I never thought about salad dressing like something I would blog about but a few weeks ago I was at a friend’s house for lunch and she used store bought salad dressing. And I realized that maybe not everybody knows how to make salad dressing! And maybe not everybody know that it only takes one minute to make it! So here it is, my super simple vinaigrette recipe and a few variations!
What is vinaigrette?
Well, the word vinaigrette come from the word “vinaigre” (french word for vinegar) so it is a French salad dressing made with vinegar. The basic recipe calls for vinegar, oil, mustard (Dijon) and salt.
Once you know that you’ll have a lot of different options already:
- What kind of vinegar?
- Red wine vinegar
- White wine vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Apple cider vinegar
- Champagne vinegar
- Sherry vinegar
- …
- What kind of oil?
- Olive oil
- Sunflower seed oil
- Walnut oil
- Avocado oil
- …
Traditionally, it’s red wine vinegar and olive oil but the possibilities are endless!
90% of the time I make my vinaigrette with olive oil and balsamic vinegar but again, it’s up to you!
Vinaigrette Recipe and Ratio
When I was a kid, my grandmother taught me how to make Vinaigrette and I never changed the ratio since but you can always adjust the ingredients to your taste.
Traditional Vinaigrette recipe:
- 1 tbsp Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon
- 3 tbsp Oil
- a pinch of salt
How to make this French Salad Dressing
The secret for the perfect Vinaigrette is that it needs to be completely emulsified, meaning, you shouldn’t be able to see any oil or vinegar left.
The traditional way
The secret for a perfect Vinaigrette is whisk the mustard with the vinegar and salt until well combined. Then slowly add the oil while whisking.
Taste and adjust salt.
The fast way
Put all the ingredients in a jar and shake! That’s it!
Vinaigrette variations
Once you know how to make this basic salad dressing it’s time to make fancy salad dressings!
This vinaigrette recipe is the perfect base for any salad dressing!
I love to add a touch of sweetness in my dressing so I usually choose maple syrup or honey for that.
You can add garlic or shallots. And any kind of fresh herbs. You can also add spices to change the flavour completely!
Here are a few of my favourite salad dressing recipes:
Balsamic Maple Vinaigrette Recipe
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- a pinch of salt
Put everything in a jar and shake!
Shallot Vinaigrette Recipe
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon
- 1 tbsp finely chopped Shallots
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- a pinch of salt
Put everything in a jar and shake!
Garlic and Herbs Vinaigrette Recipe
- 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 tbsp minced Garlic
- 2 tbsp finely chopped Fresh Herbs (parsley, chives,
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- a pinch of salt
Put everything in a jar and shake!