Variations for French Dressing

Bottled French dressing is fine. This fix makes it a lot more interesting without starting from scratch. Mashed avocado lends creaminess and body, crumbled blue or Roquefort kicks in the funky, tangy bite of a steakhouse salad, and a crumbled hard-boiled egg yolk adds richness that clings to greens instead of sliding to the bottom of the bowl.

The real surprise is the soy sauce. One tablespoon deepens the flavor by adding umami and a touch of saltiness that balances the sweet-tart base dressing. Lemon juice cuts through and keeps everything from going heavy.

The 30-minute chill at the end isn’t optional. Cold dressing tightens up, the blue cheese distributes through the avocado, and the flavors actually have time to meet before hitting a plate.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a ripe avocado that gives slightly to a squeeze. Hard avocados mash into lumpy paste. Overripe ones turn the dressing brown fast.
• A dash of hot sauce in the egg yolk transforms this into a mini deviled-egg dressing. Don’t skip it.
• Stir, don’t whisk. Aggressive whisking breaks up the blue cheese crumbles that give the dressing its personality.

Variations

• Swap in crumbled feta and a squeeze of lime for a Mediterranean spin.
• Add a tablespoon of minced shallot and fresh tarragon for a French bistro flair over a simple butter lettuce salad.
• Thin with a tablespoon of buttermilk for a pourable version that works on chopped salads and grain bowls.