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    Home » Custards & Sauces

    Published Nov 4, 2019 · Updated Apr 17, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Herb Vinaigrette (Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing)

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    Closeup of salad with fork and herb vinaigrette dripping on salad Pinterest banner.
    Bottle of herb vinaigrette in foreground and plated salad in background Pinterest banner.

    Making an herb vinaigrette dressing is easier than you think. All you need is an acidic base and a flavorful oil. Stir in the seasonings of your choice, and it's done. Ban the bottle and make an oil & vinegar salad dressing at home!

    Bottle of herb vinaigrette in foreground and plated salad in background. this …

    Why this recipe works

    • Choose the flavor profile of a vinaigrette based on your choice of vinegar, oil, and seasonings
    • Mixes together in about 5 minutes
    • Contains no preservatives, additives, or stabilizers

    I'm forever trying to reduce the amount of processed foods in my family's diet, and salad dressing is a great place to start. Who needs all those preservatives and stabilizers when I can make a delicious oil and vinegar salad dressing in just a few minutes?

    Since herb vinaigrettes are eminently customizable, I can match the flavors to whatever I'm serving the dressing with. And it tastes so much better than store bought salad dressing!

    Jump to:
    • Why this recipe works
    • Emulsions cast a wide net
    • What you need
    • How to make an herb vinaigrette
    • Questions asked and answered
    • Pro Tip: Storing salad dressing
    • More than just salad dressing
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe

    Emulsions cast a wide net

    Did you know that the lowly vinaigrette dressing belongs to a family of sauces bigger than just salad dressings?

    The mixing of oil and water is called an emulsion. Vinaigrettes are a temporary emulsion sauce, meaning the oil and vinegar separates.

    Examples for more stable emulsions are mayonnaise and Hollandaise sauce. Caesar salad dressing is a semi-stable sauce because even though it'll stay mixed for a long time, it will eventually separate (or break).

    What you need

    An herb vinaigrette is really just oil and vinegar dressing (or another acid like lemon juice) mixed together with a few seasonings for flavor. You can mix and match the type of vinegars and oils you like based on the flavor profile you want.

    The amounts of everything else you add (like salt, pepper, sugar, and flavorings like herbs and garlic or shallots) depends on your own taste.

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    Ingredient for herb vinaigrette portioned in glass bowls on tray from overhead.
    Here are my ingredients for a White Wine Vinaigrette

    How to make an herb vinaigrette

    Want to know a secret? No real recipe is needed for a vinaigrette, like with my flaky all butter pie crust. It's more about the recipe ratio, 3-1 (3-parts oil to 1-part acid). The rest are just seasonings.

    Step 1: Mix the seasonings

    For a White Wine Herb Vinaigrette, start by mixing the seasonings together, in this case dried herbs, sugar, salt and pepper, and some finely minced garlic (photo 1). You can mince the garlic by hand, or use a garlic press).

    Mixing dry vinaigrette ingredients in a metal bowl.
    Mix the seasonings together first

    Step 2: Stir in the vinegar

    Pour in your vinegar of choice (photo 2). My family likes the combination of white wine vinegar with a bit of red wine vinegar added for extra depth.

    Adding vinegar to dry vinaigrette ingredients in a metal bowl.
    Pour in your choice of vinegar(s)

    Step 3: Whisk in the oil

    Whisk in your oil of choice (photo 3). I like to cut the extra virgin olive oil with some canola oil so the dressing isn't so heavy.

    Simple to make, it comes together in a snap. Just let the mixture sit 20 minutes or so to let the flavors meld, then mix well before serving.

    Adding oil to vinaigrette in a metal bowl.
    Whisk in your choice of oil(s)

    Questions asked and answered

    Here are some questions you might have...

    What seasonings can be used in salad dressing?

    You can use dried or fresh herbs, but keep in mind that dried herbs are about 3 times more potent than fresh herbs. Use garlic, shallots, or replace either with garlic powder or onion powder. Sugar cuts the acidity a bit and adds a nice counterbalance, but it's optional.

    And if you want your emulsion to be a bit more stable, adding in a teaspoon of mustard or mayonnaise can help. You can even use an egg yolk to stabilize the emulsion if you feel comfortable. That's how Caesar salad dressing was made traditionally. Just don't feed it to pregnant women in case of salmonella concerns.

    What kind of vinegar and oil can be used for salad dressing?

    Herb vinaigrettes are very forgiving. Play with different flavors of vinegar or other acids, like red wine, apple cider, balsamic, fruit or citrus juices. Choose a flavorful oil. Olive oil is nice, but there's also walnut, avocado, sesame oils, just to name a few. It's just keeping that 3-1 oil and vinegar dressing ratio that's important, and even that isn't set in stone. It's completely up to your taste.

    Lineup of assorted oils and vinegars in bottles.
    These are some examples of the oils and vinegars I have in my pantry I can use for an herb vinaigrette. What do you have in yours?

    Pro Tip: Storing salad dressing

    You might be asking yourself, "what can I store my salad dressing in?" A salad dressing mixer is a convenient way to store your homemade herb vinaigrette. I like the built-in blade that lets me mix the dressing in the jar without making a mess.

    Plated salad with fork in foreground and bottle of herb vinaigrette in background.
    This salad dressing mixer has a blade that you can use to mix the dressing right before serving. That's handy!

    There are of course many other containers, ranging from a simple mason jar to a fancy crystal bottle. I have even used this salad dressing cruet from Good Seasons powdered mix (yes, from when I still used a dressing base from an envelope. I shudder to think about it).

    White Wine Herb Vinaigrette in a cruet dressing bottle.
    This tasty White Wine Vinaigrette is a favorite in my house

    More than just salad dressing

    These dressings make a great marinade for chicken, fish, or cooked vegetables, either to soak the item in or drizzle after being cooked. The possibilities are endless!

    Collage of salad with fork and herb vinaigrette dripping on salad.

    Ditch the bottled dressings forever and get creative with your oil and vinegar salad dressings to really brighten up your meals.

    It's as easy as 3 to 1!

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Recipes

    Did you know that salad dressing is a form of an emulsion sauce, that is, a mixture of oil and water? There are temporary emulsions that don't stay mixed (like vinaigrettes) and stable emulsions that stay mixed over time (like Caesar dressing or Hollandaise Sauce). These can add a layer of flavor to your dishes. Give these a try!

    • Quick & Easy Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
    • Herb Vinaigrette (Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing)
    • Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing
    • How to Make Homemade Peanut Butter

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a comment further down the page.

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    Recipe

    Bottle of herb vinaigrette in foreground and plated salad in background.

    Herb Vinaigrette (Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing)

    Tammy Spencer
    Making an herb vinaigrette dressing is easier than you think. All you need is an acidic base and a flavorful oil. Stir in the seasonings of your choice, and it's done. Ban the bottle and make an oil & vinegar salad dressing at home!
    3.50 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Resting Time 20 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Salad
    Cuisine General
    Servings 16 tablespoon
    Calories 93 kcal

    Equipment

    • salad dressing mixer
    • garlic press
    Prevent your screen from going dark while cooking

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, minced, see Recipe Notes
    • 1 teaspoon dried herbs, see Recipe Notes
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 to 2 cloves garlic or small shallot, pressed or minced, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder, see Recipe Notes
    • ¼ cup white wine vinegar, or your preferred vinegar, see Recipe Notes
    • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, for a tangier flavor
    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, or another flavored oil, see Recipe Notes
    • ¼ cup canola oil, if desired, or more of the oil used above
    • 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, optional, see Recipe Notes

    Instructions
     

    • Add all ingredients in the order listed into a small bowl or directly into a salad dressing mixer. Whisk or shake to mix.
    • Let the mixture sit 20 minutes or so to let the flavors meld.
    • Mix again before serving.

    Notes

    The amounts of the seasonings, like salt, pepper, sugar, and flavorings like herbs and garlic or shallots, are to your own taste. Fresh herb suggestions: rosemary, parsley, oregano, basil, whatever you have on hand. Use about 3 times more than if you were going to use the dried version of that herb. Dried herbs suggestions (for when I'm too lazy to mince anything): oregano, basil, parsley, cilantro. You get the idea. For a finer mince of the garlic cloves, consider using a garlic press.
    You can mix and match the type of vinegars and oils you use based on the flavor profile you want.
    A bit of mustard or mayonnaise can act as an emulsifier and help the oil and vinegar stay mixed better. You can even use an egg yolk to stabilize the emulsion if you feel comfortable. Just don't feed it to pregnant women in case of salmonella concerns.

    Your Notes

    Click here to add your own private notes

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 tablespoonCalories: 93 kcalCarbohydrates: 1 gProtein: 1 gFat: 10 gSaturated Fat: 1 gSodium: 150 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 gVitamin A: 21 IUVitamin C: 1 mgCalcium: 1 mgIron: 1 mg
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