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Mark Bittman’s 5-minute dressings

Impress your friends with the celebrity chef's recipes

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    >>> back at 8:47. this morning on "how to cook everything today," homemade salad dressing that may take a little longer than opening a bottle , but mark bittman says it is delicious, healthy and cost effecti effective. is he a "new york times" columnist and the author of "how to cook everything," which is also a brand-new app for the iphone . you are very hip, mark. welcome back. so you do this, you really basically need some ingredients, you keep in your pantry, those are the basics for any salad dressing.

    >> yeah, almost all salad dressings are forms of vinaigrette which means some kind of oil, an acidic ingredient like vinegar and seasonenings. we'll do four here right now.

    >> first is a standard vinaigrette.

    >> olive oil , i use sherry vinegar , but wine vinegar. chopped shallot. thyme. but again, any herb. this is the simplest technique which is just shake in a jar.

    >> how long does this stay good?

    >> at least a week.

    >> salad dressing you buy from the store, you can have for months.

    >> but salad dressing you buy from the store, you have no idea what's in it. look at that.

    >> the next one is a creamy green godess. you are using similar ingredients, just not the sail.

    >> olive oil , lighter vinegar, rice wine vinegar. yogurt for creaminess.

    >> consistency wise, can you alter proportions if you want it thinner or thicker?

    >> yes. a little bit of garlic. again, use any -- here we're using a pile of herbs. you can use parsley, we have basil here, dill. you want a nice, tender herb. you'll get this beautiful -- we hope -- creamy green dressing.

    >> this one you would not save as long. use that one time --

    >> a few days.

    >> this next one?

    >> any of these tools, you can use. olive oil , red wine vinegar , a little bit of tomato taste which will give great sweetness and color , and you see we're using real ingredients here. they're common. again, a little bit of garlic. here f ffy --

    >> is this in all french dressing ?

    >> i don't know what's in bottled salad dressings. they've been so bad for us. but this is a classic french dressing in the sense that it was made in france , there's tomato in it. you get this beautiful lovely red color .

    >> let's go for number four. this is a soy salad dressing.

    >> we're using a neutral oil here. not using --

    >> canola? grapeseed?

    >> grapeseed, canola, something like that. a little bit of honey . sesame oil , soy sauce . and here rigce vinegar. here i'm just going to whisk.

    >> why do you only whisk?

    >> i'm showing you, any of these can be made with any of these techniques.

    >> you mind if i dip a finger in there?

    >> no, but i'm going to let you do something even better if you come around here.

    >> sorry, guys.

    >> cameramen love that.

    >> this is my life. welcome to it. okay.

    >> here you go. you don't want it with the stuff on top, you want to dip it in there. standard vinaigrette. this is the green goddess , no double -dipping. you can. i can't double dip . beautiful french dressing with some romaine. roasted vegetables.

    >> mark bittman , thanks very much.

    Show transcript

TODAY recipes
updated 4/21/2010 11:17:42 AM ET 2010-04-21T15:17:42

These recipes may take more time than unscrewing a jar or bottle, but in only five minutes you can prepare home-made salad dressings that are delicious, healthy and cost effective. Mark Bittman shares four of his favorite — and fast to make — recipes:

Recipe: Creamy Green Goddess (on this page) Recipe: Vastly Superior Italian Vinaigrette (on this page) Recipe: French dressing (on this page) Recipe: Soy Vinaigrette (on this page)

Best-selling cookbook author Mark Bittman is the creator and author of the popular New York Times weekly column "The Minimalist," and one of the country's best-known and most widely admired food writers. His flagship book, "How to Cook Everything" (John Wiley and Sons, 1998), is currently in its 14th printing and has, in its various formats, sold more than a million copies.

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Recipe: Creamy Green Goddess

Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons or more white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh or sour cream, yogurt, mayonnaise or puréed soft tofu
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup tender, milder herbs like parsley, tarragon, chervil, or basil
  • 1 small clove of garlic
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Serving

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and turn the machine on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste and add vinegar a teaspoon or two at a time until the balance tastes right to you. If the mixture is too thick (it probably will be), add water a tablespoon at a time until the consistency is right. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Serving Size

Makes about 3/4 to 1 cup of dressing

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Recipe: Vastly Superior Italian Vinaigrette

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons or more balsamic or sherry vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Pinch tarragon or other dried herb (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 large shallot, cut into chunks
Serving

Combine all the ingredients except the shallot in a blender — or use an immersion blender — and turn the machine on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste and add vinegar a teaspoon or two at a time until the balance tastes right to you. Add the shallot and turn the machine on and off a few times until the shallot is minced within the dressing. If the mixture is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time until the consistency is right. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve. This will keep, refrigerated, for a few days; bring it back to room temperature and whisk briefly before using.

Serving Size

Makes about 3/4 cup of dressing

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Recipe: French dressing

Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons or more red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 small clove of garlic
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Serving

Combine all the ingredients in a blender — or use an immersion blender — and turn the machine on; a creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste and add vinegar a teaspoon or two at a time until the balance tastes right to you. If the mixture is too thick, add water a tablespoon at a time until the consistency is right. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve. This is best made fresh but will keep, refrigerated, for a few days; bring it back to room temperature and whisk briefly before using.

Serving Size

Makes about 3/4 cup of dressing

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Recipe: Soy Vinaigrette

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil, or to taste
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
Serving

Put all the ingredients in a deep bowl; using an immersion blender or a whisk, combine until emulsified. Taste and add vinegar, lime juice, or soy sauce a teaspoon or two at a time until the balance tastes right to you. This is best made fresh but will keep, refrigerated, for a few days; bring it back to room temperature and whisk briefly before using.

Serving Size

Makes about 3/4 of dressing

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