(Small & Large Batch Recipes Below)

Follow the instructions below to learn how to make a Homemade Restaurant Quality Vinaigrette with no special equipment!

Why Can’t I Just Shake Up My Vinaigrette?

When you shake a vinaigrette in a jar, it doesn’t break the olive oil into tiny enough droplets for the emulsifier to work properly. Without those small droplets, the dressing won’t achieve that thick, silky, cohesive texture you get at restaurants. It will separate quickly and feel less luxurious on your salad. But you can quickly make this easy restaurant quality vinaigrette salad dressing at home using a whisk for a small batch or a blender (an immersion blender is my preference, but a top loading blender also works) for a large batch.

Drizzling the oil slowly while whisking does the following:

1. Encourages Formation of Smaller Droplets: Adding the oil gradually and whisking or blending vigorously helps break the oil into very small droplets. Smaller droplets have a larger total surface area, making it easier for the emulsifying agents to coat and stabilize them. Smaller droplets also reduce the tendency of the oil to coalesce, improving emulsion stability.

2. Prevents Overwhelming the Water Phase: When you add oil slowly while whisking or blending, the emulsifying agent (like the honey and mustard mixture we are using in our vinaigrette recipe) has time to surround each tiny droplet of oil and stabilize it. If too much oil is added at once, it can overwhelm the emulsifying agent, leading to separation or “breaking” of the vinaigrette.

3. Allows for Even Dispersion: Slow addition ensures that each droplet of oil is evenly dispersed into the vinegar creating a uniform mixture. This even dispersion is key to forming a stable emulsion, which creates a thick, cohesive vinaigrette where the oil droplets remain suspended throughout the mixture without clumping together.

What is Emulsification and Why Must I Do It?

Emulsification is the process of combining two liquids that normally do not mix well together, such as oil and vinegar, into a stable mixture called an emulsion. During emulsification, one liquid is dispersed into the other in the form of tiny droplets, which are stabilized by emulsifying agents or mechanical action to prevent separation.

In a vinaigrette, emulsification requires the breakdown of oIl into tiny droplets a that will be evenly dispersed throughout the vinegar To create a stable vinaigrette , you need:

1. Mechanical Action such as whisking or blending to break up the oil into small droplets so they distribute evenly, and;

2. Emulsifiers which are substances that help stabilize the emulsion by preventing the droplets from coalescing (coming back together). Emulsifiers have molecules with both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (oil-attracting) ends, allowing them to bind with both oil and water, thereby stabilizing the mixture. Commonly used emulsifiers are puréed garlic, honey, mustard, tahini, avocado, egg, yolks, etc. In the Restaurant Style Vinaigrette recipe below, I use my favorite emulsifier combo, honey and Dijon mustard.

Why Are Homemade Vinaigrettes Better than Store Bought?

While I totally understand that it is not always feasible to make everything from I scratch, I recommend it if you have the time. Store-bought vinaigrettes are often overly sweet, flat, or taste “old” for lack of a better word. They typically moisten vegetables and add a little salt, but don’t really make ingredients sing. Most vinaigrettes rely on stabilizers, gums, and preservatives to extend shelf life sacrificing flavor and texture in the process.

How Long Does It Take to Make a Homemade Vinaigrette Salad Dressing?

Under 5 minutes. For a small batch vinaigrette, whisk together the acid, honey and mustard first. Then drizzle in the olive oil while whisking vigorously. For a large batch vinaigrette, blend together the acid, honey and mustard first then drizzle in oil while blending. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

How to Make a Restaurant Quality Vinaigrette

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO EMULSIFY YOUR VINAIGRETTE?

1. TASTE
If your vinaigrette is not properly emulsified, some bites of your salad will taste overly acidic and others will be oily. Emulsified vinaigrettes also have a more pleasant mouthfeel that feels less greasy on the palate.

2. TEXTURE
Emulsified vinaigrettes have a thick, creamy texture that coats the salad ingredients more effectively.  Vinaigrettes that aren’t emulsified slip off the ingredients and settle to the bottom of the bowl.

3. STABILITY
Emulsification helps prevent the ingredients in the vinaigrette from separating so that the dressing remains well-mixed over time. This is especially important if you’re making it ahead or storing it in the fridge.


LARGE BATCH vs. SMALL BATCH

There are 3 important differences between the SMALL BATCH and the LARGE BATCH versions of this salad dressing recipe:

1. The SMALL BATCH version uses a whisk and the LARGE BATCH version uses a blender (as stated, I prefer an immersion blender, but a top loading blender works too).

2. The garlic gets added to SMALL BATCH at the end, but added to the LARGE BATCH at the beginning. This is because garlic is a potent emulsifier, but only when puréed. As such, in the SMALL BATCH dressing, we are using it as a flavoring agent, not really as a way to bind the vinegar and acid. However, because a blender does a great job of puréeing the garlic, and we take advantage of that in the LARGE BATCH dressing.

3. The SMALL BATCH dressing is made entirely of olive oil and the LARGE BATCH is made of a blend of neutral oil and olive oil. This is because olive oil may become bitter when blended. This occurs typically when it is blended for too long as the heat and agitation from the blender sometimes causes the polyphenols (bitter compounds) to emerge from the oil as the cells are ruptured. This has only ever happened to me using a top loading blender, which is why I prefer to use an immersion blender exclusively for my blended salad dressings. If you are using a top loading blender like a Vitamix, I recommend you use a combination of neutral flavored oil such as grapeseed or avocado oil and olive oil in a 50/50 ratio.

Ingredients:

• SMALL BATCH (makes appx. 2/3 cup, or 4-5 servings)

• 2-3 tsp honey (to your taste)

• 2-3 tsp Dijon Mustard

• 3 tbsp your vinegar of choice (You could also use lemon/lime juice but the dressing would be a “citronette”.)

• 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

• 1 garlic clove, minced or grated using a microplane grater

• Kosher salt 

• black pepper

• LARGE BATCH (makes appx. 2 cups)

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1-2 tbsp honey (To your taste and depends on the type of vinegar you use. Some vinegars like balsamic have 2-3g sugar and so I will use less.)

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 4 oz. your vinegar of choice (You could also use lemon/lime juice but the dressing would be a “citronette”.)

• 8 oz. oil
  If you are using a top loading blender, use half extra virgin olive oil and half neutral oil. If you are using an immersion blender, feel free to use all extra virgin olive oil (I explain why in the last paragraph of the LARGE BATCH vs. SMALL BATCH section above which describes how olive oil can sometimes become bitter when blended.)

• Kosher salt

• freshly ground black pepper

Directions for SMALL BATCH (whisk method)

• Whisk together the honey, Dijon mustard, and balsamic vinegar until combined. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil to emulsify it into the dressing. It’s okay to put the bottle down from time to time, as you want to make sure that all the olive oil you’ve added is integrated into the dressing before adding more. Add the garlic clove, if using. Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper. 
• LARGE BATCH DIRECTIONS
• Using an immersion blender and carafe/large mason jar (you could also use a top-loading blender, but it’s not my fave because of the reason I stated above), blend together the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard and vinegar until homogenous. While blending, drizzle in the oil in a slow steady stream. Stir in the Kosher salt and pepper to taste. The dressing will keep, refrigerated, for up to 4 to 5 days. 

WANT MORE EASY RESTAURANT QUALITY SALAD DRESSING RECIPES?

Click Below!