• Geeman

Vinaigrette, The French Salad Dressing

Learn how to prepare a vinaigrette, a traditional French salad dressing. Ready in 5 minutes and perfect for lettuce, green beans, leeks or potato salads. Warning, it's got a bit of a kick in it!

Vinaigrette salad dressing in a bowl with a spoon
A nice bowl of vinaigrette dressing, ready for your salad

Important!


If your salad contains a type of lettuce with soft leaves such as green lettuce, arugula, spinach or Mesclun to name a few, DO NOT mix your salad with the dressing too long in advance before serving. The classic French vinaigrette dressing contains oil and acids from the vinegar that will make the lettuce leaves really soggy and lose their crispiness and bite.


What you should do is to prepare the dressing in the bottom of your salad bowl, put on top the rest of your salad elements and mix it all together at the last minute before serving. For the green beans, potato salad or tomato salad, mix the salad with the dressing in advance without any problem.

Serving: Approximately 6 persons (A medium size lettuce)

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Conservation time: 3 days refrigerated


Ingredients:


  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped (This will give a nice kick)

  • 1 small garlic clove finely chopped (Remember to remove the bitter green sprout in the middle)

  • Chive or parsley, chopped (Approximately 2 table spoons)

  • Dijon mustard, 1 tea spoon

  • Oil, 4 table spoons (Olive oil or sunflower oil are your best options but you can also use rapeseed oil)

  • Vinegar, 2 table spoons (Preferably wine vinegar, I personally use white balsamico, it works great even if it is not French ;-)

  • Black pepper, a good pinch or 4 rounds of freshly grounded black pepper

  • Salt, a generous pinch

  • A tiny drop of honey is nice too

Steps:


  1. Take your salad bowl

  2. Mix the vinegar and Dijon mustard first

  3. Add slowly the oil sand whisk the sauce as you go with a fork or a whisk

  4. Add a tiny drop of honey and mix again

  5. Add the shallot, garlic, chive or parsley, black pepper, salt

  6. Mix all the ingredients well again

  7. Place your lettuce on top of the dressing and mix at the last minute before serving. If it is a green bean, potato or tomato salad, you can already mix them with the dressing before your meal starts

Bon appétit and do not hesitate to enjoy the leftover sauce in your plate with a nice piece of bread ;-)