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Home » Recipes » Gluten Free

Homemade Vinaigrette (with 10 different variations!)

Published: Feb 3, 2016 · Modified: Nov 19, 2020 by Coley · This post may contain affiliate links.

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This is a video tutorial on how to make a classic vinaigrette along with 10 different vinaigrette recipe variations. It's vegan, gluten free, paleo, vegetarian, plus diet and allergy friendly! 

I've been cooking from scratch for so long that there's certain things I just assume everyone else makes from scratch, too, like salad dressings. But over the years, I've noticed that lots of people still use store bought bottled dressings. Why?

Taste? Convenience? Health? Phooey. Making a dressing or vinaigrette from scratch is one of the quickest, easiest and most fool-proof things you can do in the kitchen. Plus, you get to control the ingredients, so you can customize the flavor of your vinaigrette while avoiding all the nasty preservatives, added sugars and artificial ingredients lurking in the bottled stuff. Best of all, you can whip up a big batch of vinaigrette in a matter of minutes, so you'll always have a good quality, homemade salad dressing on hand.

Not only are homemade vinaigrettes and salad dressings tastier and healthier, they're arguably just as convenient as anything you can buy at the store. There's no right or wrong way to make one, either. Use the recipe below as a guideline, and adjust the ingredients to suit your preference. Once you've mastered the classic vinaigrette, change it up and play with the ingredients, or try one of these variations:

Asian Vinaigrette: Ginger + Garlic + Shallot + Dijon Mustard + Soy Sauce + Rice Vinegar + Sugar + Vegetable Oil + Sesame Oil (optional)
Great on slaws, noodles and other Asian salads.

Citrus Vinaigrette: Shallot + Orange or Grapefruit Juice/Zest + Lemon or Lime Juice/Zest + Dijon Mustard + Vegetable or Light Olive Oil
Lovely with roasted beets or poured over fish.

Apple Vinaigrette: Shallot + Whole Grain Mustard + Honey + Apple Cider Vinegar + Olive Oil
Perfect on any type of salad with apples.

Greek Vinaigrette: Red Onion + Honey + Red Wine Vinegar +  Lemon Juice + Oregano or Dill + Your Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For Greek salads, tomato/cucumber/red onion salads, or drizzled over gyros.

ItalianVinaigrette: Garlic + Red Wine Vinegar + Pinch of Sugar + Oregano + Thyme + Onion Powder + Olive Oil
 Awesome on antipasto salads or classic garden salads.

Spanish Vinaigrette: Garlic + Sherry Vinegar + Honey + Smoked Paprika + Olive Oil
Try it tossed with arugula or warm, roasted potatoes.

Bacon Vinaigrette: Shallot + Whole Grain Mustard + White Wine Vinegar + Honey + Bacon Fat
You'll love this on a spinach salad, kale salad or potato salad.

Balsamic Vinaigrette: Garlic + Balsamic Vinegar + Honey + Olive Oil
Great all-purpose dressing for mixed greens and tomato salads.

Creamy Vinaigrette: Add a bit of mayonnaise, sour cream or plain yogurt to any of the above recipes to make a creamy variation. Just be sure to scale back on the oil.

How to Make a Vinaigrette (Video!)

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Print

Classic Vinaigrette

A small wood spoon in a little mason jar of classic vinaigrette.
Print Recipe

This is a video tutorial on how to make a classic vinaigrette along with 10 different vinaigrette recipe variations. It's vegan, gluten free, paleo, vegetarian, plus diet and allergy friendly! 

  • Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: ½ cup 1x
  • Category: salad
  • Method: whisked
  • Cuisine: French
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 small shallot, finely minced, about 2 tablespoons
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
  • 2 tablespoon vinegar (white wine, red wine, sherry, apple cider, etc.)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, or more, to taste

Instructions

  1. Whisk together the shallot, mustard, honey and vinegar, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Slowly stream in the olive oil, while vigorously whisking, until emulsified. Taste, and adjust as needed.
  2. Store in a jar or resealable container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 692
  • Sugar: 7.5 g
  • Sodium: 2624.2 mg
  • Fat: 74.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 9.5 g
  • Protein: 0.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: salad, dressing, french, vinaigrette, vegetarian, vegan

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a review and star rating ⭐️ to help other cooks!

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  1. Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist

    February 06, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    How great is this! I just bookmarked this page for future reference. I've been making my own dressing for a while now, but it is always nice to have some ingredient inspiration. I've got my eye on the Spanish vinaigrette. Thanks for sharing this!

    Reply
    • Coley

      February 06, 2016 at 4:48 pm

      Thanks, Kathryn! I love the Spanish version with grilled meats and potatoes. Yum!

      Reply
      • Phoonsiri

        February 13, 2016 at 4:40 am

        Great minds I just posted my own house vtntigreiae last week. I leave out the garlic and add agave nectar or honey to balance the acid. I like that you also use a high percentage of vinegar to oil.

        Reply
        • Coley

          February 16, 2016 at 6:59 pm

          Awesome!!

          Reply
          • KRIS

            August 03, 2021 at 6:01 pm

            Hi! These recipes look great! But also as a heads up, it is not allergy friendly... Mustard can be pretty dangerous, it's a Top 8 allergen everywhere except the US....

          • Coley

            September 02, 2021 at 10:19 am

            Thank you for letting me know! The mustard can always be omitted if it's an issue.

  2. Sharon @ Savormania

    February 06, 2016 at 4:38 pm

    Such a great guide with so many delicious vinaigrettes to choose from!

    Reply
    • Coley

      February 06, 2016 at 4:48 pm

      Thanks, Sharon! I hope you love them all as much as I do. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Sarah | Well and Full

    February 09, 2016 at 2:36 am

    I love all the different vinaigrette variations you've provided here.... the Spanish one sounds especially good! 😀

    Reply
    • Coley

      February 09, 2016 at 5:10 pm

      Thanks, Sarah! The Spanish version is soo good, I hope you give it a try!

      Reply

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I'm Nicole Gaffney, but my friends all call me Coley. You should, too! I'm a chef and recipe developer specializing in coastal Italian cooking. Welcome to Coley Cooks! About Nicole Gaffney

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