White wine vinaigrette is the most versatile dressing there is. It matches almost any salad. If I were stuck on a desert island, I’d want to have either this dressing or red wine vinaigrette. It’s kind of a toss-up. You could pour your homemade vinaigrette on palm leaves and coconuts, and you’d have a great salad. Maybe add a freshly skewered fish or something. How long it takes: 5 minutes Equipment you’ll need: small jar or bowl with whisk Servings: makes about 1 cup of dressing All kidding aside, you’ll find that white wine vinaigrette adapts itself to a variety of salads. Making a fresh green salad with leaf lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes? Perfect with this vinaigrette! How about a warm grain salad with farro, roasted sweet potatoes, and kale? Yup, that will be delicious, too. Or maybe a salad with fruit, like apples, pears, or strawberries? Again, white wine vinaigrette will taste great. This white wine vinaigrette recipe provides just the right amount of tanginess, sweetness, and flavor without overpowering any of the flavors of your salad. It recedes into the background but provides the essential bass notes. You’ll find yourself turning to it time and again, because it’s just that perfect!
About this Vinaigrette Recipe
It’s so easy to make! I think I could make this white wine vinaigrette recipe in my sleep, I’ve made it so often. In fact, I hardly ever measure any of the ingredients. I just kind of eyeball it as I’m adding this and that, shake it up, and pour it on my salad. But don’t worry, I do provide measurements for you in this recipe. Shallots or no shallots… I’ve dressed this recipe up just a little bit by adding chopped shallots. Soak the shallots in the vinegar for about fifteen minutes to soften them a bit. Do I always make it with shallots? No, to be honest, often I skip them when I’m in a hurry. They do add a nice layer of flavor, though, so please don’t follow my example. Use a recycled jar if you have one. You can use a small whisk to mix this dressing, or put all the ingredients in a small jar and shake it up. I like to use a jar because I can store leftover dressing right in the jar. Save a nice jar before it finds its way into your recycling bin.
Ingredients You’ll Need
White Wine Vinegar: It’s important to use white wine vinegar, not regular white vinegar or just white wine. It’s widely available and you’ll find many uses for it. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Other types of oil can be used but extra virgin olive oil has such great flavor and health benefits. Dijon Mustard: Choose a smooth dijon for the dressing. Do not use regular yellow mustard! The Dijon mustard adds flavor and also helps emulsify the dressing, preventing it from separating. Honey, Agave, Maple Syrup OR Sugar (choose one): Just a bit of sweetness tempers the tangy vinegar. Add it to taste. Kosher Salt and Black Pepper: Simple seasonings that you don’t want to leave out.
How to make this salad dressing your own
This is such a basic recipe. You can change it up as much as you like. Make it tangier (more vinegar), sweeter (more sweetener OR less vinegar), saltier or no salt, more pepper or no pepper, etc. Find the balance that’s perfect for you.
Omit the shallots. As I mentioned above, you can leave the shallots out if you prefer. Don’t have extra virgin olive oil? The olive oil adds such great flavor but if you’re all out, you could use a mild tasting vegetable oil or grapeseed oil instead. Mustard: Instead of Dijon mustard, you could substitute a whole grain mustard or even horseradish mustard for a spicier vinaigrette. Do not use yellow mustard. Add herbs. Try adding some fresh herbs or a pinch of dried herbs. I like to add the fresh herbs right to the salad, but you could also add them in the dressing.
Storage Tips
Have leftover vinaigrette? Store it in a covered container in the fridge for a few days. If you omit the shallots, it will last even longer. The vinaigrette may solidify slightly when it’s cold. Just take it out of the fridge for 15 minutes or so to let it warm up and then give it a good shake.
More salad dressing recipes
Homemade salad dressings are the best! And don’t forget to try my homemade croutons recipe. You’ll never buy a bag of store bought croutons again. Here are a few of my favorite salad dressings:
Honey mustard vinaigrette Apricot vinaigrette dressing Lemon basil vinaigrette Catalina dressing (similar to French dressing) Parmesan peppercorn dressing Poppy seed dressing Avocado lime dressing Ranch dressing (reduced fat, but not reduced flavor) Raspberry vinaigrette (with fresh raspberries)
