Shake together simple ingredients for this fresh, zesty and healthy Greek salad dressing!
Homemade Zesty Greek Salad Dressing Ingredients
Homemade Greek salad dressing is so easy to make and is so packed with healthy, delicious flavour, that you may never go back to store-bought dressing! Simply add the ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid, then shake, shake, shake! The ingredients are simple and are likely to already be found in your kitchen. For best flavour, be sure to keep a fresh stock of quality ingredients.
For homemade Greek Salad Dressing you’ll need:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil is a key ingredient in this dressing, so you’ll want to use a good quality extra virgin oil that has a rich, fruity flavour.
White Wine Vinegar: You can also use red wine vinegar, but I prefer white wine vinegar for this Greek dressing mainly for the colour and slightly gentler flavour. (The main difference between red and white wine vinegars, aside from colour of course, is that white wine vinegar is more delicate and a little brighter in flavour. The difference is subtle though, so if you only have red wine vinegar then just use that.)
Dijon Mustard: This ingredient helps emulsify the dressing, and adds delicious zippy flavour.
Honey: Just a touch of honey balances the acidity in the dressing without making it sweet.
Garlic: When buying fresh garlic, look for firm bulbs with tight cloves and attached skins. Soft, loose, garlic with peeling skins is older and will have a harsh flavour and unpleasant burn.
Oregano: During the summer, when my herb garden is at its peak, I make this dressing with fresh oregano, using about twice as much fresh oregano as dried. In the winter months I don’t often have fresh oregano on hand, so I typically use dried oregano with delicious results. Like most dried herbs, dried oregano loses flavour over time and needs to be replaced. If doesn’t “go bad” per se, but it can develop a stale taste or simply lose its potency. Discard open herb packages after 6 months or so, or give it the smell test: If you take a whiff of the herbs and they smell of nothing, then they will likely taste of nothing, and it’s time to buy a fresh package.
Kosher salt: Kosher salt has larger crystals and fewer additives than table salt, and it should be noted that these salts can’t be interchanged in the same quantities. If you use table salt instead of kosher salt, start with half of the recommended amount. You can always add more salt to a recipe if needed, but it can be very difficult to fix an over-salted dish.
Freshly cracked black pepper: Fresh black peppercorns that are cracked just before use are far more flavourful than the ground black pepper powder that is sold in the little boxes at the grocery store. No need for an expensive pepper mill for the kitchen though, as peppercorns are commonly sold in (often refillable) grinding containers. Keep one of these in your spice drawer for cooking and keep your nice pepper mill for use at the table.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Homemade Greek salad dressing is delicious tossed with a traditional Greek salad, or with a complete-dinner-on-one-plate-salad such as our Grilled Chicken Souvlaki Salad (pictured above). Bursting with zippy flavour, this dressing also perks up steamed, grilled or roasted veggies. Toss it with quinoa and chopped veggies for a meal-prep lunch, or drizzle it over pasta salad. Spoon it over grilled salmon or chicken for an instant burst of flavour, or use it as a dip for shrimp instead of cocktail sauce.
Homemade Zesty Greek Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp fresh-squeeze lemon juice
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake the jar of ingredients until well combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to a week. Shake before serving.
RECIPE NOTES
- This recipe makes about 1/2 cup of dressing, which is less than what most recipes for Greek salad dressing yield, but this is on purpose. A serving of salad dressing is usually 1 1/2 Tablespoons, with some people preferring more and some preferring just a very light drizzle of dressing on their salad. At a half of a cup, I find this dressing recipe makes the perfect amount for 4-6 people, without much left over. Homemade salad dressings such as this one that contains fresh ingredients and no added preservatives only last up to a week in the refrigerator. I’ve rarely been able to finish a large amount of homemade dressing within a week, and have poured out more old dressings than I care to think about. This Greek dressing, like most salad dressing, is quick and simple to prepare, so I’d rather make just what I need for now and shake together a little more if I run out. If you are expecting a crowd or plan to eat a lot of salad this week, go ahead and double the recipe.
- This dressing does improve in flavour if it’s made an hour or two in advance. Store it in an airtight container (a glass jar with a tight fitting lid is ideal) in the fridge for up to one week. Shake well before serving.
