Unsweetened Simple Vinaigrette

Elizabeth Kelly
Apr 2
2 min read

You can never go wrong having a simple vinaigrette in your personal recipe book, and this unsweetened vinaigrette is versatile and quick to make. The extra perk - it uses items you would typically have in your pantry.

small glass sealing jar of unsweetened simple vinaigrette, with a bottle of oil and a bottle of vinegar behind it. To the right and slightly behind the jar is a small white ramekin of chopped salad.

Of course, for me, the first benefit of making my own vinaigrette is it has no salt, a must with my diet. If you are reducing your salt or watching your intake, making your own just makes sense to make your own salad dressing. Secondary is the additives, just real ingredients. Finally, is the quantity. You can make small batches that take up less room in the fridge and leave room for variety without dealing with multiple bottles of salad dressing. While this salad dressing makes just under a cup, it can be made in lesser quantities, ideal if there is just you or your partner.

Versatility also rates high for this recipe. You can vary the type of oil and the type of vinegar, but also the ratios. I don’t like a lot of vinegar, and will often reduce that and increase the lemon or use apple cider vinegar which I find I like better. And let’s not forget that it can be a quick marinade. Add some herbs or grated lemon rind for a quick marinade for chicken, beef, fish, tofu or to lightly coat vegetables for roasting.

This is the type thing that I would make on my prep day, an ingredient that I will need for the week. I make a jar and can use it over different types of salads, adding minced garlic and or onion or other fresh or dried herb I might have on hand at the time that will suit the salad I am making. For another meal, I might add some Italian seasoning to marinate some chicken.

The combinations you can come up with for the oil and the vinegar give you a huge variety from this simple recipe. Replace 3/4 of the vinegar with balsamic vinegar for a balsamic vinaigrette, use apple cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar, whatever you have on hand. Olive oil would be wonderful on a chopped or pasta salad while I prefer a lighter oil for delicate greens or cucumber.

Let me know in the comments what combinations you use and enjoy?

Serving Suggestions

Serve over a green salad, chopped salad, pasta salad or bean salad.

Substitutions

Substitute any oil or type of vinegar. If you don’t have dry mustard, use a slightly heaping ½ tsp Dijon or yellow mustard (or if you are increasing the recipe, 1 tbsp of prepared mustard for every tsp of dry mustard).

Storage

Store in the refrigerator 3-5 days. Some oils, especially olive oil, will solidify in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or let the jar stand in warm water for a few minutes to melt it.