Though its origin is hard to pinpoint, the tomatoey preparation that is known as French dressing has been around since the late 19th century. Not French, but a hundred percent a product of American cuisine, French dressing has gone through many variations, many containing ketchup, but most leaning toward the use of tomato soup. Different herbs and seasonings are used, but in general Worcestershire sauce and vinegar are always present. Easy to make, and with a strong flavor, this dressing takes just 5 minutes to come together and can be used in a variety of ways, not just as a dressing for greens. Our recipe is a healthy variation in which you'll put only fresh and wholesome ingredients, without added salt, sugar, or preservatives. If needed, use low-sodium soup and taste test before adding additional salt.
This dressing can be a new asset in your weekly menu, as its sweet, salty, umami, and tangy flavors go well with many other dishes, far beyond salads. Drizzle the dressing on top of a ham and cheese sandwich for a flavorful touch, use it as a dip for chips and crudités, or mix it with hard-boiled egg yolks to make the filling for deviled eggs. French dressing can be combined with other ingredients to make tasty preparations: mix it with sour cream to make a creamy dip for mozzarella sticks or tempura vegetables, add it to cream cheese to make a spread for sandwiches and wraps, or use it as-is to make cold pasta or potato salads. The dressing can be adjusted to your taste, with a little more or less paprika. It can be kept in the fridge for up to five days.
Many variations of French dressing include herbs or other sweeteners like honey instead of sugar, but for our recipe we kept it traditional. If you, however, want to use fresh herbs, we recommend mixing the recipe as per the method and adding chopped fresh herbs just to the amount of dressing you are going to use during your meal. Fresh ingredients like parsley and basil, and even fresh garlic cloves, start to decay faster than the other components. In either case, use the amount you need and place the dressing back in the fridge, covered, to ensure it will keep for the full five days.
Ingredients
Steps to Make It
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Combine ingredients in the blender and process or whisk until smooth and well blended.
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Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Makes about 3 1/2 cups.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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95 | Calories |
8g | Fat |
7g | Carbs |
0g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 28 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 95 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 8g | 10% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 3% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 61mg | 3% |
Total Carbohydrate 7g | 2% |
Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
Total Sugars 6g | |
Protein 0g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 2% |
Calcium 2mg | 0% |
Iron 0mg | 0% |
Potassium 40mg | 1% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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