French Vinaigrette

Our easy French Vinaigrette recipe is made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, honey and salt and pepper. It’s a classic French salad dressing that will make even a simple bowl of greens something to enjoy.

Our recipe for French vinaigrette is a staple in our family. It’s so easy to make that it has been our go-to dressing for many years. We love to toss it with a mix of simple greens or drizzle it over slices of juicy ripe tomatoes with a little freshly ground black pepper.

We like to keep a mason jar of homemade vinaigrette in the fridge to drizzle over greens during the week. This French Vinaigrette salad dressing in one of our favorites that we like to have on hand!  It’s quick and easy to make and it has a nice flavor!

French Vinaigrette Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need just a handful of ingredients to make this delicious French vinaigrette salad dressing.

• Olive oil.  We use both regular olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe. Using a blend of both olive oils mellows the flavor of the extra-virgin olive oil.
• Red Wine Vinegar.  Use a good red wine vinegar for this dressing.
• Garlic. We add a clove of fresh garlic to the olive oil to flavor it before whisking together the rest of the ingredients.
• Olive oil.  We use both regular olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe.
• Water. We add just 1-2 tablespoons of water to mellow the vinegar a bit.
• Honey. This is optional for the people who like a little sweetness to their dressings. We like to use pure clover honey.
• Seasoning. We use just a pinch of black pepper and salt to season this dressing with.

Find printable recipe with measurements below.

Substitutions and Variations.

• Add 1 tablespoon of finely minced shallot.
• Squeeze in 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice.
• Use all extra-virgin olive oil (instead of using 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup regular olive oil, use 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil). 

How To Make French Vinaigrette Dressing

1. Whisk. Smash and peel the garlic clove then add it to a bowl with your olive oil for 30 minutes before making the dressing. Then discard the garlic clove. This will give the oil a garlic flavor without being as strong a flavor as when you add minced garlic to a dressing. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and water (and honey if using it) so it’s blended well. Then while whisking, drizzle the oil in until the dressing is thick and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. You can also add the ingredients to a wide mouth mason jar and seal the lid and shake, or use an immersion blender (stick blender) and blend the dressing right in the mason jar. Blending the vinaigrette will make it thicker and keep it from separating as quickly.
2. Storage. Store the dressing in a mason jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, it should last up to 5 days.

Tips For Making Salad Dressings

1. Use the 3:1 ratio means 3 parts oil to 1 part acid like vinegar or citrus (often lemons).
2. Use quality ingredients like a good oil and vinegar for the best flavor.
3. Combine ingredients in a mason jar to keep things simple with little clean-up.
4. Use a stick blender (immersion blender) to blend the ingredients together for a thicker emulsified vinaigrette. This will also keep the dressing from separating as quickly.
5. Adjust the flavors to suit your taste. If the vinegar has a bite or lemon juice is too tart, add 2-3 tablespoons of warm water to mellow things out.

More Easy Salad Dressing Recipes

• Italian Salad Dressing
• Everyday Creamy Vinaigrette
• Creamy Italian Dressing
• Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette
• Lemon Basil Vinaigrette
• Healthy Citrus Vinaigrette
• Maple Vinaigrette
• Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
• Parmesan Vinaigrette
• Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Greek Salad Dressing

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Yield: 6 Servings

French Vinaigrette

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Our easy French Vinaigrette recipe is made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, honey and salt and pepper. It's a classic French salad dressing that will make even a simple bowl of greens something to enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon French Dijon mustard
• 1-2 teaspoons honey (optional)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons water
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Smash and peel the garlic clove then add it to a bowl with the olive oil to soak for 30 minutes before making the dressing.
2. Discard the garlic clove. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and honey if using it so it's blended well. Then while whisking, drizzle in the garlic-flavored olive oil until the dressing is thick and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. You can also add the ingredients to a wide mouth mason jar and seal the lid and shake, or use an immersion blender (stick blender) and blend the dressing right in the mason jar. Blending the vinaigrette will make it thicker and keep it from separating as quickly. Taste test first, then blend in the water (1 tablespoon at a time) if you want to mellow the flavor of the vinegar a bit.
3. Store the vinaigrette in a mason jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator. If properly stored, it should last up to 5 days.

Notes

Substitutions and Variations

• Add an additional 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard for a more robust flavor.
• Add more honey for a sweeter flavor. Start by adding just 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach your desired sweetness.
• Add 1 tablespoon of finely minced shallot.
• Squeeze in 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice to add a perky fresh flavor.
• Use all extra-virgin olive oil (instead of using 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup regular olive oil, use 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil). 
• Omit the water altogether if you want the full flavor of the red wine vinegar.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 276Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 27gSodium: 60mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.