Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sweet Vidalia Onion Salad Dressing

One Perfect Bite was featured in the Sunday Brunch Segment of Amuse Bouche, the blog associated with the magazine Where Women Cook. It you're interested, the feature can be seen here.





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm fairly even tempered and it takes a lot to move me from cold to hot. That's not to say I don't have a pet peeve or two, and, as it happened, a couple of them surfaced today. One is the accumulation of unfinished cereal sitting in boxes that are only fractionally full. That happens a lot around here because each member of my family has a favorite all their own. That favorite is generally unfinished at the end of a visit, so, to my great shame, you'll occasionally find Cocoa Puffs or Fruit Loops floating in my cereal bowl. Generally, the assortment stales before I can work my way through it and I'm left feeling guilty because I have to throw it away. That happened this morning. Another peeve surfaced this evening while the table was being set for dinner. I think we all have a vision of what we consider to be gracious living. Mine does not include a collection of jars and bottles sitting in the center of the dinner table. In my dream world, salads are tossed in the kitchen and graciously served from a bowl at the table. The Silver Fox doesn't share my vision. So, it happens that an assortment of condiments and dressings got to claim space at my table tonight. Among them was the Vidalia onion dressing I used to make peanut sauce earlier in the week. One of the advantages to making your own condiments and dressing is that you can control the amount you make by sizing the recipe for them up or down. I normally make half the recipe because that's sufficient for our needs. While I make this to use in peanut sauce, it's also wonderful on bitter greens and fresh fruit, so I have plenty of opportunities to use it and it will not go to waste. The dressing is embarrassingly easy to make, but I do have one serious caution. The Vidalia is a sweet onion. While other sweet onions can be used to make this, don't make the mistake of thinking all white onions are sweet. Ask the produce manager if you are not sure. If you make this with anything other than sweet onions it will be dreadful and you'll speak of me using adjectives I'd prefer you not. REMEMBER SWEET ONIONS. Here's the recipe.

Sweet Vidalia Onion Salad Dressing...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Group Recipes

Ingredients:
1/2 large vidalia onion
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons white vinegar
8 tablespoons granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper or pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Slice 1/2 inch off both ends of onion. Pierce onion skin in several places with a sharp knife. Place onion in microwave-proof bowl. Add a tablespoon of water and microwave, covered, on HIGH power until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2) When cooled, peel and place in food processor. Puree until smooth. Add oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, garlic powder, celery seed, salt and pepper and process until smooth. Chill. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

You also might enjoy these recipes:
Caesar Salad Dressing - Shih's Cooking
Basic Vinaigrette - A Couple Cooks
Thousand Island Dressing - Cookistry
Buttermilk Ranch Dip - In Flora's Kitchen
Creamy Cilantro Tomatillo Dressing - Gina's Skinny Recipes
Honey Mustard Salad Dressing - Stylish Cuisine
Orange Balsamic Dressing - Vegacious
Feta Cheese Dill Dressing - SpiceOpolis
Homemade Catalina Dressing - For the Love of Food
Lime and Wasabi Dressing - Entertaining Made Easy
Ranch Dressing - The Brunette Foodie
Poppy Seed Dressing - Being Suzy Homemaker
Recipe for Green Goddess Salad Dressing - Kalyn's Kitchen
Pink Grapefruit Salad Dressing - One Perfect Bite
Poppy Seed Salad Dressing - One Perfect Bite
Blue Cheese Dip - One Perfect Bite

70 comments :

Momo said...

what a tasty dressing and salad!

Anonymous said...

This looks tasty! And, I don't like a multitude of bottles and jars in the middle of my dining room table either. =D

Katerina said...

I make my own salad dressings as well so I am keeping this Mary! I will sure try it!

Prema said...

yummy dressing and a healthy salad...

Anonymous said...

One of my first jobs out of college was with a company based out of Vidalia, GA and each May we would be rewarded with a huge bag of new crop Vidalia onions. Thanks so much for this recipe!

Alessandra said...

It is true, if you make your own condiments you can control the amounts of sugar, salt, fat etc. for a healthier diet :-).

Have a good Sunday

ciao

Alessandra

Jean said...

this looks tasty! bet it could be even more than just a salad dressing :)

Linda Starr said...

What a great photograph; I like the slightly pinkish hue of the dressing; and mason jars are a good idea to store stuff in.

Carol at Serendipity said...

Mary,

I agree about the bottles on the table! Ruins the whole ambiance...

Dressing sounds wonderful. I try to make my condiments as well.

Have a great week.

Carol

Lynn said...

This sounds like a wonderful dressing Mary-thanks!

Amy @ A Little Nosh said...

I love the bottled version of this dressing that you buy at the grocery store, so I'm REALLY looking forward to making this version. I'd prefer to make it myself, also.

Kayte said...

Thanks for the recipe, Mary. I promise only to use Vidalia onions and praise your name. I'm with you on the bottles/jars/boxes, etc. on the dining table...guys have respectfully tried to follow the lead but when I am gone, I hear tell that chaos reigns as far as this goes. Absolute chaos! lol

Ben said...

Mary, I really like this on multiple levels. It's a good-looking dressing to begin with, seems easy to make, and inspirational in that dressings in general seem to be an area we don't see explored very often. Thanks for posting this!

Ben
http://kissthecook-ben.blogspot.com/

StephenC said...

I'm thinking Vidalias might be coming into season now? I'll be watching for them. This dressing is unlike anything I've had before.

Martha said...

Looks good. We always make our own salad dressing and we always dress it in the kitchen as well. I'm not much for bottles and jars in the middle of my dining room table either. I've been known to even decant ketchup when we have company!

This sound slike a good dressing and I'm eagerly awaiting vidalia onion season!

Deana Sidney said...

I've never made an union dressing before. Gorgeous dressing idea. Thanks for the recipe.

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

YOu spoke my inner feelings about condiment bottles on the table! Isn't it funny that somehting like that would make us a little crazy?
But then I looked at your beautiful pictures and had second thoughts. I LOVE the containers you chose for your dressing... they might look very nice on my table.
Thanks for the recipe. I mostly use homemade dressings but have never made Vidaila. I can't wait to try it!
And a BIG thank you for adding all the other dressings as well!
Yvonne

Rhubarb and Venison said...

my in-laws buy sam's club sweet vidalia onion dressing by the quart - i'll have to try to convert them to this instead :)

Anonymous said...

I agree! Love ambience. The dressing recipe looks great.
I'm going to peruse your recipe archives for some inspiration now.

Rita said...

I have been looking for this recipe for a long time; thank you so much for sharing.looks really nice.
Rita

PeggyR said...

That sounds very good! It has been a long time since I've made my own salad dressing.

Anonymous said...

Thank you SO much for this recipe! This week a friend & I were talking about the huge bottles of Vidalia onion dressing they used to have at Sam's. Since I owned a restaurant at the time there was no problem with spoilage. But now a smaller quantity is preferable. Can't wait to try this one.

Martha in KS

Molly said...

Oh my goodness, this sounds like one of those dressings that is going to make me build entire meals around the flavor profile of the zesty vinegar coupled with the sweet onion. Are there any lettuces that work better than others with this dressing?

Sense of Home Kitchen said...

Making my own dressings and vinaigrettes is a goal of mine and this looks like a tasty recipe to start with, you have a beautiful blog. Daily recipes would really be a challenge, I am impressed, and you can be sure that I will be back.

-Brenda

Claudia said...

I've always loved Viadlia dressing and (gasp) have only had it from a jar - will be fun to make one. Loce the sweet tang.

kitchen flavours said...

I have never heard of Sweet Vidalia Onion! This is really interesting and I'm ever so curious! But I don't think that I can get it over here. Would love to try this someday, maybe could replace with other varieties of sweet onions. Have a lovely week.

Khadija El Mary said...

I often make entree dressings with whatever I have in hands and they taste delicious. I'm bookmarking your recipe, I will give it a try for sure.
Have a great day Mary!

Kris said...

Oh my that looks so wonderful!!!!

Jenn @ Youknow...that Blog? said...

Thanks! I've been waiting for you to post this - I can't find the vidalia onion dressing at the store and I want to make the peanut chicken you posted last week.

Much appreciated - sounds wonderful.

I agree with your peeve of having ugly commercial jars and bottles on the table. Ruins the entire ambiance of the setting. My family couldn't care less of course, but I do!

Have a wonderful day!

Beloved Green said...

Fantastic! I love homemade dressings in any form, and this looks delightful.

Pondside said...

I've only ever bought Vidalia Onion dressing, but I like to make my own dressings, so will give this a try. I also detest half-empty cereal boxes and cartons of restaurant 'leftovers'.

brokeintrovert said...

Thanks for this recipe...I love all your recipes! I cannot wait to try this one!

Anonymous said...

Since we're close to Earth Day, it's worth mentioning that every batch of homemade salad dressing is one more bottle of store-bought that's not going into the landfill. Cheers!

Anonymous said...

As an Army brat and career officer myself, I've lived in about half of the US. And I swear, the most expensive Vidalias are in Georgia. Cheaper to drive to Florida or South Carolina and buy them! No idea why!

Unknown said...

I completely empathize...our dining table is a catching place for all things and I've mostly given up. This dressing sounds amazing. I haven't seen any vidalia's since I've moved to the southwest, but I need to keep my eye out for them.

Big Dude said...

The bottled version was my in-laws favorite, buy I didn't care for it or 99% of the others from a bottle. I wish they were still around so I could make this version for them, but it sounds so good, I may try it for myself.

Kalyn Denny said...

Oh this does sound tasty! I look forward to Vidalia onions every year. Thanks for mentioning my salad dressing too, always appreciated.

Kuki... said...

Hi Mary...thanks so much for stopping by "Along the way". I enjoyed visiting your blog, and let me just say, "YUM!!!". I look forward to visiting often.

Carol said...

Dressing looks fantastic, what great flavor!

Cooking Creation said...

I'm super excited to try this out! Thank you for posting this recipe :)

Elaine said...

I share those pet peeves, Mary. I have a few cereal boxes in my cupboard right now with just a small amount of cereal left in them. I also like to have lovely vessels to serve condiments in, but those canning jars are just perfect to mix a dressing in that it seems okay to use it as the serving container, don't you think? I am looking forward to trying your dressing recipe as I really love Vidalia onions.

Ginny Hartzler said...

Congradulations, what an honor!!! I only know what an amuse bouche is from watching Top Chef! I knew this knowledge would come in handy some day. They posted lots of good variety from your blog, too!! I left a comment there, how exciting!! You really deserve it, too. But now, look out! This could get you hundreds of new followers!!

Lyndas recipe box said...

Thankyou for this recipe Mary....I love Vidalia dressing, but have never made my own -now I can.
You are right to caution against using any other onions in this dressing as vidalias have a much sweeter flavor. We love them!
Have a womderful day.

Simply Life said...

oh that dressing sounds perfect!

Adam said...

Congrats on the feature! :). And I love the idea of a fresh dressing especially since I've never had one outside of the oil and vinegar that we Italians love so much :).

Loralee Choate said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Mary! We love your blog.

xo,

Loralee
Where Women Cook

Wendy Irene said...

That is wonderful your blog is being featured!! :) I adore Vidalia onions and I have never made my own dressing using them. I am so happy to see it does not involve a lot of ingredients. I love that you make a lot of your own condiments! Have a peaceful Sunday!

Katie@Cozydelicious said...

This dressing looks wonderful! Would be great on some sliced cucumbers - or as a dip!

scrambledhenfruit said...

I love making my own salad dressing- I like making just enough for us to use in a short time because I don't like having lots of bottles cluttering up the refrigerator. This Vidalia onion dressing looks delicious. :) When my kids were little and we'd have several different boxes open at a time (and thus the little bits left in the bottom) I'd mix it together and call it cereal salad. :)

That Girl said...

We have a hard time getting vidalias out here. I miss them. Mauis just aren't the same.

Rhonda said...

I was just thinking that I need to make this dressing but I didn't have a recipe. I was so happy to see that you posted one. Thanks!

Candace said...

Congratulations on your feature, Mary! It is well deserved. I love that you've posted a recipe for Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing. It is one of my favorites. Making my own salad dressing is something that I've been doing quite often lately. I never thought about using that dressing on fruit though. I will have to give that a try. Thanks for sharing your recipe! Have a great week!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

There is a dressing you can find at Costco but it is a HUGE bottle. I would love to try this recipe Mary. Also congratulations on being selected to be on Amuse Bouche!!

Ryan said...

I love to find recipes for homemade salad dressings and double bonus that this uses Vidalia onions! My Mom is from GA so we are big Vidalia fans! This sounds wonderful! Have a great night!

Buttercup said...

I am a big fan of Vidalia onions and will look forward to trying this. So glad for the feature.

What's next said...

I've had Vidalia onion dressing but never thought to make my own... looks wonderful.

Vickie said...

Contests on being featured! This recipe sounds delicious and I can't wait to try it. I grow so much lettuce in the summer andI go through a LOT of salad dressing. How fun to find a new way to dress my salads!

mia xara said...

Thank you for posting this recipe, Mary!Now I can make the peanut-crusted chicken you made last week..It sounds delicious! Have a good week!

traceytwodogs said...

Help me, Mary. I make all my own dressings and can't wait to try yours. Alas, I do not own or use a microwave. What do you suggest for heating the onion? Steam it? or could I wrap in foil and heat in the oven?

Mary Bergfeld said...

Tracy I'd steam the onion. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

Jenn @ Youknow...that Blog? said...

Tried this a couple days ago, with your peanut crusted chicken recipe - both were big hits! This was super simple to make, and I'll be doing it again. Thanks for this, Mary!!

Deb in Hawaii said...

You are cute--love your pet peeves. ;-) This dressing looks so creamy and delicious.

Congrats on being featured too. ;-)

Steph Peterson said...

Mary, thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I have been looking for a dressing like this for what seems like forever! You have so many tasty looking recipes on here. I will be browsing often! :)

Unknown said...

Thanks for adding my link. All your dressings look fabulous!

Anonymous said...

Could you use this to make a pasta salad? Thanks, Barbara.

Renee' said...

I fell in love with Oak Hill Vidalia Onion dressing and needed to recreate a homemade version. I made your recipe first and it blew me away! I did alter it though, I don't believe in microwaves so I sauteed my onion and added a thick round of onion and blended in my Vita-mix. It chilled in the fridge for a couple of hours and boy oh boy!
Thanks so much for the recipe, I look forward to trying more of your creations!
G. Renee'

Unknown said...

Can u trade veggie oil for EVOO?

Mary Bergfeld said...

Yes, you can use vegetable oil in place of olive oil.

Unknown said...

thanks so much for this, I love sweet vidalia onion dressing on a spinach salad with mandarins!

Unknown said...

I used 1/2 a large Vidalia onion, but this was too pungent. Next time I make this I would use Just 1 Tablespoon as I luv Vidalia onion dressing

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Printfriendly