Say goodbye to the bottle and hello to these homemade dressings

A salad without dressing is just a pile of limp, uninspired lettuce.

It is the dressing that makes a salad sing. It brings the greens to life, it makes the produce productive. What was once mere vitamins and roughage and something that sticks to your teeth becomes, with the measured application of a dressing, a dish to praise and celebrate.

And it is all due to some oil and a little vinegar, and maybe yogurt or a splash of lemon juice.

Salad dressing is something you can make yourself; the possibilities are endless. Try adding a combination of herbs to oil and vinegar, or go for a sweet dressing with honey and a bit of fruit.

Best of all, dressings are both fast and easy to make — unless you make seven different dressings at one time. Then they take longer than you might think and are kind of a hassle.

Strawberry-Yogurt Dressing

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients

16 ounces (2 cups) plain yogurt

1½ pints strawberries, hulled and coarsely pureed

¼ cup orange juice

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

Empty the yogurt into a bowl, but do not whisk it (which would make it become watery). Whisk together the strawberry puree, orange juice and honey. Gently stir into the yogurt. Chill before serving.

Per (2 tablespoon) serving: 28 calories; 1 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 2 mg chol­esterol; 1 g protein; 4 g carbohydrate; 4 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 5 mg sodium; 17 mg calcium

Recipe from “The Frog/Commissary Cookbook” by Steven Poses, Anne Clark and Becky Roller

Bistro Vinaigrette

Yield: About ²/³ cup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon finely diced shallot

½ teaspoon fine salt

2 tablespoons wine vinegar (red or white)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) neutral oil, such as sunflower seed, grapeseed or canola

Freshly ground pepper, white if available

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the shallot, salt and vinegar with a wooden spoon. Let rest for 10 minutes to take the edge off the shallot.

2. Stir in the mustard. Pour in the oil slowly, stirring all the while to create an emulsion. Sprinkle generously with pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Keeps up to 1 week in the refrigerator in a glass jar with a tight lid.

Per (2 tablespoon) serving: 155 calories; 17 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; no cholesterol; no protein; 1 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 311 mg sodium; 3 mg calcium

Recipe from “Tasting Paris” by Clotilde Dusoulier

Creamy Yogurt Dressing

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

¼ tablespoon salt

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Whisk together the vinegar, salt, yogurt and pepper. Whisk in the oil. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator.

Per serving: 87 calories; 8 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 4 mg cholesterol; 2 g protein; 1 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; no fiber; 446 mg sodium; 28 mg calcium

Recipe from “Essential Pepin” by Jacques Pepin

Sauce Vinaigrette ‘Chef Paul’

Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients

1 egg yolk

¼ cup Dijon mustard

1½ cups white wine

1½ cups wine vinegar

1½ teaspoons salt

1½ teaspoons dried thyme

¼ teaspoon white pepper

³/8 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon dried basil

2 garlic cloves

2 cups salad oil (such as vegetable, corn, canola, grapeseed or safflower oil)

½ cup olive oil

Directions

1. Have all the ingredients ready before beginning. In a blender, put the egg yolk, mustard, wine, wine vinegar, salt, thyme, white pepper, oregano, nutmeg, rosemary and basil. Mix well at medium speed for 30 seconds, taking care not to turn off the blender.

2. With the blender still on, slowly add the oils, pouring them in a very thin stream into the liquid in the blender. Take care to add the oil slowly so the dressing will not separate. Refrigerate before serving.

Recipe from “Chef Paul’s La Petite France” by Paul Elbling

Tahini-Lemon-Yogurt Dressing

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients

1 plump, moist garlic clove, green germ removed if necessary

¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)

½ cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

Directions

In a food processor or blender, mince the garlic. Add the tahini, yogurt, lemon juice and salt, and puree to blend. Taste for seasoning. Store the dressing in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; shake to blend again before using.

Per (2 tablespoon) serving: 55 calories; 4 g fat; 1 g saturated fat; 1 mg cholesterol; 3 g protein; 3 g carbohydrate; 1 g sugar; 1 g fiber; 152 mg sodium; 26 mg calcium

Recipe from “Salad as a Meal” by Patricia Wells

Herb Vinaigrette

Yield: About 1½ cups

Ingredients

1 egg

1 cup corn oil

¹/³ cup wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced parsley

2 tablespoons minced dill

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried

Directions

Mix the egg in a food processor or blender, or whisk by hand, until light-colored. Gradually add corn oil until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Chill before using. Store in refrigerator.

Recipe from “The Frog/Commissary Cookbook” by Steven Poses, Anne Clark and Becky Roller

Caesar Dressing

Yield: ¾ cup

Ingredients

3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped

1 large garlic clove, chopped

¾ teaspoon (or more) kosher salt

1 large egg yolk

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons Parmesan, finely grated

Directions

1. Mound anchovies, garlic and salt on a cutting board. Using the side of a chef’s knife, mash and chop until well combined, then continue to work mixture, holding knife blade at an angle, until a smooth paste forms.

2. Whisk egg yolk, lemon juice and mustard in a medium bowl. Place a kitchen towel in a medium saucepan, then place bowl in pan. (This holds the bowl in place while you whisk with one hand and pour oil with the other.)

3. Adding drop by drop to start and whisking constantly, drizzle a few drops of oil into yolk mixture. Continue, slowly, until mixture looks slightly thickened and glossy. Continue to whisk, gradually adding oil in a slow, steady stream until all oil has been used and mixture looks like mayonnaise. Add a dash of water and whisk, adjusting with more water, if needed, until dressing is the consistency of heavy cream.

4. Add anchovy mixture and Parmesan, and whisk until smooth. Add salt, if needed.

Recipe by Rick Martinez, via Bon Appetit