Sweet Onion Vinaigrette Dressing

 

When we were growing up our mother would make a salad for us to enjoy with our supper most Sunday evenings. She always made her dressing from scratch.   She always started it early in the afternoon.

She would finely chop about 2 or 3 TBS of onion into the bottom of a bowl and then top it with some vinegar, as well as some salt and black pepper.  This would sit for several hours macerating before she added anything else.

Just when she was ready to put the salad together, she would add some salad oil and then break iceberg lettuce into the bowl and add some cucumber and maybe some radishes, tossing everything together to coat with the oil and vinegar mixture.

 

Those salads were always a real treat for us.  I always really looked forward to them, and I will make them that same way even now to this day. Macerating the onion in the vinegar seemed to draw some of the sharpness out of the onion so all that you were left with was the sweet onion flavor. 

This is a recipe she learned from our German landlady when we were living in Germany.  I, myself, add a touch of sugar to it as well.

When I saw this Sweet Onion Vinaigrette Dressing on A Farm Girl Dabbles, I just had to try it, although I did cut the recipe in half. There is really only me to feed salad to here. It reminded me somewhat of my mother's Sunday Salad dressing, albeit a bit sweeter. 

I think it makes a great coleslaw vinaigrette salad.

You know I only share the best of what I discover with you! Do read on to find out my hints, tips, and experiences with this tasty recipe!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SWEET ONION VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

Simple everyday ingredients. There is nothing complicated about this delicious dressing.

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) white vinegar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (I use light olive oil)
• 1/2 tsp celery seeds
• 1/2 small onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

The recipe specified white vinegar, but I think apple cider vinegar would also work very well.  I don't think I would like Balsamic vinegar in this dressing.

 I did use light olive oil, which is olive oil that is from a later pressing, so it is not as filled with flavor and has a much lighter color than EVO.  I would not use EVO.

Don't skip the celery seeds. They do add a lovely flavor.

Don't be tempted to just mince the onion. Grating the onion helps to release a lot of the flavor and the juices from the onion.  You can use more or less onion, according to your own preference.

 

HOW TO MAKE SWEET ONION VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

This really is quite simple. You can double the ingredients to make more if you wish, but do bear in mind that, as there is fresh onion in the dressing, it won't keep longer than two weeks.

Place the sugar and vinegar into a saucepan. Set over medium heat and warm through, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

 

Remove from the heat. Whisk in the remaining ingredients to combine completely.

Leave to cool completely. It will appear separated. This is normal.

Pour into a pint jar and refrigerate.

When you are ready to use it, give it a vigorous shake to amalgamate all of the ingredients.  This will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

 

HINTS AND TIPS 

1. Do not skip the step of heating the vinegar and sugar together to melt the sugar thoroughly. You don't need to bring it to the boil for the sugar to fully melt. Also don't stick your nose in the pot to smell. It will give you a jolt and a whammy of vinegar smell

2. I found it a bit oily so if I make this again, I am going to use half water and half oil, but that is a personal preference.

3. Some onions are stronger than others so judge accordingly and try to get all of the juice from your grated onion as well.

4. Don't skip the celery seed.  This adds a lovely piquancy.

5. If using it to dress cabbage/coleslaw, make sure your cabbage is not shredded too thinly.

6. Store in a jar with a screw top lid. This allows for ease of shaking the dressing to emulsify it when it comes to using it to dress your salad.

7.  This will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.

8. Use the freshest vegetables you have available to make your salad with using this dressing.

 

This was quite tasty.  You do need to shake it up really well each time you go to use it so make sure you have it in a jar with a very tight lid.  I used it on a small amount of shredded cabbage and carrot as that is all I had in the house. It worked very well.

Apparently this much will suitably dress a whole bag of coleslaw mix. Personally, I think that this amount would be too much for use with one bag of coleslaw mix, at least as far as the bags of coleslaw mixes that we can get here in Nova Scotia go. 

I think it would be great on a salad of spinach, bacon and egg as well.  Just use your own common sense and dress it accordingly.

 

If you are like me, you enjoy a homemade dressing on your salads more than any shop bought. Here are a few more of my all-time favorites that I think you might also enjoy!

 

 

OLIVE GARDEN SALAD DRESSING -  I have never been to an Olive Garden restaurant, so I have never had their salad dressing. I cannot speak to the authenticity of this dressing. What I can tell you however is that it is incredibly delicious. Rich, creamy and beautifully flavored!

HOMEMADE SALAD CREAM - This tasty dressing is the most common dressing offered in eating places all over the U.K. You can also buy it in jars in the shops. This homemade version is even better than the shop bought. It is rich and creamy and beautifully tangy.  We love this!

Yield: 12 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Sweet Onion Vinaigrette Dressing

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 10 Min

Sweet, oniony, bright and tangy, this is a delicious homemade salad dressing. Great for coleslaw or for any salad really.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (60ml) white vinegar
• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (I use light olive oil)
• 1/2 tsp celery seeds
• 1/2 small onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the sugar and vinegar into a saucepan. Set over medium heat and warm through, stirring, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the remaining ingredients to combine completely.
3. Leave to cool completely. It will appear separated. This is normal.
4. Pour into a pint jar and refrigerate.
5. When you are ready to use it, give it a vigorous shake to amalgamate all of the ingredients.
6. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

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