Vinaigrette
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Skip the store-bought stuff—this homemade French vinaigrette is quick to make and packed with fresh, tangy flavor. Once you get in the habit of whisking it up, there’s no going back.
This classic vinaigrette recipe is my go-to for dressing just about any salad. It has a silky-smooth texture and punchy flavor, with just the right balance of acid and fat. The formula follows a simple 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar, plus a touch of honey and Dijon mustard. The honey softens the sharpness of the vinegar, the Dijon adds a little tang, and together they help stabilize the vinaigrette so it stays emulsified—meaning it won’t separate into oil and vinegar or leave you with a plate of oily, unevenly dressed greens.
It’s perfect for green salads, but it also brings fresh brightness to sliced summery tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, steamed vegetables, and even roasted potatoes. Once you try it, you might find yourself skipping store-bought salad dressings altogether. (And if you’re in the mood for something with a deeper, sweeter note, a good balsamic vinaigrette is another favorite I always keep in rotation.)
“Fantastic dressing – would not change one thing!!”
What you’ll need to make vinaigrette
- Red wine vinegar & Neutral-tasting oil: The foundation of the vinaigrette that gives just the right balance of richness and acidity. Though extra-virgin olive oil is common in vinaigrettes, I recommend a neutral oil like vegetable, canola, or grapeseed—it lets the other flavors shine without competing.
- Honey & Dijon mustard: These round out the sharpness of the vinegar and add just enough tang and sweetness. The mustard also helps emulsify the dressing so it stays silky and blended.
- Salt, black pepper & shallots: Season the dressing and add depth. The minced shallots bring a mild, savory bite that ties everything together.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Combine the base ingredients. In a medium bowl, add the honey, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper and whisk until combined.
Pro Tip: If your honey is too thick to whisk easily, microwave it for a few seconds first—it’ll blend more smoothly with the vinegar and mustard.
Step 2. Whisk in the oil. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in the oil to create an emulsion; the dressing should be slightly thickened when all the oil is added. Whisk in a figure-8 motion, and if you see pools of oil forming, pause to whisk before continuing.
Step 3. Add the shallots and taste. Mix in the shallots. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Rather than tasting it with a spoon, the best way to test is by dipping in a piece of lettuce and taking a bite.
Step 4. Store the vinaigrette. Keep the vinaigrette in a jar at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to a week. Shake well to re-emulsify before using. (If you’re approaching that one-week mark and have leftover vinaigrette, it’s great as a quick marinade for chicken or veggies.)
Pro Tip: Before dressing any salad, be sure your greens are completely dry, as wet greens will repel and water down the vinaigrette.
More Homemade Salad Dressings You May Like
Vinaigrette
You can whisk up this easy vinaigrette in minutes—it adds a bright, tangy boost to salads, veggies, and more.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 4½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 9 tablespoons (½ cup plus 1 tablespoon) vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or any other neutral-tasting oil
- 1½ tablespoons minced shallots
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in the oil to create an emulsion; the dressing should be slightly thickened and emulsified when all the oil is added. The most efficient way to whisk is in a figure-8 motion. If you see pools of oil forming on the top while you're adding the oil, stop for a moment and whisk to emulsify before continuing. Mix in the shallots. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Store the vinaigrette in a jar at room temperature for up to 4 days, or up to a week in the refrigerator. Shake to re-emulsify when ready to use.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 199
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Sodium: 89 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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We prefer a bit more tang to our vinaigrette. No honey. Add a sundried tomato and a smashed garlic clove to the jar. Just a personal preference.
Excellent vinaigrette. Make it exactly as the recipe calls for. It’s been on repeat for 3 weeks and no one is tired of it. A plunge blender whips this up in a zip and saves your arm for more gardening or swimming!
This is by far my favorite vinaigrette. It is delicious. My arm gets a workout in the process. I’m old!
Thank you for all of your awesome recipes and cookbooks. So nice to have the recipes in a book. I love to write notes in them for the future cooks in my family. ❤️
💗
Is avocado oil considered a neutral oil?
Hi Lauren, I believe avocado oil has a mild flavor. For a neutral oil, I’d suggest grapeseed, canola, or safflower. Hope that helps!
Loved this vinaigrette dressing. I don’t normally put honey or sugar in my salad dressings but this was just perfect. I used a Swiss white wine vinegar and avocado oil and it was amazing. Thanks!
Love your site
Love your recipes
And I am a veteran cook with decades under my belt…
Question: Unlike poster above..I do not like sweet salad dressings…
Love sweets just not on my salad…
Will the balance be way off if I omit honey…
Or do you have a sugar/honey free vinaigrette on site?
Many Thanks…
Judith
Hi Judith, Thanks for your note and nice words about the recipes – so glad you like them! If you omit the honey I’d cut back on the vinegar and limit it to 3 tablespoons. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Delicious! I made this today and loved it on my salad tonight. I was out of red wine vinegar, used white wine vinegar instead. Loved the tartness. This will be my “go to” dressing now. 5 stars plus!
Absolutely delicious! We also preferred it with more honey but it was excellent with the BLT salad and will become a standard in our home.
Is Avocado oil considered neutral-tasting? I’m trying not to use anything with traces of highly processed corn, canola, soybean, sunflower, safflower, or any other gmo oils in my diet.
Hi Benjamin, I think avocado does have a bit of a flavor, but it’s pretty mild. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the dressing if you make it!
We really liked this dressing. I tend to like sweet dressing so may add another 1/2T honey. Since Covid, we have found ourselves needing more “heat”. So will add some Cayenne too. Great base for us