Boiled Salad Dressing

My great-grandmother, Sophia Kraft was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1882 to German immigrants. At the age of 16, she was living away from home as a cook in Youngstown, Ohio. It was probably at this time she acquired the vast collection of recipes that I am fortunate to now have. This is her recipe for salad dressing. It is tangy and creamy, and perfect on a bed of greens.

This salad dressing is made without any vegetable oil. Back before 1900, commercial vegetable oil was not yet available. The Italians were newly immigrating to America, and with them came olive oil, but this was still not readily available to the average cook. One of my vintage cookbooks, Presbyterian Cook Book published in 1927 has a similar recipe. The author states that this dressing will keep "for a month or more."


Boiled Salad Dressing
1 large egg
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons butter

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add water and mix thoroughly, removing any lumps. Beat eggs well and add vinegar and seasoned water. Heat gently in a double boiler, stirring constantly until it thickens. Take off the heat and stir in butter.

Sophia's recipe states that if desired, you can stir in a bit of sweet or sour cream. I added about one tablespoon of sour cream.

Print This Recipe