Favourite Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

This is a vinaigrette with an attitude. Most homemade dressings are oil-and-vinegar-and-mustard variations, but this one swaps mustard for plumped, minced sun-dried tomatoes and gets its umami punch and body from concentrated tomato sweetness instead.

Simmering the sun-dried tomatoes briefly in water before mincing softens them enough to whisk smoothly into the dressing. Skip the simmer and you end up with chewy tomato bits that won’t emulsify, just float around in the bowl.

The garlic-and-salt paste is the other technique worth knowing. Mashing minced garlic with salt on a cutting board breaks down the cell walls and gives you a smooth, mellow garlic flavor instead of harsh raw bite, the kind of detail real recipe writers borrow from professional kitchens.

Pro Tips

• Use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, not oil-packed. Oil-packed are fine but skip the simmer step and skip the oil-stream addition since they’re already saturated.
• Add the olive oil in a slow steady stream while whisking constantly, this is what builds the emulsion. Dumping it in breaks the dressing immediately.
• Use fresh basil, dried basil tastes flat in cold dressings.
• Make ahead and keep refrigerated up to a week, the flavors integrate and improve overnight.
• Bring the dressing to room temperature before using, cold olive oil seizes and clumps.

Variations

• Stir in a teaspoon of capers for briny pop, perfect over grilled chicken or roasted vegetables.
• Add a tablespoon of lemon juice in place of half the red wine vinegar for a brighter version.
• Swap basil for fresh oregano or thyme to skew Mediterranean instead of Italian.