French Dijon Vinaigrette Recipe (Easy & Quick)

Should you ever spend time with a French family, you will be blessed, indeed. During my year in France I was “adopted” by la famille Durieux who took me under their wing, coaching my French pronunciation as well as my French cooking.

I enjoyed some of the best meals of my life with Jean-Marc, Michele, Delphine, and Gregory.

This classic Dijon Vinaigrette is one that we enjoyed on salads most days, when salad was simply a bowl of greens and vinaigrette served after the main dish and before the cheese course.

I had to learn how to make it because I quickly learned that homemade dressings taste soooo much better than what’s in the bottle, one of the very best salad toppings.

Why Make My French Family’s Dijon Vinaigrette:

It tastes great on so many things. This Dijon Vinaigrette dressing goes great on almost any salad or bowl, with or without fancy toppings. It’s perfect for a Tuna Salade Nicoise. Try it with your next Salade Composee! This dressing also works well as a nice chicken marinade.

It’s very make-ahead. While it’s easy enough to mix up just enough Dijon Vinaigrette for one night’s meal, I often mix up a jar of it to use on my daily meal prep salads or with packed lunches. It should be good in the fridge for about a week. 

This is a great base dressing to jazz up however you like. What I’m presenting here is the straight up version without the embellishment of herbs and spices, but you can definitely go off road and add your favorites to change things up. I’ve included some mix-in’s below. Michele often stirred in finely chopped onion which tastes so darn good!

You’ll avoid food waste. Be honest. How many half bottles of dressing are clanking around in the door of your fridge? You can avoid all that clutter when you learn to make a vinaigrette yourself!

Ingredients

You need just a few simple ingredients to make Dijon Vinaigrette:

Dijon mustard – This is a staple in French kitchens. It’s pungent and can vary in intensities. Maille is my favorite brand from France, but there are lots of options. If you’d like a mustard with a milder flavor, check out this mustard taste-test to find a good fit.  As a natural emulsifier, the mustard gives the dressing body as well as flavor. 

red wine vinegar – Red wine vinegar is cheap and easy to find, as well as being the French classic. However, you can swap in white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if that’s what you have. Fresh lemon juice is also a nice alternative.

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – use your favorites

oil – You can use extra virgin olive oil or a milder salad oil like sunflower, which is quite popular in France. Avocado oil is also a great option as well as canola oil.

Optional mix-ins – Finely chopped red onion or pressed garlic clove are a nice option as are your favorite fresh herbs. If you like a sweeter dressing you can add some honey or maple syrup, but in my experience, this classic French dressing doesn’t have added sugars.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to make this easy Dijon Vinaigrette recipe:

In a small bowl or jar place the Dijon mustard. Stir in the red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste, stirring until well combined.

Add the oil in a thin stream, stirring until a thick emulsion forms. Serve over your favorite salads. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Recipe Tips

Straight from my French family:

• The Durieux never measure out the ingredients for this Dijon Vinaigrette; they just spoon in mustard and pour in vinegar and oil until it looks right. That’s how I generally make it as well. Why dirty more dishes?
• If you’re going to toss the whole salad with dressing, mix the Dijon Vinaigrette in the bottom of the salad bowl prior to adding the salad greens. You’ll save washing a dish!
• Add the salt and pepper to the mustard and vinegar mixture before you add the oil to make sure they dissolve!
• Don’t be afraid to add more of something to suit your preferences.

Serving Suggestions: Dijon vinaigrette is great over simple green salads, but is also tasty on grain bowls, grilled vegetables, and meats. It’s a really good marinade for chicken, too!

To Make a Meal Prep: If you’re going to pack Dijon Vinaigrette with your lunch preps, hold off adding the dressing until you’re ready to eat. Store the dressing in small sauce cups in the fridge. It should be good for about a week. 

Make a Plan for Leftovers: Promptly refrigerate leftover dressing and use it up within a week. If you use olive oil, chances are good the oil will solidify a bit in the cold. Leave it at room temperature to soften the oil before dressing your green salad.

Great Recipes to Top with Dijon Vinaigrette

Easy Tuna Salade Nicoise (Classic French Recipe)

Egg Sandwiches with Vegetables

Ham and Cheese Salad

Easy Chicken Quinoa Bowl