Are you ready for a tremendously flavorful, yet easy to make, salad dressing? This Tea Infused Salad Dressing can be used with any flavor of tea and mixed and matched with all kinds of wonderful salads.
It only takes a little extra time to make this dressing than a traditional vinaigrette, but the flavor is worth it. Plus you can make a bigger batch and keep it in the fridge for a few days.
Read on to learn how to make this easy vinaigrette to add healthy flavor to your salads.
Homemade salad dressings are cheaper and healthier than any store bought version. Plus, you can adjust it to your tastes. I like a 50:50 ratio of vinegar and oil, the original recipe was a 2:3 ratio which is a bit too oily for me.
And talk about easy, steep the tea bags in the vinegar for about 20 minutes, add the oil and a splash of honey, then shake it up and serve. I think my 7 year old could handle that, if he ate salads....
For stronger flavor, let the tea steep in the vinegar longer, even overnight.
What type of tea to use for Salad Dressing
I got the original idea from a box of Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea. And it hit me, you can make it with any flavor tea. If you like the flavor of the tea, chances are you are going to like it in a salad dressing
A few choices:
- mint
- ginger
- fruit (lemon, berry, cherry, peach, orange)
- caramel apple
- Constant Comment (orange and spice blend)
- hibiscus
- green tea
- orange pekoe
- Earl Grey
- English Breakfast
Tea bags or a few teaspoons of loose leaf tea in a tea strainer can be used.
Ingredients for Tea Infused Salad Dressing
Besides the tea you will need your typical vinaigrette ingredients:
- any mild vinegar: white, white wine, rice, apple cider
- balsamic vinegar: optional for a little extra color and flavor
- oil: vegetable, canola, olive, salad, etc.
- honey: agave or maple syrup
The honey isn't there for sweetening, though it does balance the flavors a bit. It acts as an emulsifier, keeping the oil and vinegar mixed together. You could use a bit of mustard, but that could overpower the flavor of the tea.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 bags tea, any flavor
- ½ cup mild vinegar (white, rice, white wine, etc.)
- ½ cup neutral vegetable oil (olive oil, canola, salad, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- In a small glass jar with lid, add tea bags to vinegar. Let sit at least 20 minutes. Wait longer for stronger flavor.2 bags tea, any flavor, ½ cup mild vinegar
- Add oil, honey and balsamic vinegar if using. Add lid to the jar and shake until well blended. Pour over salad as desired.½ cup neutral vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey
Notes
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more salad dressings
Easy Peasy Life Matters
Thanks so much for hosting such a great link up! Hope you have a fantastic week 🙂
Audrey
Oh, I need to go see your recipe. I have been intrigued by Forbidden Rice since I saw it at the store a few months ago.