When it comes to what dressing you decide to put on your salad, there can never be too many options. However, one of my personal favorites is a classic Russian dressing.
Although it can commonly be confused with Thousand Island dressing, Russian dressing is different in the sense that it is spicier, using elements such as horseradish and hot sauce!
We’re here to help you out! This article not only is going to give you an amazing recipe for Russian dressing, but we’re also going to give you some tips on how to improve your salad game! You can thank us later!
See also: 9 Amazing Mayonnaise Recipes that Will Impress Your Guests
How To Make Thousand Island Dressing From Scratch
When it comes to making a good Russian dressing, the key is in your spices. This particular recipe uses ingredients such as onion, paprika, and horseradish sauce to give it this perfect kick!
Not to mention, this recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups and only takes 10 minutes to make! Trust me, it’s the perfect dressing to try out on your next salad!
The ingredients you will need are:
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
- 1 cup purchased or homemade mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup ketchup style chili sauce or ketchup
- 4 teaspoons bottled (regular – not packed in beet juice) horseradish, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Fine sea salt
And the steps are super simple. As expected, the preparation is mainly just combining all of these elements into a bowl. It can’t get much easier than that!
Your steps are as followed:
- In a mortar and pestle, mash the onion to create a paste. Or, using a large heavy knife, mince and mash the onion into a paste. Transfer the onion paste to a small bowl and whisk the mayonnaise, chili sauce, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and sweet paprika. Season with fine sea salt (if desired)
This Russian dressing can be prepared and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks!
5 Tips For Taking Your Salad to The New Level
Now that we have gone over how to prepare an amazing Russian dressing for your your next salad, it’s important to make sure that the salad itself is top tier!
1. Using top quality greens.
When it comes to preparing an amazing salad, it’s not always about the Russian dressing! A good salad is only as fresh as the greens that we use to prepare it! Some good tips for purchasing the best greens for your salad: going to the farmers market! There, you are able to find fresh ingredients from local businesses to provide the best experience when it comes to a salad!
2. Making sure you are washing your ingredients correctly.
Now that you have found an amazing source for top-notch ingredients, it’s time for preparation. It’s just as important to remember that another big part of a great salad experience is making sure you are properly washing your greens! Here’s a big tip: Fill a large bowl, clean sink, or pot with a large amount of cool water. Add your lettuce and any other greens and swirl them around the bowl. This will help ensure that extra dirt and debris have come off!
3. Season your ingredients thoroughly.
It’s one thing to have delicious ingredients, but it’s another if you know how to properly season them. To make sure you are correctly seasoning your salad, make sure you start with a small amount and taste until perfection! It’s important to season your leaves, your Russian dressing, and any other ingredients that you will be adding to your salad!
4. Make sure you are properly dressing your salad.
When it comes to serving your salad with dressing, the key is proportion. You do not want to have too dry or too soggy of a salad! Huge tip: start with a large bowl and use your hands to toss! Although tongs are a useful tool to have, using your hands allows you to properly feel your salad texture without damaging the ingredients!
5. Consider upping your salad tool game.
I saved this tip for last because it’s going to help you properly up your topping game! Tools such as a Microplane grater finely grate salad toppings such as parmesan cheese to a light and airy texture! This allows you to add an abundance of toppings without them overcrowding the salad too much!
Make sure you write down not only this amazing Russian dressing recipe but also these game-changing tips! They will help you upgrade your salad game to the next level!