Home-made vinaigrettes are so much better than even the best store bought ones that it seems silly not to make them yourself. Especially when they’re this easy.
All of the following vinaigrettes have about the same proportions: 1 part vinegar to 3-4 parts oil. I usually go with 1/4 cup vinegar to 3/4 cup oil. They all get salt, pepper, and maybe a pinch of sugar or honey if you like them with a little less bite. Just whisk together in a bowl and you’re done.
I like extra virgin olive oil, but in some recipes you don’t want a strong olive taste. You can blend olive and canola to taste, depending on how strong flavored your olive oil is.
Any of the first three vinaigrettes (Dijon, balsamic, walnut) are good on just about anything. Good for mesclun kitchen sink salads with fruits and nuts etc.
Dijon Vinaigrette
¼ c. red wine vinegar
¼ c. olive oil
½ c. canola oil
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp finely chopped shallots
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of sugar or honey
Salad Recipes: Nicoise Salad
Balsamic Vinaigrette
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
¾ c. olive oil
fresh garlic or garlic powder
pinch of basil and oregano
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of sugar
Walnut Sherry Vinaigrette
¼ c. sherry vinegar
¾ c. walnut oil/canola oil mix
shallots
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of sugar or honey
Salad Recipes: Summer Veggie Salad
Tarragon Vinaigrette
¼ c. red wine or cider vinegar
¾ c. olive oil
1 tsp. fresh chopped garlic
½ tsp. oregano
¼ tsp. tarragon
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of sugar
Lemon Peanut Vinaigrette
¼ c. lemon juice (can do half good quality white wine vinegar)
¾ c. canola oil with 1 tbsp peanut butter whisked in
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of sugar or honey
Salad Recipes: Lemon Peanut Spinach Salad
Greek Vinaigrette
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
¾ c. olive oil
½ tsp. oregano (fresh is great if you have some)
fresh minced garlic (or garlic powder if you don’t like strong garlic flavor)
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of sugar
Salad Recipes: Greek Salad
Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
¼ c. balsamic vinegar
¾ c. olive oil
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. oregano
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
crumbled blue cheese
Combine all the ingredients except the crumbled blue cheese, which you can add when you prepare your salad. I like this on old-fashioned iceberg lettuce with slivered red onions.
Lemon Chive Vinaigrette
¼ c. fresh lemon juice (substitute a little white wine vinegar if you need more vinegar taste)
½ tsp. lemon zest (optional)
¾ c. canola/olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives.
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
pinch of sugar or honey
Pesto Vinaigrette
¼ c. balsamic
¾ c. olive oil/canola
1. Tbsp. pesto sauce
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
Salad Recipes: Pesto Apple Salad
Asian Vinaigrette
¼ c. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
¾ c. peanut oil or sesame oil (I usually use canola oil with a tsp of peanut butter or tahini mixed in)
1 or 2 scallions, sliced thin
1 tsp. honey
sesame seeds, toasted and crushed (optional)
1 Tbsp. white miso (optional)
Carrot Ginger (Japanese Steak House) Vinaigrette
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. finely grated ginger
2 medium carrots peeled and roughly chopped
½ medium yellow onion roughly chopped
Puree in blender.
Personal Prep Chef 