How to Make Vinaigrette (Plus 3 Essential Variations!)
Here's my go-to vinaigrette recipe! So easy and tastes way better than store-bought dressing. This versatile recipe will take your salad to the next level.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2024
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We’re going back to basics today with one of my most essential everyday recipes, vinaigrette! You know how much I love salads, and I’m surprised I didn’t think to share my basic vinaigrette recipe with you until now.
Vinegar and olive oil-based vinaigrette is a light, zippy, heart-healthy salad dressing. It’s great on greens, vegetables and fruits. You can change up the flavor by using different vinegars. Vinaigrette is easy to adjust to taste, and I’ve included notes how to do so in the recipe.
Once you start making homemade vinaigrette, you won’t go back. Whisk together some basic ingredients, and you’ll end up with dressing that tastes infinitely better than store-bought dressings. No preservatives here!
Homemade vinaigrette keeps for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, so it’s worth the 5 minutes it takes to mix it up. Then you can keep it on hand for all of your salad needs. Let’s get to it!
Basic Vinaigrette Ratio & Ingredients
The traditional French vinaigrette formula calls for 1 tablespoon vinegar for every 3 tablespoons olive oil. Modern vinaigrettes often call for a bit more vinegar than that, but it’s always up to you. Kale salads can tolerate more zingy dressings, while you’ll want to use less vinegar for mild greens like spring greens.
Here’s what you’ll need to make vinaigrette:
- Olive oil for your base
- Vinegar of choice
- Dijon mustard for some flavor complexity and creaminess
- Maple syrup or honey for a little sweetness that balances the vinegar
- Garlic for oomph
- Salt and pepper
Vinaigrette Varieties
While you can use any tasty vinegar you’d like to make vinaigrette, here’s how I choose between my three go-to vinegars.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Balsamic vinegar makes a bold, slightly sweet dressing that is wonderful on green salads with fruit, such as apples, strawberries or peaches. Examples include my strawberry arugula salad and favorite green salad with apples.
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Red wine vinegar packs a punch and works well with other bold flavors and bright veggies, like tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, feta and more (think Greek salads or Italian salads).
White Wine Vinaigrette
White wine vinegar a more mellow vinegar and it’s especially nice with more delicate flavors like spring greens, cucumber, zucchini and sweet corn. It’s lovely on just about every green salad out there. I’ve used it recently in my orange orzo salad and corn salsa.
Additional Options
Champagne vinegar is even more mild than white wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is sweet-tangy and tastes lightly of apples. Sherry vinegar is similar to red wine vinegar but slightly less intense.
Watch How to Make Vinaigrette
Please let me know how you like this vinaigrette in the comments! I love hearing from you and I’m dying to hear about the salads you make with it (#saladobsessed).
If you’re looking for more salad dressings that keep well, don’t miss my sunshine salad dressing (yogurt-based honey-mustard dressing), green goddess dressing, carrot ginger dressing or jalapeño-cilantro dressing (made a little creamy with some tahini).
You’ll also find four delicious salad dressings in my book, Love Real Food. Many more salads here!
Basic Vinaigrette (Plus Variations!)
Here’s my go-to vinaigrette recipe! It’s so easy to make and tastes way better than store-bought dressings. You can change up the flavors by choosing the vinegar that suits your salad best. Recipe yields ¾ cup dressing, enough for about 6 medium salads (assuming 2 tablespoons per salad).
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons vinegar of choice (balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Stir well with a small whisk or a fork until the ingredients are completely mixed together.
- Taste, and adjust as necessary. If the mixture is too acidic, thin it out with a bit more olive oil or balance the flavors with a little more maple syrup or honey. If the mixture is a little blah, add another pinch or two of salt. If it doesn’t have enough zing, add vinegar by the teaspoon.
- Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for future use. Homemade vinaigrette keeps well for 7 to 10 days. If your vinaigrette solidifies somewhat in the fridge, don’t worry about it—real olive oil tends to do that. Simply let it rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes or microwave very briefly (about 20 seconds) to liquify the olive oil again. Whisk to blend and serve.
Notes
Balsamic vinegar: Makes a bold, slightly sweet dressing that is wonderful on green salads with fruit, such as apples, strawberries or peaches.
Red wine vinegar: Packs a punch and works well with other bold flavors and bright veggies, like tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, cabbage and more (think Greek salads).
White wine vinegar: This is a more mellow vinegar and it’s especially nice with more delicate flavors like cucumber and sweet corn. It’s lovely on just about every green salad out there.
Greek/Italian variation: Use red wine vinegar. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons dried oregano and, optionally, a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I love your recipes so much! I’ve been making them for years. What herbs would you add to make an herb vinaigrette? Thank you!
We made this for someone who needs to reduce salt intake, so the salt was left out–still delicious.
Two words: (1) delicious; (2) easy! I made this last night using white wine vinegar and it was so good! My husband who likes everything from a bottle or can loved it too! I will be printing this out and making it again. Thanks! (Thank you also for explaining all the different vinegars.)
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Linda!
Perfect vinagrette! I cut down the oil a bit. So delicious… my new go to salad dressing!
Works really great with any left over pickling juice. Pickling okra now and after okra is finished just a matter of how much olive oil to suit you. So good and healthy.
I made this and served it over a green salad last night, and it was delicious! Super easy instructions for a classic vinaigrette. Thank you!
This is an excellent recipe! I’ve shared it countless times! My favorite version is the red wine. I’m trying white today.
I love your recipes. They are my go-to! I’ve made the sunshine dressing, delicious on my spinach/orange/egg salad. I’ve also made the vinegrette. Mixed greens with tomato and cucumber. I use the champagne vinegar. Thank you! I appreciate the explanations of the vinegars.
You’re welcome, Jeanne!
Used White Basalmic & it took ot to another whole level…with a little extra garlic
This is SO good and easy! Store bought dressings have such terrible ingredients. I’ll be making this again and trying your variations. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Cherie!
In case anyone was wondering:
Olive oil: 955 calories
Vinegar: 9 calories
Dijon mustard: 15 calories
Maple syrup: 52 calories
Garlic: 8 calories
That’s about 80 calories per tablespoon.
Next time, I will use less honey, or try the maple syrup. To me this was a little too sweet.
So Tasty!
Happy to hear you loved these variations!
Just wondering if this would work with just yellow mustard as I don’t have Dijon mustard?
It can, but the taste will differ.
I needed to find a dressing recipe that my sister, who is on the Migraine Diet, could eat. By using white vinegar, this one worked. It was so delicious that I am making it this way for myself now!
I’ve been looking for a solid vinaigrette recipe for years. Made this for quinoa bowls last night and was so pleased! I used white wine vinegar and white wine dijon. This will be a staple in my house from here on out!
Great to hear, Amy!
I am not the best cook but am always looking for something easy to make that is tasty. I just made this today and it is delicious! My new go-to for salads. Thank you!!
You’re welcome, Pam!
Made this for my boyfriend, he wanted a healthy, homemade vinaigrette. He loved it, followed the directions as is, used maple syrup, as our honey had crystallized.
This is wonderful! The basic Vinaigrette with variations is a terrific tasting starting point. Making Mason Jar salads for the work week and made this up, adding Italian seasoning, using ACV, Agave syrup, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic, and yellow mustard (yes, I know), and this turned out so yummy!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Lily!
I used white (not white WINE) vinegar, skipped the dijon mustard, and made enough for one salad (for test reasons).
It was good. Luckily we finished it all on that bowl or else I might have drunk it like a milkshake or smth (Crazy 12 year old thing, adults won’t get it lol)
These re great tips and I ideas to refine and boost cooking which is always needed in my kitchen-I use to work as a kitchen porter which is where I get a lot of my cooking experience from not just my mum preparing food like peeling potatoes and making vinaigrettes and these tips really help to improve upon my cooking expereince thank you and god bless you cookie and Kate.
If you want a more biting dressing cayou use just plain white vinegar?
Sure, you can try it. I recommend these best as written.
I want to make this a little shaper can i use white vinegar
Made the Red Wine Vinegar dressing for my fire roasted bell pepper salad. Excellent balance of flavors and easy to make minor adjustments too. Mixed easily with my small Handheld Electric Milk Frother.
That was great! Saving this for future combos. I tried it with white wine vinegar and agave.
Hello. I tried the vinaigrettes recipe and it turned out really really nice. I bought my ingredients the ones that I didn’t have already, the olive oil and the vinegar and the Dijon mustard from Whole Foods and I used honey and I added garlic to mine. It turned out really really well on my salad… good job guys.
Great recipe, I enjoyed it and used it again with a few additions in spices. I tried all 3 versions of vinegars but do prefer the mellow white wine
Really good salad dressing. Everyone loved it! We are adopting it thanks
I just added a half teaspoon of dried thyme and it is great! Sometimes I add a touch of lemon juice. Thank you
Made this using balsamic vinegar although didn’t put quite as much mustard in as the recipe states and it was really lovely! I shall try using white wine vinegar next time to see the difference.
Thanks for the recipe!