Delia Smith Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

Delia Smith’s vinaigrette dressing is a basic salad dressing recipe built in a pestle and mortar with garlic, Maldon sea salt, mustard powder, balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil. It takes 5 minutes, makes enough for 4 servings, and once you learn the vinaigrette ratio you will never buy a bottle again.

I stopped buying shop dressings after making this once. Delia teaches the method in her How to Cook series and the mustard powder is the trick: it thickens the dressing so it clings to leaves instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.

More Salad Recipes:

• Potato Salad
• Caesar Salad
• Greek Salad

What Is the Basic Formula for a Vinaigrette?

The standard vinaigrette ratio is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Delia uses 5 tablespoons of olive oil to 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, which is closer to 5:1, making her version milder and less sharp than a classic French vinaigrette.

The garlic and mustard powder do the heavy lifting. I have made vinaigrette without them and it tastes thin, just oil and vinegar with nothing holding it together.

Vinaigrette Dressing Ingredients

• 1 rounded teaspoon of Maldon sea salt
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• 1 rounded teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
• 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly milled black pepper

How To Make Delia Smith Vinaigrette Dressing

1. Crush the garlic: Place the garlic clove and Maldon sea salt in a pestle and mortar. Crush together until you have a smooth paste.
2. Add the mustard: Work the mustard powder into the garlic paste with about 20 seconds of circular grinding.
3. Add the vinegar: Pour in the balsamic vinegar and some freshly milled black pepper. Work it into the paste the same way.
4. Whisk in the oil: Add the olive oil, switch to a small whisk, and whisk everything together until the dressing is glossy and emulsified.

Simple Vinaigrette Variations

Delia teaches several versions in How to Cook. For a French vinaigrette, sometimes called a French dressing, swap the balsamic for red wine vinegar and use Dijon mustard instead of the powder, or for a stronger balsamic dressing, double the balsamic to 2 tablespoons and reduce the oil to 4.

For a lemon salad dressing like the one in her warm potato salad, replace the vinegar with fresh lemon juice and add the zest. I keep a jar of each in the fridge and grab whichever suits the salad.

What To Use Vinaigrette On

Any green salad is the obvious one, but I also drizzle it over roasted vegetables, cold chicken, and steamed asparagus. It works as a marinade too: I have used it on lamb chops before grilling and it gives them a sharp crust.

For a vinaigrette salad, toss it through leaves just before serving. The brown rice salad and couscous salad both use vinaigrette as their base, and it is the starting point for most of Delia’s salad dressings.

How Long Does Vinaigrette Keep?

In a sealed jar in the fridge, it keeps for up to a week. The oil will solidify when cold, so take it out 10 minutes before using and give it a good shake.

I make a double batch every Sunday and it lasts the whole week. If the garlic taste gets too strong after a few days, just add a splash more oil to mellow it out.

Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 150 kcal
• Fat: 17g
• Carbohydrates: 0g
• Fibre: 0g
• Protein: 0g

Nutrition is estimated per serving based on 4 servings.

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• Fruit Salad
• Coleslaw
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