Nicely Dressed Salad Greens (or Anything Else)

All you need to make an excellent dressing are a flavorful oil, a little vinegar or lemon juice, some salt and pepper, and a bowl. Don’t think of this as only a treatment for salad, it’s also for sliced raw or grilled vegetables, plain cooked grains, beans, greens, or other veggies—or all of the above. The technique remains the same.

I usually start with extra-virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar, but why not try grape seed oil with a few drops of sesame oil and rice vinegar for a salad that goes with Asian dishes? Add high-flavor ingredients (like spices or chopped herbs, onions, garlic, ginger, or olives) along with the oil and vinegar. Add tomatoes, bits of meat or fish, nuts, and so on, before you toss, or serve them on top of the dressed greens. And if you’re dressing cooked food, dress it while still warm so it absorbs flavor as it cools.

8 cups assorted greens or other raw or cooked plant foods

¹/₃ cup olive oil, more or less

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice, more or less

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the greens in a bowl and drizzle them with most of the oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss a few times and taste. Adjust the seasoning, adding more oil or vinegar if you like; toss again, and serve immediately.