Summer salads deserve a great dressing, and actually we think the dressing is the most important part. The great news: if you've got a near-empty jar of Single Variety Co preserve in the fridge door, you're already ninety percent of the way there!
Once you've made this jam jar vinaigrette, you'll never go back to bottled dressing again. A spoonful or two of preserve left in the bottom of the jar, a good glug of extra virgin olive oil, a splash of apple cider vinegar, a pinch of seasoning, and a really enthusiastic shake. That's it. The preserve emulsifies the oil and vinegar into a thick, glossy, delicious homemade salad dressing with proper depth of flavour.
The team at Bragg, who make a fantastic organic apple cider vinegar, shared these gorgeous photos and recipes. Their ACV brings a gentle, rounded tang that lets the preserve shine without overpowering it. Thanks guys!
The base recipe: Jam Jar Vinaigrette
Makes enough to dress one large salad
INGREDIENTS
- A near-empty jar of SVC jam, preserve or marmalade (roughly 1 to 2 tablespoons)
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (we love Bragg's Organic)
- A pinch each of salt, cracked black pepper, and red pepper flakes
METHOD
Add your seasoning straight into the jar, pour in the oil and vinegar, close the lid tightly and shake. Keep going. The longer you shake, the thicker and creamier your homemade vinaigrette becomes as the preserve works its magic as a natural emulsifier.
Serve straight away or pop it back in the fridge.
Give it another good shake before dressing your salad.
Three of our favourite combinations
Not sure where to start? Here are three of our favourites:
Jalapeño Jam Vinaigrette
This one is a summer salad revelation. Our Jalapeño Jam brings a smoky, punchy heat that is incredible poured over a corn, avocado and red cabbage slaw with fresh coriander. Brilliant with grilled chicken too.
Ben Tirran Blackcurrant Preserve Vinaigrette
Deep, tangy and absolutely gorgeous. This Ben Tirran Blackcurrant Preserve dressing over a salad of roasted peaches, rocket, red onion and toasted pistachios is chef's kiss GLORIOUS!
Amalfi Lemon Marmalade Vinaigrette
Bright, citrusy and a little herby. Our double gold award-winning Amalfi Lemon Marmalade makes a beautifully light fruit vinaigrette that's perfect over a quinoa salad with cherry tomatoes, avocado and toasted almonds.
A note on flavour
Almost any jar in the SVC range works here. The dregs of a Harbinger Rhubarb Preserve, a last spoonful of Majestic Raspberry, a scraping of Golden Pineapple: all brilliant. The fruitier and more intense the preserve, the more personality your easy homemade salad dressing will have.
Don't rinse that jar. Shake it!
