Learn how to make vinaigrette like you’re licensed to kill.

Shaken, not stirred: that’s exactly how we’re gonna make this incredibly quick and easy homemade salad dressing. It’s easier than double-oh-seven.

Even though this dressing won’t at all give you a license to kill—NO WAY!, it sure will give your salad a taste to thrill. And all you’ll need are 5-6 ingredients (depending on whether you want to use one or two different types of vinegar), a teaspoon and a 16-ounce jar with a snug fitting lid. The only salt and sugar come from mustard, which therefore makes the dressing low in both sodium and sugar, though please check the ingredients you use to make sure they comply safely if you are on a sodium and/or sugar restricted diet.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes or less

Needed

(to make 2 cups or 16 ounces of dressing)

1 1/2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder
1/2 – 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
3 Teaspoons Mustard (3 teaspoons is also the same as 1 tablespoon)
8 Ounces Olive, Vegetable or Canola Oil
8 Ounces Vinegar (see ABOUT VINEGAR below)
Teaspoon
16-Ounce Jar with a Snug Fitting Lid

ABOUT VINEGAR: I like using a combination of apple cider and balsamic vinegar in this recipe. Here’s a quick comparison of commonly found vinegars. Red wine and white wine vinegars are most sour. Apple cider vinegar and rice vinegar are medium sour. Balsamic—my favorite—is mildly sour, slightly sweet and robustly flavorful.

1. Add the following to a 16-ounce jar:

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 teaspoons (or 1 tablespoon) mustard

about 8 ounces vinegar (I’m filling the jar halfway full using a combination of apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar)

about 8 ounces olive or canola oil (I’m filling the jar the rest of the way full with oil making sure to leave air space at the top of the jar so that I can shake the dressing.)

2. Screw the lid on the jar snuggly.

Hold the jar securely with both hands and shake the dressing vigorously for 10-15 seconds, preferably over the sink in case the jar leaks, until the ingredients are completely mixed together …

… like this.

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All images courtesy of Bruce Tretter