Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

The theme for No Croutons Required this month is dressings. Wednesday is the deadline for entries, so there are still a few more days left to get your entries in. As salads are a staple item on most dinner tables, the more recipes on hand for homemade dressing the better.

For my contribution this month, I settled on a zesty sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. Homemade salad dressings are a snap to whip up, and add a terrific boost of flavor for ordinary garden salads when you use quality ingredients. And sun-dried tomatoes add even more of a flavor kick! For the salad base, I tossed together some leafy greens, sliced red pepper, pitted olives, chopped tomatoes from my garden, and a few chopped cremini mushrooms. I sprinkled each serving with some chunks of feta cheese and drizzled on the vinaigrette. Yum1

Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on August 18, 2008 Easy, vibrant and tasty sun-dried tomato dressing — a snap to whip up and an incredible flavor-booster for garden salads Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes 2 to 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper pinch of sea salt 1/3 cup olive oil Instructions: Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in 1 cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking water. Chop the tomatoes finely and transfer to a small bowl. Add the reserved soaking water, balsamic vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and olive oil. Whisk vigorously, until well combined. Makes about 1 1/2 cups