Follow the instructions below to learn how to make a Homemade Restaurant Quality Vinaigrette with both a whisk and a bowl (small batch) or an immersion blender (large batch)!

This is the only Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe you’ll ever need because it works for:

• Both small batch (under 1 cup) and large batch dressings
• Customizable for whichever vinegars or acids you have on hand
• Allows for flexibility depending on 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.

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

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. 

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