Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, caramelized
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 large lemon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic (1 clove)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup olive oil

I am a big stickler on making my own salad dressings. Every week, I prepare a Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette at home for salads, roasted or grilled vegetables, or as a marinade for fish, steaks, or chicken. In my opinion, homemade is always the better choice as you can cut down on all those bad fillers in store-bought dressings! 

When I can't get homemade dressing or need to run out for a quick bite for the family, one of my favorite healthy grab and go spots is Verde. My friend Jennifer founded Verde as a green-forward salad, wraps, and bowls restaurant that focuses on being "verde" inside and out by through their whole ingredients, compostable containers, and bicycle delivery services.

Verde's balsamic vinaigrette is one of my favorites and I was lucky enough to learn the secret behind this signature sauce while planning my Persian-ish Porch Supper – an evening with twenty female founders coming together to celebrate women, food, and conversation! 

The secret to Verde's balsamic vinaigrette? Caramelized Onions! 

Roast them in the oven – the longer the better! They add a ton of sweetness and flavor to the vinaigrette. It also gives it a creamier texture – without all the fat! Jennifer pulverizes the caramelized onions in the Vitamix to get them nice and smooth. 

I adore this dressing on a salad, but during the Persian-ish Porch Supper, we paired it with roasted cabbage, topped with blue cheese, pistachios, and a slew of fresh herbs! You can get this dressing on any salad, wrap, or bowl at Verde. It's shown in the image above on their "You're the POM" salad – a seasonal selection featuring Mesclun and Arugula, Roasted Delicata Squash, Bleu Cheese, Pomegranate Seeds, Apple, and Sunflower Seeds with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Watch as Jennifer teaches me how they make this signature salad dressing – Verde style! 

Instructions: 

1. Add your balsamic vinegar and caramelized onions to a blender or Vitamix.
2. Once smooth, add freshly squeezed lemon juice, garlic, dry mustard, salt, pepper, herbs de Provence, and sugar. Blend.
3. As the mixture blends, slowly add your oil to the blender so the ingredients combine evenly. Once all the oil is added, increase your Vitamix speed so the dressing thickens. 
4. Serve and enjoy or store in the refrigerator! I love to store my dressings in a mason jar.