A Dressing for Every Salad

You could call me salad-centric. A voracious vegetable eater. Just scanning through the photo files on my computer, I'm bombarded with billions of rainbow-hued bowls filled with the farmers market. Each season bringing new greenery to my lunchtime. And perhaps someday when I pen my autobiography I'll title it, "My Life in Vegetables," or "Fiber is the New Black." The truth of the matter is: I just love them.

I've heard salad likened to rabbit food, poo-pooed as boring, and disregarded with diet fare. But I've never agreed. To me, salads offer variety, creativity, freshness, and undeniably-volume. Nearly every day, I'm overfilling an economy-sized bowl with a bed of crisp greens, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and whichever toppings strike my fancy on that particular afternoon. It's not only an opportunity to sample the season's bounty, but also an artistic endeavor. The salad as an artform. Because I find it to be true that we eat with our eyes first. That our senses deserve to be dazzled in every way at every meal.

So if you're like me, and you love the garden on your plate, then I'll offer you some inspiration: 5 vinaigrettes to dress any salad. But even if you're not as veggie-voracious, I encourage you to whisk up one of these homemade dressings and drizzle it on your next salad. I promise the flavor will convert you.

Classic French Dijon Vinaigrette

Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Lemon Parmesan Vinaigrette

Asian Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

-Andrea Mitchell, Foodista Staff and blogger at CanYouStayForDinner.com