Bottled salad dressings are one of the most unnecessary items in a supermarket shopping basket. A homemade vinaigrette takes two to three minutes to prepare, costs a fraction of the shop-bought equivalent, contains no preservatives or stabilisers, and tastes dramatically better. More importantly, once you understand the basic ratio and the principle of emulsification, you can make dozens of different dressings from whatever ingredients you have available, adapting to the salad, the season, and your own taste preferences without needing a specific recipe for each one.
The Vinaigrette Ratio: The Foundation of All Dressings
The classic vinaigrette ratio is 3 parts oil to 1 part acid. The acid can be wine vinegar (red or white), cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, or any combination thereof. The oil is typically extra-virgin olive oil for most vinaigrettes, though other oils — walnut, hazelnut, avocado, or a blend of olive and neutral oil — work equally well. Start with this 3:1 ratio and then adjust to your palate — some prefer a more acidic dressing (closer to 2:1); others prefer it rounder and more oil-forward. The ratio is a starting point, not a fixed rule. Taste as you go and adjust.
A basic vinaigrette can be made in a jar: add the acid first, then the oil, a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper, seal the lid and shake. It will emulsify temporarily for immediate use. For a more stable dressing, add a small amount of Dijon mustard before the oil — mustard contains lecithin, an emulsifying agent that helps oil and vinegar form a stable, creamy emulsion that does not separate as quickly.
What Is Emulsification and Why Does It Matter?
Oil and water (and water-based liquids like vinegar) do not naturally mix — the oil molecules are repelled by water molecules and rise to the surface. An emulsion is a stable mixture of two normally incompatible liquids, achieved by breaking one into tiny droplets and coating those droplets with an emulsifying agent that keeps them suspended in the other. In a vinaigrette, the emulsifier helps the oil droplets stay dispersed in the vinegar, creating a creamy, unified dressing that coats the salad evenly rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Mustard is the most common emulsifier for vinaigrettes — just half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard is enough to stabilise a small jar of dressing. Egg yolk is a stronger emulsifier (it contains more lecithin) and is used for heavier, more stable emulsions like mayonnaise and Caesar dressing. Honey, garlic paste, and miso all contribute some emulsifying properties while also adding their own flavours.
Building a Classic Dijon Vinaigrette
In a small jar with a tight lid, combine: 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, half a teaspoon Dijon mustard, a small pinch of salt and sugar, and a grind of black pepper. Seal and shake to dissolve the salt and combine. Add 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Seal and shake vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds. Taste and adjust: more acid if it needs brightening, more oil if it is too sharp, more salt if it tastes flat. This basic dressing keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week and works on almost any green salad, roasted vegetable salad, or grain bowl.
Creamy Dressings: Beyond the Vinaigrette
Creamy dressings use a thick, fat-rich base — mayonnaise, Greek yoghurt, buttermilk, tahini, or soured cream — instead of or in addition to oil. Caesar dressing is made by blending egg yolk, garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil into a thick, intensely savoury emulsion, finished with Parmesan. Ranch dressing combines mayonnaise and buttermilk with garlic powder, onion powder, dill, chives, and parsley. Tahini dressing blends tahini with lemon juice, garlic, and water to a consistency somewhere between a dip and a dressing — extraordinary on roasted vegetables, grain bowls, and Middle Eastern salads. Yoghurt dressings are lighter and tangier than mayonnaise-based options and work beautifully with cucumber, grain salads, and alongside grilled meats.
Flavour Variations: Adapting the Base
The 3:1 vinaigrette formula is endlessly variable. Swap the red wine vinegar for balsamic and add a little honey for a sweet balsamic glaze-style dressing that pairs beautifully with rocket, pear, and Parmesan. Use rice wine vinegar and a drop of sesame oil for an Asian-inspired dressing for noodle salads. Add finely minced shallot, parsley, and tarragon for a classic French shallot vinaigrette. Replace half the olive oil with walnut oil and use sherry vinegar for an autumn dressing for bitter leaves and roasted beetroot. A small amount of miso paste in place of some of the salt adds extraordinary umami depth. Squeeze in some orange juice, use sherry vinegar and a pinch of smoked paprika for a Spanish-inspired dressing. The formula stays the same; only the flavour inputs change.
Dressing a Salad Properly
How you dress a salad matters almost as much as the dressing itself. Add the dressing to a large bowl and toss the salad leaves in it immediately before serving — never in advance, as the acid wilts the leaves. Use less dressing than you think you need and add more if necessary; overdressed salad is heavy and unpleasant. The dressing should coat the leaves lightly, not pool at the bottom of the bowl. For grain and vegetable salads that can absorb dressing without wilting, dress them 10 to 20 minutes before serving so the flavours meld and absorb into the ingredients.
Making salad dressing from scratch is one of those small, high-impact habits that genuinely improves the quality of eating at home. Two minutes of effort produces something fresher, more flavourful, and healthier than anything in a bottle. Once you have the ratio memorised and a sense of the flavour principles, you will find yourself inventing new variations instinctively, turning a simple salad into something you are genuinely excited to eat.
