White Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

FAQs

What are some common mistakes to avoid when making vinaigrette? ›

Restaurant chefs use white balsamic vinegar not only for its milder flavor, but also because it won't turn a salad dressing or sauce brown the way the regular stuff will. Use it in any vinaigrette recipe, for dressing roasted vegetables, or for deglazing a pan of crispy chicken thigh bits.

(Plus, you'll have extra dressing, which is never a bad thing.) If your dressing is too sweet, add something savory. Salt, of course, will work, but if you want something a little more interesting, opt for anchovies, capers, soy sauce, or miso, instead.

Change up the base ingredients to give your dressing a different flavor. For example, try using rice vinegar, a shot of soy sauce, cilantro instead of parsley, and a slice of fresh ginger; blend in a neutral oil like canola or avocado.

An emulsifier is used in a vinaigrette to stabilize the oil and vinegar. Common emulsifiers include egg yolks, soy lecithin, and mustard. These ingredients all include lecithin--the stabilizing compound. In many vinaigrettes, mustard is the go-to stabilizer.

Sweetness balances out acidity, spice, and bitterness. A salad composed of bitter greens may benefit from a sweeter dressing. But sweetness can come from sources other than one-note white sugar; consider honey, pureed dates, maple syrup, jam, or molasses as sweeteners that also add flavor and mouth-feel.

White Balsamic Vinegar While similar to its classic counterpart, white balsamic is a milder and slightly less-sweet version. It's primarily made in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna by cooking white Trebbiano grapes, but at a higher pressure and lower temperature, to retain its pale and golden hue.

It takes 12 years to make the best, aceto balsamico tradizionale (traditional balsamic vinegar), and at least 25 to make the finest, extra Vecchio. Because of traditional balsamic vinegar's painstaking artisanal production process, supplies are limited, and it tends to be rather pricey.

For years it went by the name white balsamic vinegar, as it's made with similar ingredients. Due to some legal constraints that I'll discuss in a moment, it's no longer technically called “white balsamic.” Instead, look for “white Modena vinegar” or “white Italian condiment.”

What is the formula for vinaigrette dressing? ›

The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For my personal taste, that's a little too oily — but it's totally up to you. My simple system is: In a small screw-top jar, place vinegar and a pinch of salt; cover and shake (this helps to dissolve the salt).

Ingredients. Water, Cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar (Wine Vinegar, Concentrated Grape Must, Caramel Color), Dried Onion, Salt, Dried Red And Green Bell Peppers, Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum, Dried Garlic, Sucralose, Natural Flavor, Potassium Sorbate And Calcium Disodium EDTA (to Preserve Freshness).

Increase the red wine vinegar to the dressing to decrease the sweetness. Start with small amount and mix it in. Then taste if it is still sweeter than you like add a little more, until you achieve the taste you like.

- Add some sugar or honey to the dish. Sugar and honey can counteract the sourness of vinegar and add some sweetness to the dish. You can start with a small amount and adjust according to your taste.

If your dressing is too sweet

Balance it out with a pinch of salt or something savory such as capers, miso, soy sauce, or tahini.

You can add other ingredients to the mayonnaise to create different flavor profiles. Mustard is a common addition to mayonnaise dressings, as are fresh herbs and garlic. You can also use other ingredients, such as sour cream, yogurt, and fruit juices, as the main dressing ingredients.