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The best Thousand Island dressing is super creamy & sweet with a bit of tang. Not only does it make for a great dressing on tossed salad, but it’s also an amazing condiment for burgers and even a dip for French fries!
This cucumber salad with vinegar is perfect for barbecues and picnics, a refreshing mix of tangy and salty sliced cucumbers…
This cucumber salad with vinegar is perfect for barbecues and picnics, a refreshing mix of tangy and salty sliced cucumbers and onions.
This cucumber salad with vinegar is everything summer! Did you grow up with the tradition of eating it? It’s perfect for everything from summer potlucks to patio barbecues to picnics. It accessorizes perfectly with everything from salmon to a grilled burger.
The thinly sliced cucumbers and onions are salty, tangy, and lightly sweet all at once, and totally addicting. This cucumber salad is vegan, plant-based, and gluten-free, so it works for lots of diets too. Keep reading for how to make it!
Or, try it creamy! Try our Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream.
There are only a few ingredients you need to whip up this cucumber salad with vinegar.
This cucumber salad with vinegar is incredibly easy to make: the only hard part is waiting while it marinates in the refrigerator! The trick to mastering this cucumber salad is to slice the onions and cucumbers as thinly as possible. Slicing the cucumber and onion thinly allows the salt to draw out most of the moisture, and gives this salad the most incredible texture.
Step 1: Thinly slice the cucumbers and onions. If you have a mandolin, it works well for slicing the cucumbers: but it’s not needed at all: a simple knife will do the trick!
Step 2: Whisk together the white vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Step 3: Once the cucumbers and onions are mixed with the vinegar, salt and sugar (they’re basically quick pickles!), they need to marinate in the refrigerator. Wait 1 hour while time does its magic!
After 1 hour marinating time, you can enjoy your cucumber salad with vinegar salad anytime over the next 7 days. The flavor just gets better with time!
There are so many ways to accessorize this cucumber salad with vinegar! We eat it primarily in as a summer side dish, so naturally we think of meals full of summer produce. Of course you can eat this salad all year long. Here some ideas to get your wheels turning:
Want more with cucumbers? See Top Cool Cucumber Recipes.
This cucumber salad with vinegar recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Yes! The flavors will meld and develop over time, making it even more delicious.
Stored in an airtight container, cucumber salad can last 7 days in the refrigerator. The cucumbers will soften slightly over time.
White distilled vinegar is a classic choice. We recommend using it if at all possible.
English cucumbers are ideal for their thin skin and fewer seeds, but regular cucumbers work too. Just peel them first if the skin is thick or waxed.
Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes 
Yield: 6 to 8 This cucumber salad with vinegar is perfect for barbecues and picnics, a refreshing mix of tangy and salty sliced cucumbers and onions.
*You can also omit the dill, or use ½ teaspoon dried in place of fresh.
**If you’re pressed for time you can serve immediately, but it’s best after 1 hour marinating time.
Category: Salad
Method: Raw
Cuisine: GermanOutside of this salad, here are a few of our best salad recipes:
Make restaurant-quality Italian dressing at home with this simple recipe! This zesty dressing is full of flavor and perfect for…
Make restaurant-quality Italian dressing at home with this simple recipe! This zesty dressing is full of flavor and perfect for salads, pasta salads, and more.
One of the top salad dressing recipes to make homemade: Italian dressing! This zingy Italian American vinaigrette is a staple that many of us have grown up with. Ever tried making it at home instead of opting for bottled?
As two cookbook authors, we’ve found the key to a great salad is a homemade salad dressing: they don’t have preservatives or added ingredients, are extremely tasty, and are quick to make! This zesty Italian dressing recipe is a fan-favorite recipe from our popular chopped salad, and it’s become our go-to easy vinaigrette for all types of salads.
Jump to the recipe—now.
This Italian dressing recipe is a standby recipe we’ve been making for over a decade. It all started with our famous chopped salad, which is always a hit with friends and family. Every time we serve it, people ask us for the recipe! Over the years, readers have constantly given us feedback they love it to. Here’s what we love about this recipe:
Turns out, Italian dressing is actually an Italian American creation, not a traditional Italian food! It’s a vinaigrette type dressing used in American and Canadian cuisine. In Italy, salads are dressed with olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt at the table, not typically with a pre-mixed salad dressing. Italian dressing is an American creation that approximates the flavors and herbs in Italian food, like olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano and thyme.
The ingredients you’ll need for this Italian dressing are:
This homemade Italian dressing recipe is incredibly simple. The flavor is zesty and bright, full of garlic, white wine vinegar, maple syrup or sugar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil. Add to that a mix of Italian-style dried herbs: basil, thyme, and oregano, which bring in earthy flair. To make an emulsion for this homemade Italian salad dressing recipe, simply whisk it by hand. Here are a few tips:
This homemade Italian dressing recipe is perfect on any type of salad that you throw together! We’ve made it for years and have lots of readers who use it as a go-to salad dressing. It works well on many types of salad recipes, like a chopped salad, kale salad, or any green salad with flavors that would go with an Italian-style vinaigrette. Here are a few ideas of how to use it:
How would you serve this Italian salad dressing recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
Homemade dressings have big, bold flavor and are easy to whip up! In fact, we rarely buy bottled dressing. Outside of this homemade Italian dressing recipe, here are a few of our other favorite salad dressing recipes:
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: About ½ cup This zesty homemade Italian dressing recipe is full of flavor and easy to make at home! This one will become a go-to on first taste.
Category: Salad DressingMethod: WhiskedCuisine: AmericanKeywords: Italian dressing, Italian dressing recipe, Homemade italian dressing, How to make italian dressing,
This easy balsamic vinaigrette recipe uses only 4 ingredients and whips up in minutes! With its balance of sweet, tangy,…
This easy balsamic vinaigrette recipe uses only 4 ingredients and whips up in minutes! With its balance of sweet, tangy, and savory, it will become your go-to salad dressing. Ditch store bought dressing for good!
Looking for a simple salad dressing to make at home? There’s really nothing better than this balsamic vinaigrette recipe. It’s creamy, tangy, a little bit sweet, and has that “something” that keeps you coming back for another bite. It’s extremely versatile, perfect on everything from a classic strawberry salad to a simple green salad. It has a short ingredient list and it comes together in less than 5 minutes. So why ever buy it again?
This balsamic vinaigrette recipe is very simple to whip up, especially because you might already have the ingredients on hand in your pantry. For this recipe you’ll need:
This balsamic vinaigrette recipe is incredibly simple. The flavor is zesty and bright, tangy from the vinegar, balanced with a touch of maple syrup. Then it’s mixed together with extra virgin olive oil to form a creamy emulsion. We’ve also added a touch of Dijon mustard to give a little more zing and to help the creamy dressing stay emulsified. Here’s how to make this balsamic vinaigrette:
There are lots of types of balsamic vinegar at the store, and they vary widely in quality. There are three categories of balsamic vinegar:
A good rule of thumb for buying a good balsamic: look for a mid-priced bottle. Price is typically indicative of quality!
This balsamic vinaigrette recipe is perfect on any type of salad that you throw together, especially salads with a sweet element like apples, berries, or sweet potatoes! Here are a few ideas of how to use it:
How would you serve this balsamic vinaigrette recipe? Let us know in the comments below!
There are so many delicious salad dressing recipes to try! After this homemade balsamic vinaigrette recipe, here some favorites to try:
Vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.
Print
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: About 11 tablespoons This easy balsamic vinaigrette recipe uses only 4 ingredients (plus salt) and whips up in minutes! With its balance of sweet, tangy, and savory, it will become your go-to salad dressing. Ditch store bought dressing for good!
Taste, and if you prefer a sweeter balsamic vinaigrette, you can add up to 1 tablespoon additional maple syrup.
Category: Salad DressingMethod: WhiskedCuisine: AmericanKeywords: Balsamic vinaigrette recipe, Balsamic vinaigrette dressing, How to make balsamic vinaigrette
These quick pickled jalapeños are the perfect way to top all of your favorite foods, including nachos, sandwiches, pizza, chili, and more.
The post Pickled Jalapeños appeared first on Budget Bytes.
O.M.G. I thought I was obsessed with pickled red onions, but then I made these pickled jalapeños and I literally can’t stop eating them. Every time I go in the fridge I have to pop one or two in my mouth, in addition to adding a few on top of everything I’ve been eating. 😅 These little guys are addictive! So, if you’ve got a pepper plant that is still producing or are looking for a way to use up some leftover jalapeños from another recipe, trust me, you NEED to make these pickled jalapeños.
There are two main ways to pickle vegetables: fermentation and quick pickling in a vinegar-based brine. Fermentation pickling takes days to weeks to accomplish, as natural bacteria produce acid that combines with added salt to create a brine. Quick pickles only take minutes because they start with a pre-made acidic brine made with vinegar and salt. The method I used for these pickled jalapeños is quick pickling, which I love because it’s so fast and convenient. Just keep in mind that quick pickles do not contain live cultures.
Here’s what you’ll need to make quick pickled jalapeńos:
If you want to experiment with your pickled jalapeños, you can try adding some of the following ingredients: a sliced carrot, whole peppercorns, ground cumin or cumin seeds, sliced shallots, or oregano.
Aside from just sneaking one or two slices from the jar, here are some of my favorite foods to top with pickled jalapeños:
Keep these pickled jalapeños in an air-tight glass or plastic container in the refrigerator for up to two months (if you don’t eat them all first!). Use a fork or tongs to remove the jalapeños from the container to keep the brine as sterile as possible.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Wash then slice one pound of fresh jalapeños. Peel two (or more) cloves of garlic. Feel free to measure with your heart when it comes to the garlic!
Add 1.5 cups white vinegar, ½ cup water, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 Tbsp sugar to a medium saucepot. Bring the mixture up to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar.
When the brine reaches a full boil, add the sliced jalapeños and peeled garlic. Turn the heat off, place a lid on the pot, and let the jalapeños marinate in the brine for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure all of the peppers get submerged. Try to resist tasting them until they’ve soaked for at least 30 minutes!
As the peppers soak in the hot brine they will change in color from bright green to the familiar olive green color of pickled jalapeños. Once they’ve marinated in the brine for 30 minutes, transfer the peppers and all of the brine to a non-reactive (glass or plastic) air-tight container, then transfer to the refrigerator for storage.
Store the jalapeños in the refrigerator for up to two months and enjoy them on all of your favorite foods! …Or just straight from the jar. 😏
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Ensalada de Aguacate, a Puerto Rican-style Avocado Salad, is a quick and easy summer salad you can make for about a dollar a serving.
The post Ensalada de Aguacate (Avocado Salad) appeared first on Budget Bytes.
Ensalada de Aguacate, a Puerto Rican-style Avocado Salad, is a quick and easy summer salad that’s so tasty and refreshing you’ll find yourself craving it on sweltering days. To bulk up the salad, I layer the creamy avocado with cooling slices of tomato. So technically, it’s an Ensalada de Aguacate y Tomate (Avocado and Tomato Salad), but who wants to type all of that out 150 times? Not this girl. Oh yeah- it comes in at under a dollar a serving! #win
This avocado salad is a very popular Latin dish, and every family has their own spin on it. It’s slices of creamy avocado, pungent onions, and in this case, tangy tomatoes dressed in a very simple mix of oil and vinegar. Some versions also include vegetables like bell peppers and radishes, fruit like mango and grapefruit, cheeses like Queso Fresco or Mozzarella, or proteins like chicken, walnuts, or sliced hard-boiled eggs.
This Avocado Salad makes for a beautifully composed salad, but you don’t have to go crazy with it as I did here. I love salad with a wow factor, and taking a few extra minutes to layer the components makes for a beautiful presentation. You can present the salad in a bowl, but do your best to mix it gently, or the avocado will fall apart faster than a reality show housewife. Here’s what you’ll need to make Ensalada de Aguacate:
To help ripen an avocado quickly, place it in a paper bag with an apple or a banana. Close the bag and leave it at room temperature. The natural gases released by the apple or banana will help your avocado mature faster. Some Tik-Tok folks think you can use a microwave to ripen an avocado, but all you’re doing is cooking the avocado, which softens it but will still taste like an unripe avocado.
This Ensalada de Aguacate pairs beautifully with other Puerto Rican dishes like Puerto Rican Rice and Beans, Arroz Con Pollo, Chuletas Guisadas, or Pollo Guisado. However, you don’t have to have a Latin spread to enjoy it! Add it as a side at your next cookout. It pairs wonderfully with BBQ Ribs, Sausage Kebabs, Smash Burgers, or Marinated Portobello Mushroom Burgers
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Make the dressing. In a mason jar, add 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Cover and give it a good shake.
Slice two medium tomatoes into 1/4 inch rounds, then slice the rounds into halves. Then cut half a medium yellow onion into 1/4 inch into half moons. Finally, slice two medium avocados into 1/4-inch half moons. Add a touch of the dressing to the surface of the avocados to keep them from turning brown.
Add half the tomato slices to a large dinner plate in one layer. Spoon 2 teaspoons of the dressing on the tomatoes and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Add half the onions in a single layer on top of the avocado and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of dressing and a pinch of salt. Next, add half of the avocado slices in a single layer on top of the sliced onion, and follow with 2 teaspoons of dressing and a pinch of salt.
Repeat the layering process with the remaining tomato, onion, and avocado slices. Garnish with a few cilantro leaves and serve. Guaranteed this will be one of the most refreshing summer salads you’ve ever had!
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Friends, we know mangoes are SO good it’s challenging not to devour them all right off the cutting board. But take it from a fellow mango enthusiast: This time it’s worth letting them make it to the blender. You’re going to want a batch of this bright,…
Friends, we know mangoes are SO good it’s challenging not to devour them all right off the cutting board. But take it from a fellow mango enthusiast: This time it’s worth letting them make it to the blender. You’re going to want a batch of this bright, naturally sweet turmeric mango vinaigrette around for a salad recipe coming tomorrow!
Grab your blender and 9 ingredients (mostly pantry staples) and let’s do this!
This dressing is as simple as blending and enjoying!
Introducing our GO-TO side for summer gatherings (and beyond!): three bean salad! It travels well, keeps well, and comes together fast with simple, affordable pantry staples.
Plus, it’s packed with fiber, crunchy veggies, and a flavorful, herby v…
Introducing our GO-TO side for summer gatherings (and beyond!): three bean salad! It travels well, keeps well, and comes together fast with simple, affordable pantry staples.
Plus, it’s packed with fiber, crunchy veggies, and a flavorful, herby vinaigrette that makes you want more! Who knew beans could be so irresistible!? Just 10 minutes and 1 bowl required to make this bean-filled beauty. Let us show you how!
Yuca En Escabeche is a traditional Puerto Rican dish of pickled cassava, olives, and onions. It’s delicious, vibrant, easy, and versatile!
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My mouth waters every time I think about Yuca En Escabeche, a traditional Puerto Rican pickled cassava dish that’s as delicious and vibrant as it is versatile. It’s a bit like a punchy vinegar-based potato salad but with olives, onions, and yuca. It holds exceptionally well and makes a perfect appetizer or side for a backyard BBQ or beach picnic.
Yuca is a root vegetable like potato or taro. It is shaped like a large yam with a dark brown bark-like exterior and bright white flesh. It has a woody core that looks like a white root running through the middle of it lengthwise. You can find yuca fresh, frozen, and canned in most Latin grocery stores. It’s also often stocked in the freezer section at mainstream grocers.
Escabeche is a preserving technique that’s very popular all over Latin America. You warm a simple mix of oil and vinegar with a few aromatics and use it to pickle cooked vegetables, fruits (like green bananas), or fish. Because of the high acidity of the sauce, the pickled food stays fresh for a week, developing deeper flavors as it ages. Yuca En Escabeche is boiled cassava root smothered in escabeche sauce and served hot, cold, or at room temperature.
Get ready for your new summer favorite! It’s cooling on a hot day, comes together in just a few minutes, and you can easily double, triple, or quadruple the recipe. It’s one of those dishes I’ll make a big batch of and eat nonstop, paired with absolutely everything until it’s all gone. Here’s what you need to make Yuca En Escabeche:
Make this dish your own with additional veggies, spices, and proteins.
This dish is excellent on its own, but I love it even more as a side. I pair it with Roasted Chicken, Chuletas Guisadas, or Puerto Rican Rice and Beans.
Store the yuca in an airtight container with plastic film over the surface. If at all possible, use a glass container, as the vinegar and garlic odors will cling to plastic. Refrigerate for up to a week. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw frozen yuca overnight in the fridge. Yuca can be served cold or at room temperature. If you prefer to serve it hot, warm it in a microwave until steaming.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Prepare 1 pound of yuca. If the yuca is fresh, peel and split it into 4-inch long quarters. Remove the woody center root. If the yuca is frozen, split it into 4-inch halves. Make sure the woody center has been removed and then cut each half in half.
Add the yuca to a Dutch oven or other large heavy-bottomed pot. Add water until you cover the yuca by two inches. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Boil until the yuca is fork-tender but not mushy, about 25 to 30 minutes. Then drain the yuca and cool.
While the yuca cooks set a small stainless steel or enameled pot over medium-low heat. Avoid aluminum pots as highly acidic ingredients, like vinegar, can cause aluminum to leach into food, which leaves the food with a metallic taste. Add 2/3 cup of olive oil and warm. You don’t want the oil hot, just warm. Add the 1/3 cup of vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns, 3 bay leaves, remaining 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon adobo, 1 medium onion sliced in half moons, 8 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 1/4 cup Spanish olives, and 1/8 cup of olive brine to the warm oil. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions should remain white but will wilt. Once wilted, remove from the heat.
Add the boiled yuca to a large boil and cover with the warm escabeche sauce. Allow the yuca to pickle for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving. To develop deeper flavors, cover the bowl with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the yuca and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold, at room temperature, or heat in a microwave until steaming. Enjoy this incredible dish as is or serve it with Roasted Chicken, Chuletas Guisadas, or Puerto Rican Rice and Beans!
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If you’re looking for a hearty family meal that’s mouthwateringly delicious and a breeze to put together, make these savory Chuletas Guisadas!
The post Chuletas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Stewed Pork Chops) appeared first on Budget Bytes.
If you’re looking for a hearty family meal that’s mouthwateringly delicious and a breeze to put together, you need to make these savory Chuletas Guisadas! I grew up eating this dish of unctuous stewed pork chops in Puerto Rico, where my Abuela would serve it at least once a week. It comes together in under thirty minutes, and as it stews, the fragrance is so overwhelmingly good everyone in your home will ask what’s cooking! (For real.)
Chuletas Guisadas is a popular Latin American dish of pork chops, onions, and peppers stewed in a flavorful tomato-based sauce. Every region has its own take on the dish, and this is the recipe my grandmother would make at least once a week. Some people don’t put olives in their Chuletas Guisadas, but my Abuela did, so that’s how I make it. I love mine served over Puerto Rican Rice And Beans with slices of ripe plantain. You can also pair it with a side salad or slices of ripe avocado.
My favorite thing about this dish is that the end result is much greater than its parts. But, of course, every Latin family has their version, and the ingredients vary by where you grew up. With that being said, this is what you need to make my version of Chuletas Guisadas:
I love gobbling this dish down with Puerto Rican Rice And Beans and fried slices of sweet plantain. Of course, you can always serve it with a Simple Side Salad or slices of ripe avocado. And you can even try it layered over Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes. OMG. I want that right now!!!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to three months. To reheat frozen Chuletas Guisadas, thaw them in the fridge overnight. Then, warm them in a skillet over medium heat until steaming. When you reheat the pork chops, add a little chicken broth to the skillet to prevent them from drying out.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large saute pan and set it over medium-high heat. Mix 2 teaspoons of adobo with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and rub the pork chops with the mixture. Sear the 2 pounds of pork chops in batches. Sear on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side.
Remove the pork chops from the pan, and set aside. Add 1/3 cup of sofrito and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to the pork chop drippings and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the 8 ounces of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of sazón to the pan. Sauté until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.
Add 2 cups of chicken broth, 1/4 cup of pimento-stuffed olives, 2 teaspoons of oregano, and 1 bay leaf to the pan and stir well. Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce by one-quarter.
Add the pork chops back to the pan, cover, and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook until pork chops are tender, about 7 minutes for each 1/2 inch of thickness.
Add 1 onion (sliced in 1/4 inch half moons) and 1 bell pepper (sliced into 1/4-inch strips) to the pan. Cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of cilantro leaves. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve over white rice and enjoy your new favorite weeknight dish!
The post Chuletas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Stewed Pork Chops) appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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