Simple three-ingredient salad dressing recipe is perfect for summer
Salad is an essential fixture of the summer dining table, and everyone has their preferred way to savour it. For some, a fresh garden salad complements the main dish well, whilst others make a hearty meal of it by packing in fats, proteins, and carbs— for instance, with dishes like chicken Caesar or salad Niçoise.
One widely accepted notion is that salad is elevated with a splash of dressing, yet many off-the-shelf dressings tend to go off before you've had the chance to use up the bottle. A straightforward concoction of three pantry staples might just solve your issues of eating undressed greens.
According to Simply Recipes, this luscious dressing involves merely three ingredients and takes no longer than five minutes to create from scratch.
It's quite adaptable, suitable for dressing simple salads, notably those containing chicken, and ideal as well for whipping up homemade coleslaw.
Rachel Knecht from Simply Recipes mentions she often whips up this sweetened dressing "on repeat" to complement her preferred salad made of grilled chicken, white rice, crisp iceberg lettuce, and thin carrot strips, reports the Express.
The base formula is quite simple: just blend together rice vinegar, sugar, and mayonnaise. Rachel points out: "Sometimes you'll find sesame oil or poppy seeds added. I add salt, but again, you could skip it if you want to."
For the serving size, Rachel's recipe yields about half a cup, which suffices to nicely cover a full head of iceberg lettuce, making roughly four portions.
Creamy salad dressing recipe
Ingredients
1/4 cup rice vinegar
Two tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup full-fat mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)
One teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)
Method
Rachel points out that the simplicity of this recipe allows for easy adjustments according to personal taste preferences.
She describes her original version as "more tangy than sweet" but suggests increasing the sugar incrementally by one teaspoon if needed, allowing for flexibility in flavour.
For best results, using full-fat mayonnaise is encouraged, as it helps prevent the mixture from curdling when it meets the vinegar.
This also grants the added benefit of making the sauce ahead of time and storing it in the refrigerator for as long as two days, without compromising texture.
The first step in creating the dressing is combining the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt into a small container and whisking until smooth.
You can stop whisking once the sugar and salt have dissolved. Then, incorporate the mayonnaise by whisking, ensuring the dressing's silky texture.
You may also whisk in sesame oil and poppy seeds at this time if you decide to use them.
If desired, season with pepper for extra flavour.
Now, pour the dressing gently into a bowl containing your freshly washed salad before tossing the mix to blend all the ingredients together.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Keep your towels luxuriously soft and fluffy with expert's seven simple steps
There's nothing worse than stepping out of the bath or shower and drying yourself off with a stiff and scratchy towel Everyone relishes the sensation of enveloping themselves in a plush, fluffy towel after a soothing shower or bath. However, over time, towels can become abrasive and rigid, making this experience far less luxurious and more bothersome. Fortunately, you don't have to endure this with your towels, regardless of their age. Molly Freshwater, Founder of Secret Linen Store, has divulged her top expert advice for ensuring your bath towels remain sumptuously soft and fluffy throughout the year. How often to wash towels as some Brits admit to only doing it once a year Dust will stay off blinds and windowsills if wiped down with 1 common household item Less is more Her initial advice is to go easy on the detergent. High-quality bath towels should feel dense and lavish; however, due to this, the detergent can be more challenging to remove during rinse cycles than other materials, reports the Express. If you're using too much, it will build up over time and may result in your towels feeling hard and stiff. It's also crucial to use a gentle detergent, as towels are made from natural fibres like cotton. Harsh detergents can inflict permanent damage to these fibres. Detergent add-ins Another suggestion is to add a splash of vinegar to the wash. To soften towels, try adding 250ml of white vinegar to your wash alongside your regular laundry liquid. Simply pour the vinegar directly into the drum before loading your towels, and start the cycle as usual. The vinegar works by breaking down any detergent residue or mineral build-up in the fibres, which can leave towels feeling coarse. It helps to restore softness and absorbency without harsh chemicals, leaving your towels fresh and cosy. Don't fret about your towels smelling like vinegar - it will all be washed away, leaving just the scent of fresh, clean laundry. Keep it cool Temperature is also key to keeping towels soft. It can be tempting to put your laundry on hot to get them extra squeaky clean but this can actually make them stiff. Like harsh detergents, hot water can strip the natural fibres of their softness, leaving them rough and less absorbent. To keep them fresh and soft, Molly recommends washing your towels at a cooler temperature, between 30 and 40 degrees. Give them space Even if it is easier to just chuck all the towels in the same wash, this can actually make them crispy and won't get them properly clean. When there are too many towels in the machine, the detergent and fabric conditioner can't rinse out properly. For the best results, try washing your towels in smaller loads. This way, the detergent gets a chance to properly rinse out, leaving your towels feeling soft, fluffy, and ready to use after every wash. Keep it natural A tumble dryer can be your best friend when it comes to towels, but it could also be making them feel stiff and scratchy. For that perfectly soft feel, use a low heat setting and remove them while they're still slightly damp before hanging them up outside. Alternatively, harness the power of nature and hang them outside on a windy day. The wind acts as a natural agitator, keeping those fibres wonderfully soft. Give it a shake Want to keep your towels super soft and absorbent? Give them a good shake both before and after drying, whether they're going into the tumble dryer or onto the washing line. This simple step helps to loosen the fibres and encourages better airflow, leading to softer results. Once they're dry, another shake will prevent stiffness and maintain their beautiful fluffiness. Store them cleverly How you store your towels can make a big difference to their softness. Folding them too tightly or burying them under heavy stacks can flatten the fibres, making them feel stiff over time. To preserve their delightful softness and absorbency, store them loosely with enough space for air to circulate. This simple storage tip helps them maintain their fluffiness and keeps them feeling fresh for longer.
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Scottish Sun
I quit my job to work as a caravan park warden & live for free – I applied on Facebook, work 2 days a week & save £1000s
Find out just how much their monthly costs have reduced by WHEEL GOOD I quit my job to work as a caravan park warden & live for free – I applied on Facebook, work 2 days a week & save £1000s Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A MAN revealed how he and his wife can afford only working two days a week after quitting his job to work on a caravan park. Lewis, 35, quit his previous mental health job to work as a park warden after seeing an opening ad on Facebook. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 A couple revealed how they afford working just two days a week Credit: SWNS 6 Lewis and his partner Racheal, 39, now live on a caravan site Credit: SWNS The couple revealed they now spend just £330 a month living in a caravan after they "didn't want all our money going on bills". In April 2023, they sold their three-bed home in Lancaster, Lancashire, for £130,000 and purchased a £30k campervan to travel around the UK in for a year. When their funds began to dwindle, the pair found jobs at the site through a Facebook group and have since upgraded to living in a £15,000 caravan. With no rent or bills to pay due to their pitch on the site being included in Lewis' job as a campsite warden, they save a full wage each month and estimate they will have saved £8,000 this year by October. Rachel, a cook, said: "We got a campervan in March 2022. "We were going away every weekend when we could and I just didn't want to come home. "We had some savings and decided to sell up and do a year travelling around the UK. "Last year we got our jobs as wardens. "Literally anyone could do it, you can pick up a caravan for £1,000 and pick up a job. "We've got the caravan and a massive field to ourselves. Watch the video to see inside the family-of-seven's caravan home "The job is March to October so you get four months off. "We will probably have saved about £8,000 for this year. "We're only half an hour away from Snowdonia so we tend to go there a lot. "We have days out in Anglesey, and I love wild swimming so we'll go to local beaches". They decided to sell their home after initially going down the family route. Rachel said: "We had a miscarriage, then a stillbirth, then tried to conceive for two years and couldn't. "You have to have been trying for two years before they send you down the fertility route, but after the two or three years we'd had enough and wanted to enjoy life again. Rachel was previously a chef at a local hospice, and Lewis was a mental health support worker, finding their new jobs last year through a Facebook group. 6 The couple found their jobs through a Facebook group Credit: SWNS They both initially worked one day a week part-time, but after discovering it was more of a one-person role, Rachel moved on to become a chef at a local cafe. Rachel said: "It involves doing reception and check-ins, most of it is maintenance like strimming and weeding, and cleaning the facilities. "This year now I work in a local cafe two days a week, and Lewis still works as a warden two days a week. "Sometimes we think, should we go to different campsites and travel around a bit more, but we've got it cushty here. "We live off Lewis' wage in season and save my wage, and then we've got that to travel with. "We each earn £1,000 per month." With such minimal overheads, the couple are spending just over £300 each month. Rachel said: "We don't pay anything for rent or bills as it's included. It's just gas for the cooker we pay for, that's £8.75 per month. "For our laundry we have to go and do that on site, that's £12 per month". The monthly food shop is the couple's biggest outgoing at an average of £240 per month. Rachel said: "We are lucky to have five days off per week. "The downsides are not actually being able to travel between March and October. "You've got to go and fill your water tank as there's no running water and empty the toilet. "But you just get used to it. "The pros are the freedom it gives us. "Being able to have all this spare time to go hiking and exploring, just living out in nature I love it. 6 Now they spend their time enjoying the outdoors Credit: SWNS "I know some of our friends say they couldn't do it because of the small space. "In our house, we had a man cave, I had a spare room for a walk-in wardrobe but we just got used to the smaller space, it's all worth it. "We sold most of it and were just left with the minimum amount of clothes we needed for the van. "My dad, Chris, died last year and he left us a bit of money so we used that to buy the caravan". The couple are careful with their money, never spending more than Lewis' wage each month and sometimes choosing to park up on the roadside in lay-bys or carparks, rather than paying for a campsite when they travel on their days off. "We're going to keep doing this as long as we can. "Eventually we see ourselves going up to a static caravan, but I can't see ourselves ever going back to house life because we'd have to get full-time jobs. "I think we'll keep doing this forever." Rachel and Lewis' monthly costs The couple's monthly costs have reduced by £1,000 Rachel and Lewis' previous monthly costs now: Rent/bills: £0 Gas: £8.75 Laundry: £12 Food: £240 Phone contracts: £60 Caravan insurance: £10 Total: £330 Rachel and Lewis' previous monthly costs as home owners: Mortgage: £500 Council tax: £130 Water: £30 Gas and electric: £70 Subscriptions (like Sky, Netflix, and Amazon): £100 Phone contracts: £60 Food shop: £240 Takeaways: £200 Total: £1,330 6 The pair live on a campsite in Wales
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Carrots will be flavourful and perfectly caramelised every time when you stop boiling them
A food blogger shared a simple hack for cooking carrots in a fraction of the time it takes to boil them - and it results in perfectly caramelised, flavour-packed veggies Forget about boiling carrots until they're limp and tasteless, a speedy kitchen trick is causing a stir on social media, transforming the humble veg into a sweet, caramelised, flavour-packed side dish in just 18 minutes, reports the Express. Food blogger Tanya, from My Forking Life, insists that using an air fryer instead of the oven or hob results in perfectly roasted carrots in nearly half the time. Typically, roasting carrots can take up to 30 minutes in the oven, but this air fryer method cuts that down to around 15-20 minutes without compromising on texture or taste. The secret lies in washing and peeling the carrots first, then tossing them in a bowl with olive oil and your preferred seasonings. For a savoury twist, Tanya suggests garlic powder and paprika, though she says any all-purpose seasoning mix will do the job. For those with a sweet tooth, a sprinkle of brown sugar or a drizzle of honey can enhance the carrots' natural sweetness. Once seasoned, the carrots go directly into the air fryer basket and cook at 380°F (193°C), with a quick shake halfway through to ensure even browning. The outcome is tender yet slightly crisp carrots with a rich, roasted flavour that's a world away from the watery texture of boiled vegetables. Fans of the recipe have been quick to sing its praises online, hailing it as the perfect weeknight side dish that's both healthy and satisfying. Some have even topped their air-fried carrots with Parmesan cheese and parsley for a more indulgent twist. Beyond taste, the technique also earns marks for practicality. Air fryers need no preheating in most instances, utilise less oil than conventional roasting, and slash cooking times dramatically, making them an essential appliance for rushed home cooks wanting to get supper on the table quicker. Tanya says the approach works for all sorts of vegetables, not just carrots. "Once you try it, you'll never go back to boiling," she told her followers. With this swift and flavourful trick, the era of soggy carrots may finally be finished.
