There are about 9,256,189,736 recipes for vinaigrette in the known universe (in the Marvel “MCU” Universe there are many, many more; those superheroes have to do something when they’re not busy destroying New York City).

What amazes me is how complicated these all make vinaigrette sound, like the act of making salad dressing (somewhere a lobster is blushing, I know) seem like it is the technological food equivalent of creating the internet (which Al Gore did in his basement).

Since that’s not enough recipes in the universe, here’s number 9,256,189,737:

Ingredients:

• One lemon, juiced
• Pinch Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• ½ tsp Dijon (really this is optional, but I like it)
• 3 times as much olive oil as you have lemon juice, approximately!
• Pinch of some type of herb – Dried herbs last longer (dill), fresh taste better (tarragon, chives).

Recipe:

Get out a mason jar, or some other container with a lid. If traveling, use Tupperware!

Put in ingredients and cover.

Now here’s the tricky part. Shake It! Every other recipe in the known universe will tell you to whisk in the oil into the juice so as to emulsify it.  BALDERDASH!!!!!  (Soon to be another Marvel super-hero.) By the time you serve it 5 minutes later it will still separate out and no one will care anyway.  Just pour it into a nice-looking pitcher (as pitchered below), or (as we often do) put a spoon in the jar and let everyone figure it out for themselves.

Oh, and another thing – Most salad recipes call for you to put your salad in one container, spoon over the dressing, and “gently cover each leaf” with dressing.  BALDERDASH THE SEQUEL!!!  All you’re doing is wilting the lettuce so there can’t be leftovers and prescribing to your guests how much dressing they like.  They can figure it out for themselves. It’s not rocket science (unless you’re Marvel-us).