French Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Having a homemade salad dressing recipe you love is not just practical; it's essential. French vinaigrette is your go-to for so much more than just salads. It's really a multi-purpose sauce. This delicious vinaigrette can also accompany your steamed vegetables; coleslaws and carrot slaws; potato, bean, and lentil salads; and much more.

When you master making vinaigrette, it takes just about three minutes, so it’s convenient to make it anytime for a single serving or multiple servings, and you can store it in a jar and use throughout the week.

It is hard to get bored with a basic vinaigrette, but when you want to change it up a bit, add one new ingredient, such as shallots or herbs like tarragon or chives, to create a fresh, new taste. You can also experiment with different types of vinegar, such as champagne or white balsamic, to create new flavor combinations to please everyone. Even children who generally don’t care for salad devour this dressing if the vinegar is not too overpowering. The light garlic flavor mixed with the other ingredients creates a surprisingly appealing taste. 

This recipe is a simple version of vinaigrette dressing I adopted from my mother-in-law in France. Despite making it almost every day, I don’t even have an exact recipe, but here is a guideline: about 3 parts extra virgin olive oil, 1 part sherry vinegar, a dollop of Dijon mustard, and a clove or two of fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. That’s it. You don’t need to follow an exact formula. After you make it a few times, you will have it mastered to your liking and you'll know how much you need for each serving.