Dress your salad greens with the quickest, easiest, and most reliable vinaigrette you’ll ever make.
This simple vinaigrette is fast to prepare and consistently makes a perfect salad. A few basic ingredients—garlic, Dijon mustard, rice vinegar, shallot, and olive oil—are whisked together to form a glossy emulsion that brightens your greens and adds great texture.
Garlic and Dijon serve as natural emulsifiers, so when you whisk the dressing the oil and vinegar bind together instead of separating immediately. The result is a dressing that feels substantial without being heavy.
I prefer rice vinegar for its delicate acidity. Lemon juice can sometimes make dressings overly tart, which then requires a bit of sugar to balance. Rice vinegar gives a more even, mild tang so you don’t need to adjust the sweetness.
Finely chopped shallot adds a mild onion note and depth of flavor that makes the dressing more interesting. With this vinaigrette, your greens shine—add ripe tomatoes or other simple toppings if you like, but the dressing itself does most of the work.
The quality of olive oil matters: a good extra-virgin olive oil will improve the flavor, but you don’t need to splurge. A reliable grocery-brand extra-virgin oil works well.
I often make this vinaigrette without strict measuring, so feel free to adjust amounts to suit your taste after a couple of trials.
Give this vinaigrette a try—you’ll have a versatile dressing ready in minutes that complements a wide range of salads.
The Best Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine the Dijon mustard, minced garlic, rice vinegar, and finely chopped shallot in a small mixing bowl.
- Don’t add all the olive oil at once. Add about 20% of the oil, whisk until the mixture begins to emulsify, then continue adding the oil in roughly 20% increments, whisking between additions until all the oil is incorporated and the dressing is glossy and combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust acidity or oil amount as desired.
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