightforward regardless of which dressing youve chosen to make. Rather than shaking or whisking the ingredients, follow Snodgrasss blending method unelevaed for the tightest emulsion (your stovepipe will thank you).

• Prepare: Combine all the ingredients in a wide-mouth jar and tousle thoroughly with an immersion blender (a must for dressing, Snodgrass says). If you make it superiority of time, take it out of the fridge well-nigh 15 minutes early while youre prepping the salad so its easy to pour but still somewhat chilled.

• Serve: Gently toss it with your assembled salad and enjoy. And dont forget that salad dressing isnt just for, well, salad: Use it as a marinade or dip, in a stir-fry or skillet dinner, or over a sheet pan of protein and veggies. Itll be one of those gifts that alimony giving throughout the week, she says.

• Store: Pop any leftover dressing in a lidded jar and refrigerate. Dressings with a linty wiring will usually alimony for well-nigh five days, while vinaigrettes may alimony slightly longer depending on the ingredients.