Seems like I am always asked to bring the salad to dinner parties with my omnivore buddies. What always makes me happy is their request for me to bring that balsamic dressing again. This stuff is good!
And a really good dressing absolutely makes the salad. I’ve never been terribly impressed with bottled dressings and often ate my salads plain until I learned that dressing is easy to make. And homemade is way, way better.
Before I became vegan, I used pesto in my recipe. I had to experiment a bit to get that tasty blend with vegan ingredients. This version was excellent and 100% vegan and gluten-free. Don’t skimp on quality vinegar and olive oil. The cheap versions won’t taste nearly as good.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 cup high quality balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup high quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp nutritional yeast (gives a cheesy flavor, available at health and natural food stores)
2 tbs vegetable bouillon powder (experiment with quantity for your desired saltiness, available at health and natural food stores)
1 crushed garlic clove
1 green onion
1 stalk celery
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp paprika
6 – 10 fresh basil leaves
Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve on your favorite green salad. Refrigerate any leftover dressing in a glass jar. Keeps for two weeks or more.
