Vinaigrette - Easy Salad Dressing

Vinaigrette is a salad dressing that can be made with lots of variations. The main ingredients in making vinaigrette are oil and vinegar, and you can add as many ingredients to them as you like, such as herbs, mustard, garlic, or honey.

Once you start making a homemade vinaigrette, you won’t go back to store-bought ones because it is much better, fresher, cheaper, healthier, and easy to make.

This recipe I am sharing today is my Easy Vinaigrette recipe. It is a perfectly balanced dressing that makes almost any salad more delicious, and it can be made in less than five minutes.

What is Vinaigrette?

Vinaigrette is a particular type of salad dressing that is oil and vinegar based. There are so many recipes for making vinaigrette with lots of different flavours. 

Vinaigrette ingredients:

Vinegar: I used apple cider vinegar, but you can use any kind of vinegar you like.
Olive oil: It is the base of the vinaigrette, so try to use the best quality olive oil. I use extra version olive oil. 
Dijon mustard: It gives a nice flavour to this Vinaigrette recipe and helps it to stabilize.
Maple syrup: To give some sweetness which helps balance the vinegar’s acidity. You can use honey if you want.
Garlic
Salt and pepper

How to make Easy Vinaigrette?

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl or jar, stir well using a whisk and pour over the salad then serve.

Or you can put all the ingredients in a jar and screw on the lid then shake the jar firmly for a few seconds until everything combines together. 

Top Tips:

• You can replace the vinegar with lemon juice, that will work fine in this recipe.
• Add some fresh herbs (finely chopped) such as thyme, oregano, or parsley to give this salad dressing a nice flavour. 
• You can also add dried herbs with a pinch of chilli powder if you like.
• Before you pour the vinaigrette on the salad, make sure to taste it and adjust the salt.
• Vinaigrette may solidify in the fridge, the best thing to do about that is to leave it in room temperature for 5-10 minutes to liquify the oil again. 

Recipe FAQs

What is the perfect ratio of oil to vinegar in making vinaigrette?

The best ratio for me is 3-to-1; three parts oil to one part vinegar. However, you can change it according to your personal preference. 

What is the best vinegar to use in making this recipe?

I prefer to use apple cider vinegar in making this salad dressing recipe, but you can use balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or malt vinegar. All will give a good result.

What is the best oil to use in making this recipe?

You can use any oil you prefer, such as corn oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, or olive oil. You can also use a wholesomer oil such as peanut oil, avocado oil, or walnut oil.

Is this oil and vinegar dressing healthy?

Actually, compared with using mayonnaise in making salad dressing, I found this oil and vinegar dressing is a healthier option, especially with using a healthy oil such as avocado or extra version olive oil.

How to store the leftover?

Store leftover in a container in the fridge for 5-6 days. Don't forget to shake well before using.

Different Vinaigrette Variations

Below are some excellent ideas for making vinaigrette varieties.

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

Is a wonderful blend of tangy, sweet, and savoury. It can go well with almost any salad. Leftovers can be stored for up to four days in the fridge, and it only needs four ingredients.

The ratio of vinegar to oil in making Balsamic Vinaigrette could be:

1:1 ratio of vinegar to oil: If you like it to be a bit tangy.
1:2 ratio of vinegar to oil: Mild
1:3 ratio of vinegar to oil: Very mild

Raspberry Vinaigrette:

Using Raspberry vinegar will make the vinaigrette taste amazing. You can also make it from scratch using fresh raspberries. This Raspberry Vinaigrette is really nice; it is super tasty, creamy, and sweet. Also, it doesn't need any oil because it has fresh raspberry in it. 

Use the blender to blend the following ingredients:
1 cup fresh raspberries
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup basil fresh
2 tablespoons maple syrup 
¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
¼ cup water

Lemon Vinaigrette:

This salad dressing is loaded with lemon flavours. It is perfect for adding to any salads or roasted vegetables. To make Lemon Vinaigrette just replace the vinegar with lemon juice and add some herbs such as dried thyme.

Lemon and Mint Vinaigrette:

It has a lovely tangy and minty flavour, and it is so creamy. To make it just mix the following ingredients:

¼ cup lemon juice, the zest of a lemon
½ cup greek yoghurt
1 tbsp chopped mint
¼ tsp of white pepper
½ cup good quality olive oil.

Chilli Orange Vinaigrette:

To make this salad dressing mix the following ingredients:

½ cup of good quality olive oil
1 garlic clove (crushed)
The juice of 1 orange
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp English mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup 
½ tsp cumin powder

Lime and Ginger Vinaigrette:

This salad dressing is amazing, especially with a green salad, to make it mix the following ingredients:

3 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
½ cup of good quality olive oil
2 tbsp sweet chili sauce 
⅛ tsp salt

Mint and Yoghurt Vinaigrette:

This one is better to make and serve fresh. 
To make it, mix: 

½ cup plain yoghurt
1 tsp dried mint
3 tbsp of lemon juice
¼ tsp of salt
And a pinch of ground black pepper

Tools used in making this recipe:

Small bowl: Use to combine all the ingredients.
Whisk: Used in whisking all the ingredients well.
Jar: To store the vinaigrette in.

Salads that go well with this vinaigrette

• Mediterranean couscous salad
• Grilled chicken salad
• Mediterranean eggplant salad
• Tuna avocado salad

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