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Red Wine Vinaigrette aka Greek Salad Dressing

Servings 6 to 8 People

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1 lemon Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil

Substitutions:

    Dressing swaps

    • Red wine vinegar: any vinegar! Balsamic is great here, but does make the salad kind of a dark ugly color!Lemon juice: 2 more tablespoons of red wine vinegar.
    • Dijon mustard Tahini is a great swap for Dijon if you don’t like it! It serves the same job of making dressings thick and creamy.
    • 1 Garlic Clove Garlic powder Grated
    • Olive oil I like using plain olive oil here so that the dressing isn’t too overpowering, but extra-virgin olive oil is OK too! Avocado, grapeseed, etc. oils all work too!

    Salad swaps

    • quash, zucchini, red bell pepper Swap in whatever veggies you love to throw on the grill!
    • Spinach arugula, but don’t chop it up. Romaine would also be great. I love iceberg lettuce with Greek salads, but if you want to use it here, make sure your veggies are totally cool first. Wilted iceberg is no bueno.
    • Tomato Cherry tomatoes work when tomatoes aren’t in season. They’re by far the best hothouse tomato!Cucumber: thinly shaved raw fennel would be fab!
    • Red onion Don’t love raw onion in salads? I hear you. You could use 3 thinly sliced green onions instead, or just omit it!
    • Kalamata olives any kind of olive, or omit!
    • Avocado You already have a healthy fat from the olives, so just omit the avocado if you don’t have it! You could also add some toasted almonds or other nut for a healthy fat!
    • Feta cheese Goat cheese would be DELISH here. So would parmesan, shaved thinly with a vegetable peeler.
    • Fresh oregano and mint They add so much fresh, wonderful flavor. But not worth buying just for this!

    Instructions

    • Whether you’re using 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crush it between your fingers to release it’s oils, then add it to a small jar. Add 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, the juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil. Shake vigorously to combine, for 15 to 20 seconds. Taste the dressing. Do you want it to be thicker? Add more olive oil. Adjust salt to taste if needed.

    Notes

    Try this with your favorite grilled veggies! Fennel, onions, eggplant, etc.!
    To add chicken, I recommend seasoning 2 small chicken breasts with oregano, garlic powder, and salt, coating with olive oil, and grilling for about 4 minutes per side. Allow to rest then thinly slice. See photo above!
    Author: Caroline Chambers