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Salad

Very Good Salad Dressing

A vinaigrette dressing made with cider vinegar, oil, sugar, paprika, celery salt, onion, and salt.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Cider and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,431 recipes. Both carry 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, which smells smoky, clove. The science ↓

Very Good Salad Dressing

Ingredients

Directions

Make the vinaigrette

  1. Mix all ingredients thoroughly; make sure sugar is dissolved.

Store and serve

  1. Store in a covered pint jar in the refrigerator.

  2. Stir or shake well before using.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

221Calories
2 gProtein
14 gFat
24 gCarbs

Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 6 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Celery1 stalk (40g)6
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Cidernot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Cider + vinegartop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,431 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (smoky, clove).

  2. Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together18,518 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  3. Onion + vinegartop 14% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together18,226 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

  4. Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together20,806 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  5. Celery + vinegartop 17% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together5,627 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Sugar
Adds sweetness that balances the sharpness of the vinegar.
Oil
Provides fat and body, giving the dressing a smooth, rich mouthfeel.
Cider vinegar
Supplies the acidity that gives the dressing its tang.
Grated onion
Adds aroma and savory flavor, with some of its juices dispersing through the dressing.

The step that matters

Dissolve the sugar fully. Sugar that stays undissolved settles to the bottom and makes the dressing uneven in sweetness. Mixing thoroughly lets the sugar disperse evenly through the oil and vinegar, and stirring or shaking before use re-blends any layers that separate in the refrigerator.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, celery, cider, vinegar):

  1. Mustardfits better
  2. Capsicumfits better
  3. Cucumberfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, celery, cider, vinegar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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