Onion and Parsley Salad Dressing

Sometimes The Miserly Vegetarian abandons meat and digs into a salad. My wife has a large selection of bottled salad dressings stored in the refrigerator door. Most of them are way too sweet and loaded with additives. Hey, I still use them all the time, but I like to make my own on occasion.

The base ingredients are blended oil, vinegar, a fresh herb and an onion. The onion gives my homemade Salad Dressing a creamy texture and a fresh herb adds fragrance and color. For this recipe I used fresh parsley, but you could also use basil, oregano, sage or any favorite herb. Parsley is quite mild so I added a lot; for other herbs you may want to half the amount I have listed below. (Or add a little at a time when blending.)

If you have an herb garden like me then you can't get herbs any cheaper. Onions and lemons are on sale often enough -- while olive oil is the most expensive item, you are not using that much.

My Onion and Parsley Salad Dressing can be added to sandwiches as well. It would pair perfectly with my Veggie Wrap ( for recipe click here.) Store it in the refrigerator in a sealed container and you may find yourself reaching for it more than those bottled, sugary, mystery salad dressing blends.

So check out the list of salad recipes that would host my delicious dressing. And click on a name to see the recipes of: Under 2 Minute Salad, Thai Cucumber Salad, Watermelon, Mango & Spinach Salad, Warm Steak Salad, Cuban Salad, and a Beet & Tangerine Salad. (Wow, I just noticed how short the list is -- I need to remedy this and come up with more...so do check back for healthier leafy fare.)

Ingredients (about 6 servings)

• 1/2 onion - any type. I used a yellow onion
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 bunch parsley - about a cup.
• Juice of one lemon - about a 2 tablespoons, fresh or from jar. Okay to substitute with vinegar.
• Salt and pepper to taste - optional.

Directions
Remove longer stems from parsley. Roughly chop 1/4 onion so it fits into a blender or food processor.

Add both to the blender or food processor. Pour in olive oil. Squeeze in lemon juice (filtering out seeds.)

Pulse/blend until onion is pulverized into a creamy liquid. Parsley is cut into small flakes. Oil and vinegar will be well mixed.

Ready to serve when blended. To store, refrigerate in a container with a tight top so you can shake it before each serving. Will keep for about two weeks, or until herbs start to turn brown.