Vinaigrette dressing is the perfect recipe for riffing. It’s really just a formula: 1 part vinegar to 2 or 3 parts oil depending on how zingy you like it. Switching up the vinegar brings the flavor in new directions, and you can go further with other add-ins like herbs, citrus, or cream.
Think beyond salad and other raw vegetable dishes like crudite platters. Toss vegetables (broccoli, potatoes, asparagus…) in vinaigrette before grilling or roasting. Or after cooking, drizzle vinaigrette over steamed green beans, carrots, sauteed zucchini.
Or meats. What would an antipasto platter be without vinaigrette? Marinate shrimp, chicken, fish or steak in vinaigrette before grilling. Or do the reverse: take the meat off the grill and dunk it, hot, into a shallow dish filled with vinaigrette and let the flavors soak in.
This basic vinaigrette has a subtle honey-mustard flavor profile – I think every dressing needs a touch of sweetness to mellow out the acidity, and mustard is a great all-purpose emulsifier. Start with the basic recipe and then try one of these variations, or make up your own:
- Bacon (warm): Substitute 1 teaspoon of sugar for the honey and add it to the vinegar when adding the salt so the sugar will dissolve in the vinegar. Omit the shallot. Substitute warm bacon fat for the oil, starting with about ¼ cup and then adding more bacon fat or a little bit of olive oil, to taste. Serve the dressing warm.
- Balsamic: Use aged balsamic for the vinegar. Substitute 1 teaspoon of sugar for the honey and add it to the vinegar when adding the salt. Omit the shallot for a smooth, thick, glossy dressing.
- Champagne: Substitute Champagne vinegar for the red wine vinegar.
- Cider: Use apple cider vinegar. Instead of the honey, boil ½ cup of apple cider in a small saucepan over high heat until it’s reduced to 2 tablespoons.
- Citrus: Add ½ teaspoon of orange or lime zest, 1 tablespoon of orange or lime juice, and a dash of crushed red pepper. (Good drizzled over fish.)
- Creamy: Omit the shallot, and use a few drops of water to emulsify the dressing in place of the mustard. After adding the oil, whisk in a splash of heavy cream or a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, to taste. Add herbs if desired.
- Fig: Use fig vinegar (or fig balsamic), and omit the honey and shallot.
- Garlic: Substitute garlic paste for the shallot (finely mince a small garlic clove with the salt, then mash with the side of your knife until a smooth paste forms). Use half lemon juice and half red wine vinegar for the acid.
- Greek: Same as the garlic variation above, but stir in 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh oregano leaves to finish.
- Herb: Add 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh leafy herbs such as basil, parsley, chive or dill.
- Lemon: Substitute lemon juice for 2 tablespoons of the vinegar and mince one small clove of garlic with the salt into a paste as a substitute for the shallot. Add ½ teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest.
- Maple Dijon: Use cider vinegar, substitute 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for the honey, and increase the Dijon to 1 tablespoon. (This one is great on spinach salad.)
- Pomegranate Molasses: Use white wine vinegar, add 2 tablespoons of pomegranate molasses, omit the honey and shallot, and increase the Dijon to 2 teaspoons.
- Raspberry: Use raspberry vinegar, preferably one that contains real fruit pulp. Omit the shallot and Dijon mustard, and increase the honey to 1 tablespoon.
- Walnut: Use sherry vinegar and replace ½ of the oil with walnut oil.
Making this ahead:
- Vinaigrette will keep in the fridge for a week or so, less if you’ve added fresh herbs.
Basic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ tablespoon minced shallot
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1/8 teaspoon Morton's)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/3 to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions
- Step 1 Measure out the vinegar into a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and add the shallots and salt. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to soften the flavor of the shallots and dissolve the salt.
- Step 2 Whisk in the pepper, honey and Dijon mustard until the honey is dissolved.
- Step 3 Whisk in 1/3 cup of the oil until the dressing is thick and emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the remaining olive oil if you prefer a less-acidic dressing.
