Classic French Vinaigrette

Name: Classic French Vinaigrette
Yield: makes about 1 cup or 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon minced shallots; 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil

December 14, 2011

Once you master a classic vinaigrette, the variations in flavor—and the things you can drizzle it over—are endless. What follows are my all-time favorite dressings, but feel free to alter the recipes to include your favorite vinegar, citrus juice, mustard, or herb. You’ll find a range of dressing personalities to suit just about every salad under the sun.

Cooks' Note

For most salad dressings, I prefer a mix of pure olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil. For my palate, straight extra-virgin olive oil is often too strong and overpowers the other ingredients. The exception is when a simple salad, such as a plate of sliced ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil, cries out for the deepest green, most flavorful olive oil.

Recipe notes

Classic French Bouillabaisse With Rouille

This flexible recipe is all you need to bring this iconic Provençal seafood stew to your table.

Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa

A savory-hot salsa made with mixed nuts (like the kind dubbed cocktail nuts meant for snacking) gives roast salmon a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

One-Pot Chicken Thighs With Cilantro Rice and Beans

This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.

Key Lime Pie Thumbprint Cookies

The classic dessert reimagined as a soft and chewy cookie with a buttery, brown-sugar-sweetened graham cracker dough and a silky lime custard filling.