This Vinaigrette recipe is quick and easy to make using pantry staple ingredients. Make a batch today and drizzle it over salads all week long!
Homemade salad dressing is so simple to make, and this simple vinaigrette recipe is my favorite. It’s made with just four ingredients, plus salt and pepper. Once you master this basic recipe, you can customize it to make it your own. I’ve included some variation suggestions below.
This vinaigrette is tangy and perfect for drizzling over your favorite green salad. You can store it in your refrigerator for up to two weeks, so you can always have homemade vinaigrette dressing ready to enjoy.
I prefer homemade dressing over store bought because it tastes fresher and you can choose what to put in your salad dressing. Without any preservatives or other questionable ingredients, this vinaigrette dressing is perfect for serving with your healthy salads. You might also enjoy my balsamic vinaigrette, Italian dressing, honey mustard dressing, greek salad dressing and homemade ranch dressing recipes.
How to make Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil in a vinaigrette because the olive oil is a key ingredient in your dressing. The flavor of the olive oil plays a big role in the flavor of the dressing.
Apple Cider Vinegar: The best vinaigrette is the perfect balance of an acidic ingredient (in this case vinegar) and a sweetener. Apple cider vinegar is my favorite vinegar for salad dressings because of the flavor. You can substitute another vinegar if you prefer.
Honey: The honey balances out the tartness of the vinegar. You can add more or less, to taste.
Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard helps to emulsify the vinaigrette. It also adds flavor. If you don’t care for mustard, you can leave it out.
Salt and Pepper: Always season your salad dressings to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe Steps
To make this vinaigrette dressing, all you need to do is combine the ingredients and mix them together well. You can mix everything together in a bowl, with a whisk. Or, you can combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to mix. I usually make homemade salad dressing in a mason jar because then I can store the dressing right in the jar in my refrigerator.
Once everything is mixed together, taste the dressing and adjust the ingredients as necessary. The ratio of ingredients listed in the recipe below can be adjusted to your tastes. If your dressing tastes too sweet, you can add a little more vinegar or olive oil. If it is too acidic, add a little more honey or olive oil. You can also add more salt and pepper, to taste.
Vinaigrette Variations
You can change the flavor of this recipe by using a different type of vinegar. Try red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar.
You can use maple syrup instead of honey.
Like this Lemon Vinaigrette recipe, instead of vinegar, you can use lemon juice as your acidic ingredient.
Try this Salad Dressing with these Salads:
Avocado Kale Salad
Massaged Kale Salad
Spinach Salad with Bacon
Green Salad Recipe
5 from 6 ratings
Simple Vinaigrette Recipe
Servings: 4servings
Prep Time: 5 minutesmins
Total Time: 5 minutesmins
This Vinaigrette recipe is quick and easy to make using pantry staple ingredients. Tastes so much better than store bought! Make a batch today and drizzle it over salads all week long.
Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid or in a small bowl. Seal the jar with the lid and shake until well combined, or whisk until well combined.
Taste and adjust the ingredients as necessary. If the dressing is too sweet, add a little more vinegar or olive oil. If it is too acidic, add a little more honey or olive oil.
Dressing can be used immediately or stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
The dressing will separate as it sits and the oil may solidify in the refrigerator. Let the dressing sit at room temperature until the oil melts and then shake or stir vigorously to recombine the ingredients.
Apple cider vinegar may be substituted with white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar.
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Traditional vinaigrette recipes call for a ratio of three parts oil to one part vinegar. However, some people—like me—prefer their dressings to pack more punch and choose a 2:1 oil-to-vinegar ratio.
In addition to white wine vinegar, red wine, sherry, balsamic and cider vinegars can all be used in the same quantities as above. It's really down to personal taste and it's great to have a selection of vinegars in your cupboard to give variety to even the simplest salads.
Red wine vinegar is similar to its white wine counterpart. It's derived from a red wine base and offers a sweet, less acidic taste. This Mediterranean staple has a mellow flavor profile that is perfect for use in vinaigrettes and reductions.
This is a standard vinaigrette recipe, so we use the traditional oil to vinegar ratio: three parts oil to one part vinegar/acid, but this ratio can vary depending on your choice of vinegar/acid and personal taste. The less acidic the vinegar/acid, the less oil you need.
Mix olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard together in a very large container. Pour in vinegar slowly while mixing vigorously until well blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature. Pour over salad and enjoy!
An emulsifier is used in a vinaigrette to stabilize the oil and vinegar. Common emulsifiers include egg yolks, soy lecithin, and mustard. These ingredients all include lecithin--the stabilizing compound. In many vinaigrettes, mustard is the go-to stabilizer.
Sweetness balances out acidity, spice, and bitterness. A salad composed of bitter greens may benefit from a sweeter dressing. But sweetness can come from sources other than one-note white sugar; consider honey, pureed dates, maple syrup, jam, or molasses as sweeteners that also add flavor and mouth-feel.
CD Kitchen explains that subpar vinegars can create bitter, harsh vinaigrettes. Adding too much vinegar (or lemon juice) can also muck up the acid-to-oil ratio, creating a dressing that's simply too strong for the greens. If this happens, add a pinch of baking soda to quell the bitterness (via Wonder How-To).
A balsamic vinaigrette typically involves adding oil, sugar, and/or mustard to balsamic vinegar, along with seasonings like garlic, salt, and pepper. While it can be made in a way that makes it healthier than several other salad dressing options, it can't compare to simply using the vinegar and oil.
To make this recipe, you'll want to haul out your blender, plus four ingredients, including red-wine vinegar, honey, canned chipotles in adobo, and dried oregano (not counting basics like salt, pepper, oil and water). In Chipotle locations, they use their chipotle marinade in place of the canned chipotles.
Here's my master salad dressing that I use as a base for every salad! You just need 1 tbsp vinegar, 3 tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp mustard. Finish with salt and pepper, or choose from any number of flavourings – garlic, fresh or dried herbs, pinch of spice, touch of honey.
Salad dressings represent one of the typical oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions composed of vegetable oil, vinegar, egg yolk, and starch, which can be categorized into three groups based on the oil content: (1) mayonnaise, (2) spoonable, and (3) French-type dressings.
Dressings are mainly two things: 1 part acid to 2 parts oil (1:2 ratio). Everything else is there for enhancement. Seasoning is important of course, so salt and pepper are great. To help create an emulsion (aka a blend of two different liquids), something like mustard or mayo works well.
Lets start with a vinaigrette. These are the lightest of all dressings. On the simplest level they're merely any kind of acid (think lemon, lime, vinegar etc.)whisked together with oil salt and pepper.
Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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