The Best French Vinaigrette You'll Ever Have | Cup of Jo (2024)

Not sure how I came upon this post years later, but so glad I did. Best dressing I’ve made. I was always so envious of those delicious salads in French restaurants and now I can make it myself. Thank you!

This is one of the most delicious salad dressing I have ever made. I must admit, I was lazy and put everything into my Vitamix blender then seasoned with pepper, and I also used anchovy paste. We used it on a spinach salad, and it dressed it up perfectly!

It is not vinaigrette without vinegar. Should use both lemon and vinegar and a bit of salt to intensify the flavors.
My grandmother used to make the perfect dressing. She used lemon and vinegar. This was a woman who used have huge dinners for the diplomatic corps in South America. She learned a lot from the chefs.

Someone asked me this question over the weekend and I must have really raised an eyebrow or something, because the person went on to Free Shipping Yacon Syrup UK say she really just wanted to have the BEST wedding possible and how do you go about getting it?Someone asked me this question over the weekend and I must have really raised an eyebrow or something,because the person went on to say she really just wanted to have the BEST wedding possible and how do you go about getting it?

I love Arugula with Mozzarella and Mango (sounds weird but it completely won me over) or Romaine with Shrimp, Avocado and Grapefruit.

You use anchovy paste if you don’t feel like mashing up anchovies?..
Just a thought.

YUM! I have always been afraid of using anchovies, bus this dressing sounds glorious…and not too sweet :)

I’ve made this twice over the past week and absolutely love it. It goes great with all the vegetables I get in my CSA box. Thanks!

nice

great work

good

nice work

great

I made this salad dressing by replacing the anchovy with capers mushed in the mortar & pestel with the garlic and it was superb. I’m going to eat this all Summer long!

nice post

thanks for sharing the recipe!!

Does Amanda have a recommendation for a good mortar and pestle?

I read Mr. Latte during a post-breakup trip to Vegas and I swear it cured me. Plus, this recipe is incredible. Totally throwing it on my Pinterest board. Thank you!!

Errr if I may… I’m French and if it’s called vinaigrette it’s because it’s suppose to contain some vinaigre… Red wine vinegar for a basic vinaigrette and balsamic for something a bit fancier.

I think vinaigrette is the first recipe every French kids learns. My husband learned it from his grandmother and he already taught it to our 4 yr old daughter. One wooden spoon, three spoons of olive oil, one spoon of red wine vinegar poured right over the greens. Toss. Voila! Xx

I have just discovered anchovies in dressings and they are addictive little fishies. At the moment I am loving lightly grilled zucchini strips with a touch of olive oil with toasted pine nuts, creamy vintage cheese piece, thin red onion rings and a scatter of baby spinach leaves.
Thank you. Elizabeth from thedotdotblog

I cannot eat salad dressing that is that heavy on the oil. Mine is usually almost 50/50 olive oil and vinegar. Yuck. It sounds really yummy but I like my dressing far more sharp. That isn’t even vinaigrette, technically.

Sounds delicious and still simple – not too many ingredients – I love that.
Can’t wait to try it out.

food52 once featured a shaved brussels sprouts salad from m.wells, that i’ve happily and repeatedly bastardized. this dressing would be an amazing addition! mostly now i just add the parmesan and speck with the sprouts and simple dressing, but i can’t wait to try it a new way.
http://www.food52.com/recipes/8647_brussels_sprouts_salad_a_la_m_wells

love mr. latte, and love amanda hesser. you get the best bloggers, and i so love this whole series!

Forgot to mention another good French salad — Salad Nicoise — greens with tuna, potato, marinated green beans, capers, and hard-boiled egg quarters, served with vinaigrette. It is very good as a main course in the summer… we just had it for dinner tonight, but had to substitute green olives for capers and cucumbers for green beans — no one seemed to mind! Always love to get new ideas for salads — great post!

i toss avocado, caramelized walnuts, dried cranberries and a bag of spring greens with my homemade dressing (evoo, shallot, mustard, champagne vinegar, salt, pepper and just a little honey)

That’s almost the recipe my dad always made growing up, but the anchovy is something new I must try!

I studied abroad in Angers, France and my host mom made the most amazing dressing ever! No French woman will ever give you their recipe for vinaigrette. I’m desperately trying to recreate it still!!

Tender baby spinach, thin sliced purple onion, chunky tomatoes, chopped green bellpepper, feta cheese, kalamata olives (optional) – dress with balsamic and olive oil (half and half in small leak proof container – shake well to combine). The dressing mixes with the feta to make a creamy, tart dressing, the tomato and onion have sweetness, the bell pepper adds a crisp crunch. It’s so easy to throw together. The perfect bite has a little of everything. Top with grilled chicken for a meal!

Hmm… I wonder if I could substitute capers for the anchovy? I know, not totally authentic, but I am not a huge fan of anchovies…

My go-to dressing is olive oil and balsamic vinegar. When I use Dijon mustard, I always omit the vinegar. It’s a good strong taste just with the olive oil and Dijon. Have to try this one with anchovy and lemon!

@Katie Jameson roz: Vingear AND lemon? Lemon is so much better than vinegar in salad dressings unless you’re going for that balsamic taste.

Have made this dressing (sans anchovy) for my whole life. The anchovy is a great idea, I will have to try it.

My husband and I love butter lettuce with grilled chicken breast (seasoned with lemon zest, basil, garlic powder salt&pepper, boiled egg slices, thin slices of apple, yellow pepper, avocado, red pepper goat cheese and a sprinkling of these raw food food snacks called “krumbleez” ( the apple cranberry kind). It sounds like such a mash up- but all together it is so wonderful with a tangy/garlicky vinaigrette. We eat this at least once a week.

My husband and I love butter lettuce with grilled chicken breast (seasoned with lemon zest, basil, garlic powder salt&pepper, boiled egg slices, thin slices of apple, yellow pepper, avocado, red pepper goat cheese and a sprinkling of these raw food food snacks called “krumbleez” ( the apple cranberry kind). It sounds like such a mash up- but all together it is so wonderful with a tangy/garlicky vinaigrette. We eat this at least once a week.

Cooking for Mr. Latte is one of those books I like to reread while eating. :)

I am forever looking for good vinaigrette recipes, and this one definitely just jumped to the top of my to-do list. Yum!

i love that i’m craving a salad right now!!! now that is impressive writing. :)

My sister has been really into garlic lately. I haven’t developed a taste for it yet, but who knows!

Great recipe!…Need to remember that one for diversity..Being married to a French man..we have made our French vinegarette for years! My favorite salad – fresh greens, shallots, pears and dried cranberries with a marvelous vinegarette!

ONE anchovy? I want to try this recipe because it sounds delicious but I’m wary of recipes that call for a teensy tiny bit of one ingredient, leaving the remaining tin of anchovies to idle in my refrigerator. I’ll have to find an entire anchovy recipe to justify making this vinaigrette.

I usually make my dressing with lemon and oil, but will definitely try this recipe with the anchovy, etc. Sounds delicious. i may have to use a food processor though bc i am too lazy for a mortar and pestle!

Mmm…I just came in from picking a bunch of arugala and some fresh raddishes. I know how they’ll be getting topped for lunch this afternoon ;)

When I came back from my last trip to Paris, I waxed nostalgic about the dressing too. No matter if you’re in a fancy restaurant or a hole in a wall they all seem to have it- I wish it was the standard house dressing in the US as well.
This recipe looks great (and the Food52 recipes are usually awesome), but for those who want something with vinegar, David Lebovitz has a great recipe for a “French Vinaigrette” too, featured here: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2009/11/how-to-make-french-vinaigrette/

Many times I just mix olive oil, lemon and shallots in the bottom of my salad bowl, but this sure takes it up a notch. My husband love anchovies, so I’ll have to try it.

Was the vinegar accidentally omitted from the recipe? Otherwise, while this may be a good dressing, how is it vinaigrette?

I love it when people can be funny while writing about cooking and food, it is the best of both worlds and my approach as well. :) I too, like to know that I am eating a salad, damn it! This dressing sounds so good and I have a fiance who can’t eat a lot of things (food allergies and intolerances) so we make a lot of things from scratch anyway and I have to constantly switch it up to make things interesting! Thanks for this fantastic recipe!

I finally got the kids eating salads and asking for more…as of yesterday. Thanks for this perfect recipe, it came at exactly the right time. I have no idea where to buy anchovies though as I have never considered ever buying one for any reason, so that will be the only “task” involved in this endeavor.

I have some fun/yummy/healthy salad ideas on my pinterest board.

i really need to try anchovies. for some reason, it’s one of my “scary foods,” but clearly, i need to get over myself because i’ve heard over and over and over again how it adds the BEST flavor to food. thanks joanna:)

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