House Salad Dressing - Vegan

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to blend. Set aside to allow flavors to blend. The dressing tastes best if allowed to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
2. Store any unused dressing tightly covered in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it will keep for several days in the refrigerator, although the flavor of the garlic will intensify as it sits.

Variations: Even More Basic Vinaigrette: Omit the garlic and basil from the recipe above.

Soy Vinaigrette: Omit the salt and add 1 tablespoon soy sauce; use rice vinegar to replace all or part of the sherry vinegar; omit the olive oil and instead use 1⁄2 cup grapeseed oil plus 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; omit the garlic or include it, according to your taste.

Lemon Vinaigrette: Replace the vinegar with fresh lemon juice; omit the basil and garlic.

Mustard Vinaigrette: Add 1 teaspoon (or a bit more to taste) spicy brown mustard (or Dijon if you’ve got it) to the vinaigrette. Omit the basil.