Mint vinaigrette

Try this salad dressing with winter greens like radicchio and endive.

Contributed by Preston Maring, MD


Mint vinaigrette

Occasionally I find a cookbook with numerous recipes I really want to try. Joyce Goldstein has written many cookbooks. My current favorite is "Mediterranean Fresh" — a compilation of one-dish meals about a dozen of which my family has enjoyed — so far. 

A foundation of many delicious meals is the vinaigrette. A little mint vinaigrette tossed with a salad of winter greens like radicchio and endive with tangerine slices added is perfect. It takes some concentrated chopping but it's worth it.

Servings: 1 3/4 cups

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup tightly packed chopped fresh mint ( this takes a few handfuls of leaves)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. To make the infusion, combine 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 cup mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring this to a boil then take it off the heat while you chop the rest of the mint. When it cools for a least 10 minutes, strain the juice through a small sieve pressing on the leaves to extract all the juice. 
  2. Add the juice to a clean 16-ounce jar. I use washed-out peanut butter jars for dressings. 
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and shake. You may only need about a tablespoon of dressing per serving and still get the minty fresh flavor.  
  4. It helps also to add some chopped mint to the salad greens. This vinaigrette would also be good over pan-grilled fish.

Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Calories: 180
  • Fat: 19 g
  • Saturated fat: 2 g
  • Trans fat: 0 g
  • Cholesterol: 3 mg
  • Carbohydrate: 1 g
  • Sugars: 1 g
  • Fiber: 0 g
  • Sodium: 85 mg
  • Protein: 0 g