The Unexpected Ingredient That Prevents Your Salad Dressing From Separating

When it comes to salad dressing, most of the time you'll find yourself reaching for a simple dressing of balsamic, honey and mustard, or even a store-bought Caesar dressing. However, there are so many possibilities beyond that. To learn how to make those restaurant-quality, silky-smooth dressings, we asked Chef David Kirschner, CEO and founder of dineDK Private Dining.

"Most 'restaurant-quality' dressings taste better because they are emulsified," Kirschner told us. "When you look at [them] you cannot see a separation of the oil, vinegar, and other ingredients." The emulsion doesn't just affect the texture, either; it helps balance the flavors too. "Using an emulsified dressing will prevent the salad from tasting heavy, oily, or too acidic."

Achieving a perfect emulsion at home can sometimes be tricky — and even when you do, the dressing can still split. Don't worry, though. According to Kirschner, one unexpected ingredient can help keep things together.

"Egg yolks or nuts that have been soaked in water overnight, then drained, can also emulsify dressings to a much creamier consistency." That's right — soaking nuts overnight and blending them into your dressing can help prevent your emulsion from splitting, resulting in perfectly smooth and stable dressings that rival restaurant offerings. Nuts are full of delicious fats, which, when soaked and blended, form a gorgeous, creamy consistency that acts as a binder, adding depth of flavor, a smooth texture, and a nutty richness to dressings.

The standard recipe for a dressing is a very simple process. "For basic vinaigrettes, start by combining the vinegar(s) and other flavorings and add a tablespoon of [Dijon] mustard. Mix this all together to form the base of the dressing, then slowly incorporate the oil to form the emulsion. The mustard acts as the binder to create a smooth dressing," Chef David Kirschner explained. Though incorporating soaked nuts to take the consistency and stability to the next level might sound challenging, it's actually quite easy. "If you are experimenting with the soaked nuts, you will want to make that dressing in a blender and start by pureeing the nuts with all of the base ingredients until smooth, then slowly incorporate the oil."

While the usual process of incorporating the oil bit by bit — or in a constant, slow stream, as often recommended — can be tiresome and involve prolonged periods of whisking, using a non-traditional method can be a game-changer. "To save your shoulder from constant wicking when incorporating the oil, most restaurants use food processors or stick blenders to mix the base ingredients, then while the machine is running, slowly drizzle in the oil to form the emulsion," said Kirschner.

As for which nuts to use for your salad, the choice is up to you. However, popular options include buttery, fatty nuts like cashews (which technically aren't nuts), walnuts, or almonds, as these provide the optimal creaminess for your dressing!