French Salad Dressing (French Vinaigrette Recipe)

French Salad Dressing is super simple, requires just a few natural ingredients and can be put together in less than 5 minutes. Classic French vinaigrette is something that everyone who likes to cook great meals from scratch, should know. Below I will show you a step-by-step how to make this amazing simple French Dressing.

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What is French Salad Dressing

You may find a lot of recipes online that are intended to recreate a store-bought French Dressing and they contain a copious amount of sugar, ketchup, oil, vinegar and lots of different spices. This French Vinaigrette is not that type of dressing! This French Salad Dressing is a very simple vinaigrette that the French eat all the time. They usually just toss it with simple greens and they have a perfect side dish. But possibilities for this homemade French dressing go way beyond that.

This classic French Salad Dressing contains only a few, simple, whole foods ingredients:

• Shallots (a very important ingredient in French cuisine);
• White wine, red wine or champagne vinegar;
• Good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil;
• Classic French Dijon Mustard;
• Salt & Pepper, to taste;
• I added a special ingredient that is optional: a little splash of Maple syrup to balance out the tanginess of the vinaigrette. (Note, this is not part of the classic recipe so feel free to skip it, or try it both ways and decide for yourself which way you prefer)

How to Make French Dressing

Here is a step by step guide for how to make a perfect French vinaigrette:

Step 1: Peel and finely chop 1 large shallot (2 tablespoons of chopped shallot) and add it to the mason-type jar;

Step 2: Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar (I bought a wonderful unfiltered organic White Wine Vinegar, but use any white, red or champagne vinegar you like);

Step 3: Add 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (Tip: to create the best vinaigrette you’ll need to keep this proportion of vinegar to oil 1:3);

Step 4: Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard;

Step 5: Add about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Step 6: Season with freshly ground black pepper;

Step 7: OPTIONAL: add a teaspoon of Maple syrup to balance out acidity;

Step 8: Put the lid on the jar and mix well. You can use it immediately or it can be kept in a refrigerator for about a week.

How to Use French Vinaigrette

In France, this classic vinaigrette would be used often to dress simple greens but you can use it on any salad or veggies you’d like. Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Green Salad Recipe;
• Rainbow Carrots & Apple Slaw;
• Detox Salad;
• Smoked Salmon and Beets Salad;
• Roasted Asparagus;
• Roasted Cauliflower;
• Garlic Lemon Chicken Salad;
• Any steamed veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower or beans.

Other French Recipes to Try

• Chicken Chasseur (French Hunter’s Chicken)
• Chicken Provencal
• Perfect French Crepes
• Ham and Cheese Crepes
• Ham and Cheese Soup
• Chunky Potato Leek Soup
• Acorn and Butternut Squash Gratin Casserole
• Classic Croque Monsieur

What equipment is needed to Make this French Dressing

• Cutting Board
• Set of Knives
• Measuring Spoons
• Mason jar

French Salad Dressing

French Salad Dressing is super simple, requires just a few natural ingredients and can be put together in less than 5 minutes. Classic French vinaigrette is something that everyone who likes to cook great meals from scratch, should know. Below I will show you a step-by-step how to make this amazing simple French Dressing. 

5 from 6 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad, Sauce, Side Dish

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 196kcal

Author: Edyta

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Shallots chopped (about one small or half big)
• 2 tbsp White Wine Vinegar Or Red Wine Vinegar or Champagne Vinegar
• 6 tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard (you can add more to your liking)
• 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup Optional, added here to balance acidity
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

• Peel and finely chop 1 small shallot (2 tablespoons of chopped shallot) and add it to the mason-type jar;
• Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar (White Wine Vinegar, but you can also use red or champagne vinegar);
• Add 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (Tip: to create the best vinaigrette you'll need to keep this proportion of vinegar to oil 1:3);
• Add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard;
•  Add about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
• Season with freshly ground black pepper;
• OPTIONAL: add a teaspoon of Maple syrup to balance out acidity;
• Put the lid on the jar and mix well. You can use it immediately or it can be kept in a refrigerator for about a week. Pour over your favorite salad. 

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 16mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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