This page on how to make herb vinaigrette provides a simple, easily varied recipe for a delicious herb vinaigrette. It only takes about 10 minutes to complete, and it makes about a 1/2 cup of dressing. If you find the recipe to be too tart for your taste, try adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar to the salad dressing mixture it. If you would prefer a dressing with a little more “kick” to it, add a clove of minced garlic or one teaspoon of minced garlic from a jar.

Use this homemade vinaigrette salad dressing as a delicious addition to any garden salad or simple green salad. Try it over a salad of romaine lettuce, radishes, chopped scallions, and crumbled hard-boiled eggs for a quick lunch or snack.

Be sure to read the recipe before you begin to make sure you have all the equipment and ingredients on hand and are ready to go. If you want to use a dried, crushed herb instead of fresh herbs, be sure to use only 1/2 teaspoon of the dried herb. The dried herbs are usually more potent than the prepared products so keep this in mind as you create this dressing.

This herb vinaigrette recipe was created out of a careful compilation of several different recipes. http://www.cuisinedumonde.com/herb_vingrette.html, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/mixed-salad-with-herb-vinaigrette-recipe/index.html,http://www.bhg.com/recipe/salads/fresh-herb-vinaigrette/,http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1823311

This speedy recipe requires very little equipment. The equipment needed for this dressing recipe is:

• a medium bowl
• a whisk
• optional: a screw-top jar

For this recipe, you will need:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• (to substitute a dried, crushed herb, use only 1/2 teaspoon of it!)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard or 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, herbs, mustard, and pepper. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until vinaigrette is smooth.

Alternatively, you can mix the ingredients by adding them all into a screw-top jar. Cover the jar and shake well to mix the ingredients.

If you are not serving the dressing immediately, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days if using fresh herbs. If using dried herbs, cover and store in refrigerator up to one week.

Stir or shake well before serving.

A note about olive oil: Olive oil will thicken and become cloudy when chilled, so your salad dressing may do the same. If you have stored your dressing in the refrigerator, let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or until it becomes easy to pour or drizzle.

While this herb vinaigrette dressing can be served with just about any simple salad, you could try this recipe for a Mediterranean salad http://www.bhg.com/recipes/recipedetail.jsp?recipeId=R141784 that is a little more on the unique side.

The ingredients for this salad are:

• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 (6 oz.) container Bocconcini (small fresh mozzarella balls), drained
• 1 paper thin slice Prosciutto ham, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, drained
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained

Place the grape tomatoes, Bocconcini, Proscuitto, olives, and capers in large bowl, and pour the dressing over them. Toss the ingredients in the dressing well to combine everything. Cover the bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight to allow flavors to develop, stirring occasionally. Season the dressing with additional black pepper if desired. Use a slotted spoon the transfer the salad into a serving bowl.

If the Mediterranean salad does not appeal to you, you could also try this Greek salad http://www.bhg.com/recipe/salads/greek-garden-salad/:

• 2 cups torn romaine or spinach
• 1 cup torn leaf lettuce or iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup torn radicchio or shredded red cabbage
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/2 of a medium red onion
• 1/2 of a small cucumber
• 1 small green or red sweet pepper, cut into julienne strips (3/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup Greek olives or sliced pitted ripe olives
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 ounces)

In a large salad bowl, combine the romaine or spinach, the leaf lettuce or iceberg lettuce, and the radicchio or red cabbage; set aside. Cut the tomato into thin wedges; cut each wedge in half. Slice the onion and cucumber; cut each slice in half. Add tomato, onion, cucumber, pepper strips, and olives to the greens. Toss the salad in the herb vinaigrette and sprinkle the salad with the feta cheese.

There are several variations of herb vinaigrettes that you can try. In fact, there are many variations within the recipe above.

Choosing to use red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar; oregano or rosemary; fresh herbs or dry herbs; add or omit sugar; and add or omit garlic are all variations you can play with in the original recipe.

An herb vinaigrette can be delicious as is, or it can be the basis of an even more flavorful and interesting dressing. Just a few simple tweaks to the original recipe can give you a completely new salad dressing.

Here are just a few variations of herb vinaigrette that you may like to try:

1. Herb Parmesan Vinaigrette: Add 2 tablespoons of grated, fresh Parmesan cheese.
2. Citrus Herb Vinaigrette: Instead of 1/4 cup of vinegar, use 1 tablespoon vinegar, two tablespoons orange juice, and one tablespoon lemon juice.
3. Tomato Herb Vinaigrette: Add 1/4 cup of finely diced tomatoes. (This would also be a good variation to try in the blender.)
4. Cucumber Herb Vinaigrette: Instead of 1/4 cup of vinegar, use 2 tablespoons vinegar and one tablespoon plain yogurt. Peel, seed, and chop one small cucumber. Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth.