In keeping with the theme of making my own salad dressings, I came up with a lemon and orange flavored vinaigrette that goes incredibly well with spinach salads, especially if they contain dried cranberries and walnuts. The dressing is also good mixed with black beans and grains such as brown rice and quinoa.
I have a bunch of flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars that I picked up while on vacation in Bar Harbor, Maine this summer. I used plain extra-virgin olive oil with Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic in one variation and paired Meyer Lemon olive oil with Champagne vinegar in another. Both were fabulous. If you have access to interesting flavored oils and vinegars, put on your mad scientist’s hat and experiment with this recipe. Blood orange olive oil, maybe? Or how about Tangerine Balsamic? The possibilities are endless.
If you prefer a more tart, less sweet variation, use half freshly squeezed orange juice and half lemon juice.
Homemade Citrus Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot finely minced
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon-flavored white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar
- 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest may omit if using lemon-flavored vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine shallots, oil, vinegar, orange juice and lemon zest (if using) in a small jar with a screw-top lid.
- Shake vigorously until well-blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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