Sunday Salad: A foolproof vinaigrette + 2 ways to use it to boost your week
Sunny and bright, this creamy lemon vinaigrette comes together in minutes
One of the questions we get asked most often is: “How do you make a great vinaigrette?”
This week, we’re sharing one of Kari’s favorite dressings that you can easily whip up in minutes and enjoy all week long on a variety of salads. This recipe uses real, easy-to-pronounce ingredients and is blended to creamy vinaigrette perfection. We’ve streamlined the process to help you make it in a blender with confidence, and maybe it will even inspire you to start mixing and matching flavors to create your own signature dressings and sauces.
For best results, we recommend using a kitchen scale — an affordable and game-changing tool for precise, consistent home cooking. A scale lets you measure directly into your blender, saving time and dishes while helping you recreate the same result every time.
No scale? No worries! We’ve included cup and spoon measurements, plus visual cues so that you can make this vinaigrette with ease, whether you cook by feel or by the book.
Give it a try and make meal prep easier — and your week a little more delicious.
RECIPE: Creamy Lemon-Parmesan Vinaigrette
Prep time: 15 minutes
Makes: 10 oz of vinaigrette, about 1 1/4 cup
Ingredients:
⅓ cup (2 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a piece about the size of your palm
2 Tbsps (1 oz) Dijon mustard
2 Tbsps (1 oz) honey
Zest of 2-3 organic lemons
½ cup (4 oz) lemon juice
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or more if desired
½ cup (4 oz) extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Assemble equipment on your countertop: blender, cutting board, microplane, a small knife, and a kitchen scale if using (we highly recommend if you have one on hand!).
Wash your lemons well with soap and water, then dry with a clean towel. Zest lemons with the microplane, then add zest to the blender. Juice the lemons and reserve the juice.
Slice the parmesan into small chunks; this will help it blend more efficiently.
To ensure consistency, use a scale by placing it on the blender on it, taring the weight (zeroing it out). Either by weight or by measurement, add the parmesan, mustard, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to the blender. Cover and blend until creamy, about 30 seconds.
Add the olive oil, and blend again for another 30 seconds until emulsified and very creamy.
Pour into a clean jar, add a label, and get ready to make some delicious salads!
Note: Alternatively to placing the blender on the scale, you can weigh out all the ingredients separately and then pour each into the blender, but putting the entire pitcher onto the scale simplifies and standardizes the process . By following these ratios, we hope you discover the perfect vinaigrette for your needs, i.e. more or less lemon, Dijon, Parm, or black pepper.
Two Salads To Make With Your Vinaigrette
Green Salad with Radishes & Cucumber
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
4-5 radishes, about ½ cup thinly sliced
2 small Persian cucumbers or ½ large cucumber, about 1 cup diced
2 Tbsps creamy lemon-Parmesan vinaigrette, or to taste
4 cups of tender greens, about 2 handfuls for each bowl
Directions:
Combine radishes, cucumber and vinaigrette in a small bowl and toss, coating well. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, then serve over your favorite greens for a simple, weeknight salad.
Quinoa Salad with Peaches, Pine Nuts, & Mint
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 1
Ingredients:
½ cup cooked quinoa
1 peach, sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 radish, sliced thinly then into matchsticks
¼ cup toasted pine nuts
8-12 fresh mint leaves, sliced thinly
2 Tbsps lemon-Parmesan vinaigrette
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Butter lettuce leaves for serving like a lettuce wrap, optional
Combine all ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine well. Serve nestled in butter lettuce leaves and eat like a taco!
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