Fitness / January 10, 2024

Homemade French Vinaigrette (French Dressing)

Drizzle a drop of this simple yet elegant Homemade French Vinaigrette and transform your salads from typical to tantalizingly tasteful.

Homemade French Vinaigrette (French Dressing) featured image above

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Looking for a new obsession? Then let me introduce you to my Homemade French Vinaigrette. This dressing is the life of the party; it’s daringly sweet and tangy, and finishes off with a savory splash. Seriously, it’s impossible not to swoon.

If you’re a fan of the old favorite Italian or Apple Cider Vinegar dressings, be prepared to have your mind blown by this French twist. It’s got the olive oil and vinegar you might expect but there’s also the sweet honey, spicy paprika, and earthy mustard powder that give this French Vinaigrette that extra oomph (or should I say, a certain je ne sais quoi), that makes it totally unique.

does this French Vinaigrette work with My diet?

This homemade French vinaigrette isn’t just pretty, it’s packing some serious health benefits. The olive oil contains good-for-you monounsaturated fats. Then you have the apple cider vinegar, which is great for your gut. And let’s not forget the honey, our favorite natural sweetener.

This dressing is suitable for gluten-free, vegetarian, pescatarian, and dairy-free diets, but with some adjustments, it can be suitable for a few more. For example, replace maple syrup or agave nectar for the honey to make it vegan friendly. Or replace the honey with monk fruit sweetener or stevia and reduce the amount of ketchup to make it keto friendly.

INGREDIENTS

Ready to say ooh la la? Here’s what you’ll need…

½ cup olive oil
2 tbsp honey
¼ cup ketchup
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp mustard powder
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp salt

Homemade French Vinaigrette (French Dressing) ingredients

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine

Whisk together the olive oil and honey in a medium bowl.

Add

Add the ketchup, paprika, mustard powder, apple vinegar, and salt.

Whisk

Whisk it all together until it emulsifies.

ENJOY!

Tips & Tricks to Making a Perfect French Vinaigrette

Use good-quality olive oil and apple cider vinegar for the best results.
Balance the acidic (vinegar) and oily (olive oil) components; make adjustments to suit your tastes.
Whisk vigorously to fully combine your ingredients and create an emulsion.
A medium bowl and a sturdy whisk make the process easier.

Homemade French Vinaigrette (French Dressing) featured image below

FAQs

Can I switch out the olive oil in this recipe?

I find the olive oil adds depth to the flavor, but feel free to experiment with others, like avocado oil or grapeseed oil. A light canola oil would also work. Obviously taste will be tweaked slightly with this substitution.

What if I’m out of apple cider vinegar?

If you don’t have apple cider vinegar in your kitchen, use white vinegar or red wine vinegar instead. They’ll still give you that tang you’re after.

Can I mix things up with this recipe?

Why not? Add in dried herbs like oregano or rosemary, or some minced garlic. Want to turn things up a notch? Add a dash of cayenne.

why is my vinaigrette separating?

It’s nothing mysterious, actually. Oil and vinegar don’t play well together, and they’ll separate over time. If your vinaigrette separates, just give it a good shake. Problem solved!

Serving Suggestions

The obvious suggestion would be to drizzle this vinaigrette over a fresh garden salad or toss it with your favorite grain salad, but I sometimes turn to it as a marinade for grilled vegetables or poultry. You’ll be surprised at how versatile this dressing/sauce is!

how to prep and store your french vinaigrette

As you might expect, this dressing was designed to be prepped. Whip it up and store it in an airtight container (I use mason jars) then put it in the fridge, where it will keep for up to a week. If it separates, just shake things up and it’s as good as new.