Food & Cooking Recipes Quick & Easy Recipes Basic Vinaigrette (Plus 6 Variations) 3.2 (159) 1 Review This vinaigrette is made with just four ingredients—and it tastes so much better than store-bought salad dressings. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 11, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Prep Time: 5 mins Total Time: 5 mins Yield: 1 cup With just four ingredients (ones you likely already have in your kitchen) you can make this basic vinaigrette recipe in less than five minutes—no peeling, chopping, or zesting necessary. Simply measure out the ingredients and combine them, except for the olive oil. Whisk them together in a bowl or shake them up in a jar. Then drizzle in the oil (or add it to the jar and shake again). That's it—the vinaigrette is ready to top your favorite green salad or steamed vegetables. And with six variations, you'll have a repertoire of seven different vinaigrette recipes to shake up your salad routine. Clive Streeter 4 Easy Salad Dressings That Are So Much Better Than Store-Bought When to Use Vinaigrette You may think a vinaigrette is for a green leafy salad, and you'd be right, but that's not the only way to use this classic salad dressing. Try it on: Potato salads Pasta salads Grain salads Bean salads Boiled or steamed vegetables, like green beans, asparagus, broccoli, or potatoes As a marinade for grilled or broiled meat or fish As a sauce for chicken, fish fillets, or whole fish when they come off the heat, just before serving As a sauce over grilled vegetables before serving Ingredients ¼ cup white-wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper Pinch of sugar ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil Directions Combine all ingredients except oil: In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Add oil: Slowly add oil, whisking until emulsified. Instead of whisking the vinaigrette, you can simply shake the ingredients together in a jar, or whirl them in a blender if you prefer. 6 Vinaigrette Variations to Try It's easy to swap out or add ingredients to make different types of vinaigrette. Try these variations: Garlic: Add 1 teaspoon minced garlic or 1/2 clove crushed.Balsamic: Substitute balsamic vinegar for the wine vinegar.Lemon Parmesan: Use fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar; add 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan.Scallion: Add 3 chopped whole scallions (about 1/4 cup).Herb: Add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, parsley, or tarragon. Blue Cheese: Add 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, such as Roquefort. Originally appeared: Everyday Food, September 2006 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.