Why You Need To Give Whipped Cream Salad Dressing A Try

Tempting as it can be to pick up a bottle of premade salad dressing from the grocery store, it's easier than you might think to achieve a creamy, chef-worthy batch at home using common ingredients. The next time you're prepping a salad, reach for heavy whipping cream. Though commonly used for baking, it lends dressing a unique creaminess that makes a perfect base for custom flavor combinations. 

If you're backing away picturing a pile of lettuce dolloped with something that looks like it belongs on a cake, rest assured that using heavy whipping cream in your salad dressing will not leave you with dessert or remind you of ambrosia salad. If you don't believe us, just consider the merits of Cool Whip as a secret ingredient in chicken salad. 

While there might be some light whipping involved depending on the method you choose (more on that later), the ingredient will yield a luxurious yet airy dressing imbued with whatever additional flavors you put in. Here are some ideas to help you get started. 

We wish we'd been the first to think of heavy whipping cream as an ingredient in salad dressing, but that's most definitely not the case. Indeed, recipes for the deceptively simple condiment abound. Take Jacques Pépin, whose version of the creamy dressing, which first appeared in The New York Times in 1989, honors a Lyonese salad that his late wife made often at home with Boston lettuce. All it takes is heavy cream, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper, which is stirred together with a wooden spoon — no whipping involved. 

Roy Finamore's recipe, as seen in his cookbook "Tasty," also evokes the flavors of a classic French vinaigrette, courtesy of Dijon mustard. Unlike Pépin, however, Finamore's version involves whisking the cream and mustard to soft peaks before adding the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Where Pépin's Lyonese version has a more liquidy texture, Finamore's has a bit more volume. Either way, both add a special touch to plain greens.

The great thing about making salad dressing with whipping cream, aside from its delightful texture, is its flavor possibilities. Until you add your additional ingredients, plain whipped cream doesn't have a very distinctive flavor, making it an ideal canvas for experimentation. Pépin and Finamore might favor the flavors of vinaigrette, but you can choose your own adventure — the possibilities are as varied as the contents of your fridge and spice cabinet.  

With that said, it's good to be mindful of balance when going off the book. Instead of adding all your favorite spices to your cream at once, consider how the subtle richness of the base will play with sweetness, acidity, and spice, and how those flavors will work with your salad ingredients. Of course, if your pantry isn't stocked with spices, you can always liven up a whipped cream dressing with a tablespoon or two of fresh herbs like dill or parsley.