Today I’m sharing my favorite easy salad dressing along with our favorite salad combinations for each season. This is my go-to dressing that I make anytime I’m throwing together a quick side salad for dinner. It’s only 5 ingredients and can be whisked together in a couple minutes.
A little background. I’m the one who always brings the salad to our family dinners. It’s kind of my thing. This is my basic vinaigrette that I’ve been making for YEARS. It’s really versatile, and goes well different flavors and ingredients. I like how this recipe includes just a little bit of sweetener to tone down the acidity of the vinegar. I know people say it all the time, and it’s probably annoying by now, but homemade dressing is so much tastier (and healthier) than bottled.
Ingredients
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Using a nice quality extra virgin olive oil will result in the best taste. I try to buy organic when I can.
Dijon Mustard: Mustard emulsifies (mixes together) the oil and vinegar and makes for a smoother dressing.
Honey: I like to add a little sweetness to my salad dressing to take the bite off the vinegar a bit.
Apple Cider Vinegar: This is my go-to vinegar, but you can use a different kind if it would pair better with your meal. Sometimes, if I’m going Italian (pasta, pizza, etc.), I’ll use a balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar instead. You could also use lemon. Just keep your ratio of 2 parts oil to 1 part acid.
Seasonal Salad Recipes
Here is a list of our favorite easy side salad recipes for each season.
Fall
Mixed Greens
Pumpkin Seeds
Dried Cherries or Cranberries
Crumbled Goat Cheese
Winter
Mixed Greens
Apples
Toasted Walnuts
Crumbled Goat Cheese
Spring
Mixed Greens
Sliced Strawberries
Feta Cheese
Toasted Sliced Almonds
Summer
Mixed Greens
Diced Cucumber
Diced Avocado
Grape Tomatoes
Parmesan Cheese
If you’re looking for healthy dinner ideas to pair your side salad with, I shared some of our favorites in this post.
Easy Salad Dressing
This is my go-to vinaigrette for an easy weeknight salad.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Whisk apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and honey in a bowl.
Slowing add olive oil while whisking.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
