This Mustard Vinaigrette is a classic-style vinaigrette made with olive oil and vinegar. The addition of whole grain mustard adds both texture and “spice” while shallot and garlic offer a lovely savoriness. This simple vinaigrette recipe pairs with all kinds of salads and no doubt will become a go-to in your kitchen.
Why This Recipe Works
This Mustard Vinaigrette is a riff on our beloved Classic Vinaigrette recipe which has a base of one part oil to one part vinegar (or lemon juice). Instead of Dijon we’re opting for spicier whole grain Dijon mustard, making it bold enough to stand up to hearty veggie-packed salads while not stealing the show.
Ingredient Notes
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Aside from toasted sesame oil, we use extra-virgin olive oil for just about every uncooked application in the kitchen. And especially for vinaigrettes. We love to use bold, fruity and slightly spicy olive oils for vinaigrettes. Look for evoo labeled as “bold” or “robust.”
A note on why we prefer olive oil: first and foremost it’s one of, if not THE, healthiest oils you can cook with and eat. It’s also a hell of a lot more flavorful than vegetable oil/canola oil.
Red Wine Vinegar
A classic choice for all kinds of vinaigrettes, but especially those being tossed with a very classic garden salad or steakhouse salad. If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you can also use white wine vinegar.
Alliums
For this recipe we use a combination of shallot and garlic—together they create the perfect bold and savory flavor that’s great for all kinds of salads, especially out Garden Salad.
Mustard
Mustard is a key ingredient in many vinaigrettes, and most often it’s Dijon that makes an appearance. But for something a bit different, we’re using whole grain Dijon mustard which is essentially Dijon mustard that hasn’t been strained to remove the skins of the mustard seeds. Keeping the mustard seed skins intact makes for a spicier or “hotter” mustard.
Honey
We like to use just a bit of honey in our vinaigrettes and dressings. In this recipe is simply balances out the tangy and savory flavors—it is NOT a honey mustard vinaigrette. Feel free to use maple syrup or even a pinch of sugar.
And if you are looking for a honey mustard dressing, check out this recipe from Cookie and Kate (it uses ¼ cup Dijon!).
How to Use this Dressing
We like to drizzle this mustard vinaigrette over our garden salad that’s loaded with fresh cucumber and tomato, crisp iceberg lettuce (or romaine), parsley, and salty Parmesan. It’s delicious drizzled over a variety of salad recipes, but we also encourage you to try it with great steamed or roasted carrots, grilled cauliflower steaks or served as a dipping sauce for veggies.
Other Vinaigrette Recipes to Try
- We love a citrusy vinaigrette around here, and if you do too, we’ve got a couple to try. Our Lemon Dill Vinaigrette is bright and bold while our Herby Lemon Vinaigrette is a little more tangy. We also have a lovely arugula salad that’s dressed with a Toasted Lemon Vinaigrette—heaven!
- This Toasted Cumin Vinaigrette is absolutely dashing. We love it on roasted veggies, but it’s also great on leafy green salads.
- And of course the Zestful Kitchen’s House Vinaigrette. It’s a classic and a go-to for us.
FAQs
This vinaigrette can be made ahead. We recommend storing it in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Sure, you can skip the honey if you feel like it. Though it’s such a small amount that we think the benefits of the honey outweigh the minimal added sugar.
You can simply swap the whole grain Dijon mustard with regular Dijon mustard.
If you don’t have red wine vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar. And if you want to avoid vinegar altogether use fresh lemon juice.
Simple Mustard Vinaigrette
Description
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1½ teaspoons honey
- 1 small clove garlic, grated
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all vinaigrette ingredients to a liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Whisk together until emulsified.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
