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Vinaigrette (Oil and Vinegar Dressing)

vinaigretteNo more excuses for store-bought salad dressing: This jar vinaigrette, made only from staple ingredients, takes almost no time to assemble and will keep for up to a month. This recipe is a classic vinaigrette (oil and vinegar).

1½ cups extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar (or any combination)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. pure honey
sea salt

Combine oil, vinegars, mustard, and honey in a large resealable jar or airtight container; cover and shake vigorously until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Season with salt.

Makes about 2¼ cups.

Tips and Variations:

  • Always stir any seasonings into the vinegar before combining with the oil. Salt, for example will not blend into your vinaigrette recipes after you have mixed them.
  • The classic proportions of vinegar to oil is about one part vinegar to three parts oil. I happen to like vinegar though, so I use 2:1 instead
  • For the vinegar: use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar (a current favourite of mine), apple cider vinegar, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar or tarragon vinegar. You could also substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice, or another citrus juice for the vinegar (not sure you can call it a vinaigrette though!)
  • For the oil: use safflower oil, canola oil, olive oil, walnut oil (use this and other nut oils in small quantities, perhaps about a fourth of all the oil in the recipe, otherwise they can be too strong).
  • Add your choice of seasonings: chopped garlic, chopped shallots, chopped fresh herbs (basil, tarragon, chives are all popular ingredients), various spices (try cumin or a dash of cayenne).
  • Think about the ingredients of your salad. This is supposed to be fun, like creating your own work of art. How can you best complement your salad ingredients with a vinaigrette? Keep it simple and you won't fail.