Creamy Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Have you ever read the labels on popular store-bought salad dressings? I always look at ingredients in the products that I buy, and I find it a little scary to read the long list of unnatural ingredients I see on salad dressing labels. I always go for brands that only include all natural ingredients, but those dressings are usually pretty pricey.

Today, I’m making the case for preparing your own salad dressing. With a base of good quality olive oil and your favorite vinegar, the flavor possibilities you can infuse into a dressing are limitless. Fresh herbs, garlic, honey, maple syrup, bacon, cheeses, or fruit can bring your dressing to life. Today, I’m using roasted garlic as the star of the show.

If you’re scared of too much garlic, rest assured that the roasted version has a much more subtle flavor than raw. A clove of roasted garlic with olive oil spread on a slice of baguette is heavenly.

Roasting garlic is simple. Just slice off the top one-third of the bulb, exposing the tops of the individual cloves. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and bake in a 400-degree oven or toaster oven for about 30 minutes.

I added an egg yolk to this dressing to add some additional creaminess. If you’re scared of raw egg, you can omit it. If you do use the egg, you’ll want to use the dressing within a couple of days. Otherwise, the dressing will keep in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 weeks.

Creamy Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Creamy Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 bulb garlic

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 egg yolk (optional)

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Peel excess skin from garlic bulb. Cut of top 1/3 of bulb, exposing tops of individual cloves. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and squeeze individual cloves from skin.

2. Transfer 8 cloves roasted garlic, vinegar, mustard, honey, egg yolk, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until well combined. With blender running, slowly add olive oil and blend until thick and creamy. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you omit the egg, it will keep for 1 to 2 weeks.

https://southernboydishes.com/2015/09/15/creamy-roasted-garlic-vinaigrette/

Bill Harris

I grew up in small town Mississippi eating traditional southern fare.A lifelong foodie, I started cooking and experimenting with food at a very young age. I started Southern Boy Dishes as a creative outlet and a way to share my love of food.