Simple Vinaigrette Recipe - Kristine's Kitchen (2025)

FAQs

What is the formula for vinaigrette dressing? ›

As a matter of fact, I frequently just drizzle a little olive oil on my salad, followed by some vinegar and salt, and then toss the greens. It's delicious. The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.

For a traditional vinaigrette, you'll need to mix about 3 tablespoons of oil to 1 tablespoon of vinegar. You'll also want to add some salt and pepper to taste. Of course, for all four ingredients, the better the quality you use, the better your vinaigrette will taste.

The rule of thumb for a vinaigrette is 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil. French culinary school taught me this general rule which creates a slightly acidic dressing that works well on salads. This means if you start with 1/3 cup of vinegar, you would use 1 cup of oil.

In addition to white wine vinegar, red wine, sherry, balsamic and cider vinegars can all be used in the same quantities as above. It's really down to personal taste and it's great to have a selection of vinegars in your cupboard to give variety to even the simplest salads.

The traditional French vinaigrette formula calls for 1 tablespoon vinegar for every 3 tablespoons olive oil. Modern vinaigrettes often call for a bit more vinegar than that, but it's always up to you.

The most common emulsifiers in your kitchen are likely egg yolks, mayonnaise, prepared mustard (preferably Dijon), honey, and tomato paste (though I'm not a fan of raw tomato paste, the flavor works quite well in a vinaigrette). For a more neutral flavor, use mayonnaise.

Oils rich in monounsaturated fat, phytochemicals, and alpha linolenic acid are best for salad dressings. These include extra virgin olive, canola, peanut, flaxseed, walnut, hemp, avocado, and almond oils. I would also add grapeseed oil to my recommended list because it's such a good source of vitamin E.

Homemade vinaigrettes that include fresh or cooked vegetables (like garlic), herbs and fresh citrus juices will last around three days, according to Ziata. Preservative-free vinaigrettes you'll typically find in the refrigerated section of the grocery store will last a little longer, three to five days.

If you pour it directly on the salad leaves, then oil and a little mixing first. So that the vinegar can “stick on” the leaves next. However the opposite for pasta salad. For vinegar flavored pasta salad, you want to put vinegar dressing first on hot drained pasta.

What is the right mix of oil and vinegar? ›

Oil and Vinegar are essential in creating an optimal emulsion – where the two ingredients bind together so well that you can't separate them even when shaken vigorously. An optimal emulsion happens when you combine these ingredients in equal parts with a ratio of three parts oil to one part vinegar (3:1).

CD Kitchen explains that subpar vinegars can create bitter, harsh vinaigrettes. Adding too much vinegar (or lemon juice) can also muck up the acid-to-oil ratio, creating a dressing that's simply too strong for the greens. If this happens, add a pinch of baking soda to quell the bitterness (via Wonder How-To).

What's the Best Olive Oil for Salad Dressings? Extra virgin olive oil is the best choice for dressings as it introduces a strong peppery flavor to the mix. Even the simplest of salad dressings can be elevated by a high quality olive oil.

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oil and vinegar dressing; a basic vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to one part vinegar, 3 to 1. mixed ingredients that permanently mix.

For a vinaigrette use a basic ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar by volume. Remember that this is a general ratio, which can be adjusted based on the type of oil and vinegar you use. The ratio works in combination with white or red wine vinegar and canola oil.