Balsamic Vinegar Dressing

Balsamic vinegar is a common and popular type of vinegar used in several different cuisines today. Interestingly, you can find the roots of this vinegar hundreds of years back in Italy. For those, who are unaware, balsamic vinegar is a dark-colored, sweet smelling vinegar which is made from unfermented grape juice or white wine. Then it is slowly aged in wooden barrels for specific duration of time (every region and chef has his own duration of aging this vinegar). Nowadays, balsamic vinegar is easily available in several parts of the world, other than Italy, and is used in regular as well as gourmet cooking. Balsamic vinegar dressing is one such product that is favored by most Americans and Europeans. So, if you want to make a dressing using balsamic vinegar, you can go through the following recipes.

Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil Dressing

Ingredients

• ¾ cup of olive oil
• ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• Salt and ground pepper to taste (¼ teaspoon each)

Method of Preparation

• Mix the olive oil and vinegar together to form a fine mixture.
• Now add the shallot, salt and pepper to this mixture.
• Put the mixture in a jar and shake well. Serve immediately or refrigerate in an air tight jar.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
• ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• ¾ cup of vegetable oil
• ½ teaspoon of dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon of thyme
• ½ teaspoon of marjoram
• ½ teaspoon of oregano
• ½ teaspoon of basil
• ½ teaspoon of parsley
• ½ teaspoon of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper

Method of Preparation

• Add all the herbs, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar in the food processor and process to mix well.
• Now add the vegetable oil and the extra virgin olive oil part by part in the processor and keep processing.
• Your dressing is ready, when a fine mixture is formed.

Balsamic Vinegar Spinach Salad

Ingredients

• 200 grams of baby spinach leaves
• 200 grams of cherry tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
• Shredded Parmesan or cheddar cheese for garnish
• Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

• Wash the spinach leaves and tomatoes, and set to dry fully.
• Mix balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sat and mix together to form a well mixed mixture. Your dressing is ready. You can use it right away or refrigerate to use later.
• Chop the spinach or use directly. Mix spinach and chopped or whole cherry tomatoes in a large bowl.
• Add the salad dressing to the spinach in a bowl. This should be done just before serving.
• Top with cheese and serve immediately.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients

• ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
• ¾ cup of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Method of Preparation

• Beat the balsamic vinegar in a bowl with salt, pepper and garlic.
• Add olive oil to this mixture and whisk continuously. You should mix well to form a homogeneous mixture.
• This is the balsamic vinaigrette dressing which you can use right away.
• You can choose from different salad ingredients like spinach, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, celery and onion.
• Spread a few tablespoons of this dressing on the salad ingredients just before serving.
• Garnish or top with cheese (cheddar, Parmesan or blue) and serve immediately.

This dressing contains less amounts of fats, but, higher amounts of sodium. 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar dressing contains around 0.5-1 gram of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 1 gram of sugar and 0 grams of proteins. When talking about the calorie content, 1 tablespoon of it contains 15-20 calories.

I hope you enjoyed reading these easy recipes. So, for your next party of gathering, you can make your own tasty salads by using homemade Italian salad dressings. You are sure to gain compliments! Good luck!