Classic French Vinaigrette
Once you master a classic vinaigrette, the variations in flavor—and the things you can drizzle it over—are endless. What follows are my all-time favorite dressings, but feel free to alter the recipes to include your favorite vinegar, citrus juice, mustard, or herb. You’ll find a range of dressing personalities to suit just about every salad under the sun.
For most salad dressings, I prefer a mix of pure olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil. For my palate, straight extra-virgin olive oil is often too strong and overpowers the other ingredients. The exception is when a simple salad, such as a plate of sliced ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil, cries out for the deepest green, most flavorful olive oil.
Recipe information
Yield
makes about 1 cup or 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk together the shallots, mustard, and vinegar in a small bowl and add salt and pepper, to taste. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. After you’ve added 1/2 cup, taste the mixture. It might be perfect for you, but if it still tastes a bit acidic, add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Variation: Smashed Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
Step 2
A simple classic gets more sass from crumbled blue cheese.
Step 3
There are two versions of blue cheese dressing. There’s the thick, rich, mayonnaise-based dressing, which is the standard in steakhouses and on salad bars, then there’s this version, which is simpler, less gloppy, and a better way to showcase the cheese. Using a fork, mash 1/2 cup blue cheese right into a finished batch of classic vinaigrette.
Step 4
I used to use Roquefort exclusively for this dressing, but these days there are so many great domestic blue cheeses that I use any variety that catches my eye at the market. If you don’t like blue cheese, you can opt for another crumbly variety of cheese, like feta. In addition to green salads, this dressing is great over chilled asparagus or a simple vegetable salad.
