Vinaigrettes: Dress More Than Your Salads

And I’m not talking about yourself. Though that’s important too. 😉

Last week we talked about the basic anatomy of a vinaigrette and variations to mix it up. Today it is all about ideas on how to use it. I’ve been dying to tell you…

Vinaigrettes are for more than just salads.

But how else can you use a vinaigrette? Oh let me tell you the ways…

Ways to use Vinaigrettes:

With cooked vegetables: Whether they are roasted, boiled, sautéed, or steamed, mix your vegetables with a vinaigrette right before serving. Doesn’t matter if we are talking roasted beets or sautéed beet greens. It’s the perfect way to amplify a vegetable’s natural flavor.

Dressing your beans: Whether hot or cold, vinaigrettes contrast the starchy nature of beans. I love doing this with canned beans when making a quick dinner (nothing wrong with canned beans people). Simply brown the beans in a pan with some oil and hearty spices like fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Then mash them up just a bit. This helps the beans absorb more of your dressing and seasoning. Finish by mixing them with your vinaigrette. Taste to check salt and seasoning. Voila!

Improving sandwich lettuce: Technically not a salad okay! Something I’ve never understood: putting boring lettuce on a sandwich or burger. Why not make your lettuce greens just a little tastier by mixing them with just a touch of a vinaigrette?!?

Secret ingredient for scrambled eggs: Surprising right? Incredibly delish though. Cook your scrambled eggs in a pot over low heat with some butter. Keep stirring constantly so your eggs don’t ever stick. You want them utterly creamy, not brown, and crusty. Right before serving, you guessed it…Stir in a vinaigrette.

Mixed with farro, rice, or other grains: Why stick with just boring ole rice? Layer in flavor by taking an herb oil that you’ve added some sort of acid too. Craving cilantro lime rice from Chipotle? Mix your white rice with a cilantro-lime vinaigrette instead.

Brushed on meat: Warning, I’ve not tried this one myself yet because I just read about it. Brush pork chops or flank steak with a vinaigrette before pan-searing them. You get extra fat to help with browning and a nice boost of flavor. Then remove the meat when done and slightly reduce the remaining vinaigrette afterward to make a killer pan sauce. 🤯 Has anyone else done this? Please reply and let me know if you’ve tried it!

Drizzled on top right at the end: From grilled meats to avocado toast, you can practically finish any dish with a slight drizzle of one of your thicker vinaigrettes. Just make sure it is well emulsified.

Have any unconventional ways you’ve used a vinaigrette in the past? Reply to this email, leave a comment, or reach out on Instagram. I’d love to get more ideas!

Breaking the Mold

There’s a lesson here that I’ve just started to realize myself.

It’s okay for us to use ingredients or techniques in what seem like unconventional ways. Give it a try. On a whim I thought about how vinaigrettes make salads taste great, but why not roasted vegetables too? (Sadly not as original of an idea as I thought. But like a kid looking at their drawing on the refrigerator, I am proud of my idea 😉.) If an ingredient makes one dish delicious, who says it can’t make something else delicious too?

Maybe rub the outside of a whole chicken with mayo before roasting it. Or throw savory ingredients into a dessert. Or cook your pasta in a wok.

So let’s not be afraid to think outside the box.

And maybe let vinaigrettes be the first place you try to break the mold. You won’t regret it!