How To Make French Vinaigrette

As simple as it is, a good French vinaigrette can truly make a dish. With just a few ingredients, it brightens up a dull bowl of mixed greens and turns an unassuming plate of raw vegetables into a crowd-pleasing starter. Whether you enjoy it as a dip or a dressing, mastering the art of a good French Vinaigrette is an essential everyday skill to have on hand.

A French Vinaigrette is an essential component of so many recipes from the French repertoire, especially salad-meals and veggie-focused starters. “Poireaux Vinaigrette”, “Carottes Rapées” (shredded carrots), “Artichaut Vinaigrette” or a French-style potato salad are all great examples of its usage. All these French bistro staples are quick and simple to make. They are diverse in tastes and textures, but all bound by a common component: a great French Vinaigrette. 

Making your own French vinaigrette at home hits all the right notes. It take about 5 minutes to make, is more affordable than store-bought options and has no additives. Once you start making homemade French vinaigrette, you won’t go back. 

So, here is a run-down on French Vinaigrette: the ingredients, the equipment, tips, and how to store it. I am also sharing some vinaigrette variations to try, once you master the basic French recipe first.

French Vinaigrette Basics & Ratio

“Vinaigrette” is a diminutive form of the word “vinaigre” in French, which translates to vinegar. This classic French salad dressing traditionally calls for 1 part vinegar to 3 parts olive oil. This combination of fat (oil) with acid (vinegar) is then whisked with Dijon Mustard to emulsify the liquids and create a denser, frothier mixture.

Additional components such as shallots and fresh herbs are most commonly added to bring more interest to a vinaigrette.

That said, if you’ve followed this blog for a while, you’ve likely encountered many vinaigrette recipes already. These recipes didn’t always follow the 1 part vinegar to 3 parts olive oil “rule”, and sometimes included other herbs or add-ons. I, for instance, like extra shallots when making Poireaux Vinaigrette or to use parsley when making Carottes Rapées.

This shows how a vinaigrette recipe isn’t really set in stone and can be altered as you wish. As a matter of fact, most French often make a vinaigrette not following a precise recipe and only using their eyes to measure out ingredients. For the sake of this recipe article, I of course have written down precise measurements, but keep this in mind for when you master this recipe and wish to start playing around with it.

Equipment to make a French Vinaigrette

The equipment you’ll need for a French vinaigrette is simple:

• a sharp chopping knife
• a bowl
• a fork
• And some elbow grease.

I have came across a few too many recipes calling for a hand blender to emulsify the vinaigrette.  In my opinion, this isn’t necessary. When emulsifying the vinaigrette – meaning, when pouring the olive oil in a steady stream while whisking – you want to whisk with a fork, by hand, to get a good grasp of the texture of your vinaigrette and watch it thicken as you whisk.

Tips for a great French Vinaigrette

With that in mind, here are a few tips to better understand and master your French vinaigrette:

1. Dissolving salt in vinegar, before adding the oil

Whipping up a vinaigrette is quick and simple, but the order of your ingredients actually matters. To avoid a gritty texture, it is important to dissolve your salt in vinegar first, by whisking it with a fork. If you add salt after the oil, it won’t dissolve and will remain as unpleasant speckles in the vinaigrette. Once the salt dissolves in the vinegar, you can then add your shallots and then oil.

2. Choose a good Dijon Mustard

Choosing a good-quality Dijon Mustard will go a long way here. In France, Maille and Amora are the two most easily available brands you will find. In the US/Canada, thankfully Maille has become more and more widely available and is my go-to (although slightly pricier than in France).

You can also source for other good French brands online, such as Edmond Fallot or Grey Poupon. In general, I recommend buying a Dijon Mustard that is made in France. It will likely be pricier, but definitely tastier and with a real zip.

3. Taking the time to emulsify

Emulsifying, technically speaking, is the process of forcing two liquid components (oil and vinegar) to bind together, when they normally wouldn’t mix. This is done by adding an emulsifier into the scenario (the mustard) which will act as a bond between the oil and vinegar. Emulsifying a vinaigrette is then done by slowly pouring the oil into your vinegar and mustard mixture and whisking continuously until it is fully combined and starts to thicken.

This step makes the vinaigrette smooth and lightly creamy. The vinaigrette is then able to coat vegetables and/or salad evenly.

4. Let it sit

After being whipped up together, a French Vinaigrette tends to get better as it sits. This allows the flavors to develop and meld together, but it also mellows out the sharp edge of the shallot. I usually like to prepare my vinaigrette about 1 hour before serving it, and let it sit on the counter at room temperature. I then quickly stir it again right before serving, to re-emulsify it (the oil tends to separate as you let it sit).

6. Vinaigrette variations (non-French)

With the above tips in mind, you should now be well equipped to make a true classic French vinaigrette at home.

Once you master this easy basic recipe, feel free to get creative if you want! Sure, you will be straying away from a classic French Vinaigrette recipe, but why not? The greatness of vinaigrette is that you can revisit it over and over by putting your own twists on it, to better suit your taste or your dish.

You can substitute one or two ingredients (keeping the same measurements), or even add a few. Here are some suggestions: 

• Substitute the extra virgin olive oil for a light, neutral-flavored oil like canola, avocado or grapeseed oil – or choose walnut oil for nutty notes.
• Substitute the red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar for a dark balsamic vinegar. This will create a sweeter, thicker, more “syrupy” vinaigrette. You can also use a white balsamic for a milder, slightly less-sweet version, or sherry vinegar for a more intense taste.
• Substitute shallots for finely sliced scallions to add a fresh, grassy flavor. I don’t recommend raw onions as a substitute as they will be too harsh in taste.
• Substitute the black pepper with more surprising, exotic flavors like cinnamon or smoked paprika.
• Substitute Dijon Mustard for grainy Mustard to create a more interesting texture thanks to the whole seeds. Miso paste and Tahini also makes surprising yet remarkable substitutes. I don’t recommend Honey Dijon mustard here as it is too sweet in flavor.
• Chive is just one of the few herbs you can use in a Vinaigrette. Fresh parsley, dill, tarragon, mint or basil all make great substitutes.
• Salty fixings such as small capers, finely chopped anchovies or finely diced olives all make great add-ons in a vinaigrette. Add no more than 1 tablespoon worth to not overpower the taste.
• Other delicious add-ons (although straying from tradition) include chopped walnuts, chopped hard-boiled eggs, grated or crumbled cheese.

Be creative, the possibilities are endless.

How to keep a French Vinaigrette

A Homemade vinaigrette can keep well for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Store in a closed container (ideally glass).

It is good to keep in mind that the longer it sits in the fridge, the more the shallots will mellow out and loose their zip/crunch. As mentioned above, I prefer to let my vinaigrette sit for one hour before serving, to cut out the sharp edge of the shallots. However, after a 1 day period, they start loosing too much edge. If you plan on keeping a jar of vinaigrette on hand in your fridge, you can always whip up the vinaigrette without the shallots, and add them later, closer to each serving.

I hope you’ll love this recipe as much as I do. If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

French Salad Recipes to try: 

• French Grated Carrot Salad (Carottes Rapées)
• Classic Parisian Salad (Salade Parisienne)
• French-style Potato Salad
• Piemontaise Potato Salad
• Frisée Salad with bacon, eggs and croutons (Salade Lyonnaise)
• Classic French Lentil Salad 
• Cucumber Salad with crème fraiche
• Classic French Celery Root Remoulade
• Green Bean Potato Salad

Classic French Vinaigrette

Print Recipe

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.1/5

( 18 voted )

Ingredients

2 tbsp (30ml) red wine or sherry vinegar
¼ tsp salt
1 small shallot (50g), peeled and minced
1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
6 tbsp (90ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 sprigs chives, minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Step 1 - Combine the vinegar and salt in a bowl, and whisk with a fork for about 1 minute until the salt has completely dissolved.

Step 2 - Add the shallot and Dijon mustard and whisk to combine. Then, slowly drizzle in the oil in a steady stream while constantly whisking. Continue whisking until combined and the dressing thickens to your desired texture.

Step 3 -  Add the black pepper, chive and whisk to combine.

Transfer into a glass container with a lid (or simply cover the bowl with plastic film) and let sit for 1 hour at room temperature before serving.

Notes...

This recipe makes ½ cup – which is good for 2-3 salads. You can halve all the proportions to make just ¼ cup which is good for 1 salad, if you don’t want any leftovers. If the vinaigrette is too thick for your liking, add a splash of lemon juice to loosen it. If the vinaigrette is too runny for your liking, add an extra dollop of Dijon mustard and whisk again to re-emulsify.