While I grew up on bottled salad dressing, the moment I realized that you could make it yourself with really no more than ...

I realized I needed a quick dressing while making a dense bean salad for lunch this week. My fallback recipe for salad ...

The vinegar you choose is totally up to your taste buds. For basic salad dressings, I use apple cider vinegar or white balsamic vinegar—they’re mild and have a hint of sweetness built in.

But a salad without dressing can be, well, boring. Depending on the type of dressing you go with, how you top off your salad can either make it even more nutrient-rich or subtract from the benefits.

Kathy Paterson presents 15 vinaigrettes and salad dressings for spring and summer ... maple syrup or a little brown or white sugar will sweeten things up and miso paste, wasabi or chopped fresh ...