Mint Lemongrass Vinaigrette

A dear friend had recently expressed to me the want to learn how to make salad dressing and/or vinaigrette. We were both at the farmers market in San Francisco and saw so many beautiful vegetables, fruits and even the edible flowers in this photo (Nasturtiums if your wondering). One could not help but to get the freshest produce and make a wonderful salad.

Making vinaigrettes is very easy. You just have to know your flavor components and then work from there, tasting and seasoning as you go. There is usually always a fat. Do you want something robust like coconut oil or olive oil, or a neutral oil that will carry the other flavors like grapeseed or canola ? Then like Samin Nosrat’s book: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat - add some acid like lemon, vinegar or even tomato to cut through the fat. Complement the flavors with seasoning, salt, maybe some spices that you have. Be creative! Also, think about what your using the vinaigrette for - salad, pasta, meat, maybe fish? You might surprise yourself with the outcome. The vinaigrette below is very easy and comes together in seconds in your food processor. Even better if you use a mortar and pestle to make the dressing.

Ingredients

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

lemongrass stalk - 1 inch

juice from 1/2 lime or lemon

1/2 jalapeno (if you don’t want heat, just omit)

1/4 cup avocado oil

*if you want more richness, add 2 more tablespoons of oil

season with 1/4 tsp of salt and ground pepper

Put all of the ingredients in the food processor and let blend until smooth. Put on meat, salad, dip your bread into it or raw veggies.