Salad Dressing — Classic Vinaigrette and 5 Easy Variations

Instructions

1. 01

   

   Gather the ingredients and measure the 3:1 ratio

   Get everything ready before you start: the formula for any salad dressing is 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. Here that means 180 ml of olive oil and 60 ml of vinegar, which yield 1 cup. If you need less, keep the ratio: 3 tablespoons of oil per 1 of vinegar.

2. 02

   

   Dissolve the salt in the vinegar before adding the oil

   Pour the vinegar into a bowl and add the half teaspoon of salt. Stir for about 30 seconds until fully dissolved. This order matters: salt does not dissolve in oil, and adding it at the end leaves the dressing gritty.

3. 03

   

   Add mustard, honey, and garlic to the vinegar

   Add the teaspoon of Dijon mustard, the honey, and the grated garlic to the salted vinegar. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and slightly thick. The mustard is the emulsifier: it is what will keep the oil and vinegar together.

4. 04

   

   Stream in the oil while whisking

   Add the oil little by little, in a thin stream, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and turns opaque: that is the emulsion. The most common mistake is dumping the oil in all at once, which makes the dressing break. Shortcut without a whisk: put everything in a lidded jar and shake hard for 30 seconds.

5. 05

   

   Taste and adjust acidity, salt, and sweetness

   Dip a lettuce leaf into the dressing and taste it: that is how you test a dressing, not by the spoonful, because it tastes milder on the leaf. If it is too acidic, add half a teaspoon of honey; if it tastes flat, a few more drops of vinegar or a pinch of salt.

6. 06

   

   Turn the base into any of the 5 variations

   With the base ready, pick your variation: yogurt (2 tablespoons of plain yogurt, creamier), lemon (1 tablespoon of juice plus zest), honey mustard (1 extra tablespoon of each), quick caesar (Parmesan plus anchovy or Worcestershire sauce), or herbs (2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs). Mix the addition in with a fork until combined.

7. 07

   

   Store in a glass jar and refrigerate

   Transfer the dressing to a clean glass jar with an airtight lid and keep it in the refrigerator. The base vinaigrette keeps for 7 days; the yogurt or cheese variations, 3 days. Shake the jar before each use: it is normal for the emulsion to separate as it sits.