Simple Vinaigrette Recipe - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is a basic vinaigrette a simple mixture of? ›

In general, vinaigrette consists of 3 parts of oil to 1 part of vinegar whisked into an emulsion. Salt and pepper are often added. Herbs and shallots, too, are often added, especially when it is used for cooked vegetables or grains. Sometimes mustard is used as an emulsifier and to add flavour.

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.

Put the mustard, vinegar and olive oil in a jar and season. Shake vigorously to mix. Store in a cool place (not the fridge) until ready to use. Use for all your salads or try one of our recipes, right.

The Basic Vinaigrette Formula

The most basic ratio for making a salad vinaigrette is: one part vinegar (or other acid) three parts oil.

Culinary Tips for a Basic Vinaigrette Dressing (with Variations) This is a standard vinaigrette recipe, so we use the traditional oil to vinegar ratio: three parts oil to one part vinegar/acid, but this ratio can vary depending on your choice of vinegar/acid and personal taste.

Balsamic vinegar: Makes a bold, slightly sweet dressing that is wonderful on green salads with fruit, such as apples, strawberries or peaches. Red wine vinegar: Packs a punch and works well with other bold flavors and bright veggies, like tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, cabbage and more (think Greek salads).

Red Wine Vinegar

Red wine vinegar is similar to its white wine counterpart. It's derived from a red wine base and offers a sweet, less acidic taste. This Mediterranean staple has a mellow flavor profile that is perfect for use in vinaigrettes and reductions.

How Long Does Homemade Vinaigrette Last? Traditional vinaigrettes, like the balsamic version listed below, will last longer—sometimes up to a few weeks. However, anything with fresh garlic should be consumed within a few days, as the combination of garlic and oil can form harmful bacteria over time.

According to Hazan, "the acid of vinegar, like that of lemon, 'cooks' a salad, which explains why the oil is poured first, to protect the greens."

How do you cut the bitterness out of a vinaigrette? ›

Sweetness balances out acidity, spice, and bitterness. A salad composed of bitter greens may benefit from a sweeter dressing. But sweetness can come from sources other than one-note white sugar; consider honey, pureed dates, maple syrup, jam, or molasses as sweeteners that also add flavor and mouth-feel.

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).

Using the 3:1 ratio recommended for a vinaigrette (3 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of vinegar) they add ½ teaspoon of mayonnaise for it's emulsifying power and ½ teaspoon mustard for the best flavour.

Oil and vinegar are immiscible in each other, so their composition will not be uniform throughout the mixture. Since heterogeneous mixtures are those mixtures that are not uniform throughout the mixture, so oil and vinegar salad dressing will be a heterogeneous mixture.

The first one is salad dressing with oil and vinegar, it is an example of a heterogeneous mixture because we can easily see small particles in the salad dressing.

Therefore, salad dressing is an example of heterogeneous mixture.