Last week I hosted a French inspired lunch for some of my favorite ladies and it reminded me the brilliance of having the perfect French Dijon Vinaigrette recipe in your back pocket! This vinaigrette comes together in less than 5 minutes, can easily be prepped ahead, made in bulk, and enhances any number of salads, sides or main courses.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
There are a few upgrades in the kitchen that are wild game changers. Homemade dressings and vinaigrettes are one of those. Having an arsenal of homemade dressings and vinaigrettes on hand are the easiest way to upgrade a meal. This The Perfect French Dijon Vinaigrette is an excellent addition to many salads, works great drizzled on top of fish or chicken, makes a side dish like green beans incredibly elevated or can even turn some leftover boring pasta into an interesting pasta salad. Bottom line: it takes less than 5 minutes to make, it's an instant upgrade and you can prep this in bulk to make your life even more delish!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Red Wine or Champagne Vinegar
- Dijon Mustard
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make
Whisk all the ingredients for the vinaigrette together except the olive oil until smooth. Stream in the olive oil and whisk until emulsified and then use as needed. Keep for up to 8-10 days in the fridge.
If you want to prep this ahead in bulk, you can 4x the recipe and make it in your blender. It will emulsify perfectly and keep for up to 8-10 days in the fridge.
Tips & Tricks
If you want to freeze this, pour the vinaigrette into an ice cube tray and pop into the freezer. Then remove a cube of vinaigrette the morning before you want to use it, let it thaw and come to room temperature, and use as needed.
Here are some of my favorite ways to use this Perfect French Dijon Vinaigrette
- Easy Chickpea Chopped Salad
- Winter Radicchio Salad
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Peach Tomato Caprese
- Spring Panzanella
- Tomato Feta Panzanella
- Avocado Peach Summer Salad
- German Potato Salad
FAQ's
What is in a classic french dijon vinaigrette?
Dijon vinaigrette typically includes Dijon mustard, vinegar (often red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar), olive oil, salt, and pepper.
What salads use a dijon vinaigrette?
Arugula salad, Nicoise salad, and spinach salad are some examples of salads that use a Dijon vinaigrette.
Similar Recipes
The Perfect French Dijon Vinaigrette
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chopped shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk all the ingredients for the vinaigrette together except the olive oil until smooth. Stream in the olive oil and whisk until emulsified and then use as needed. Keep for up to 8 days in the fridge.
I have a question or two...
MINCED raw garlic? okay....BUT when you say put everything in the blender, it's going to liquify the shallots and garlic..or render them formless...which I actually might find preferable to raw garlic in the dressing. Guidance?
it makes the dressing smooth!! You could do it by hand if you prefer, but that requires more chopping and longer prep
Great dressing, and loved the tip about freezing it in an ice cube tray! Sometimes I add some homemade mayo to a thawed cube to make a creamy dressing for a nice change. Thanks!
This sounds like a must-do!!! Can't wait!