Dijon mustard, wine vinegar, salt and oil whisked into a thick, sharp dressing in two minutes. The everyday French vinaigrette for green salads, made with canola, the Canadian cousin of the colza oil French cooks use.
In France, most families make vinaigrette in the bottom of the salad bowl rather than buying it, and mine did: mustard, vinegar and salt first, then the oil, then the leaves on top. It's four ingredients, and once you know the proportions it takes two minutes.
One thing to know in a Canadian supermarket: the bottle labelled French dressing is sweet, orange and tomato-based, nothing like this. A real vinaigrette is sharp and clean, and the Canadian version tastes the same as the French one, because canola does the job of the colza oil French families use.
One part vinegar, three parts oil
Add a spoon of mustard and that's the whole recipe. Dissolve the salt in the vinegar first: salt doesn't dissolve in oil, so if it goes in last you get gritty, unevenly seasoned dressing.
Which mustard?
A smooth Dijon, not yellow ballpark mustard, which is mild and vinegary and won't hold the oil the same way. Taste a little from the spoon: a good Dijon makes your nose tingle. More on jars and brands in the French mustard guide.
Making it in Canada
The 2 French ingredients, and what to buy for them in Canada.
Huile de colza ou de tournesol→Canola oil
French vinaigrette usually uses a neutral oil, often colza. Canola was bred in Canada from rapeseed, the same plant, and tastes just as neutral. Olive oil alone tastes heavy and can turn bitter in a blender; half and half, whisked by hand, is fine.
Vinaigre de vin→Red wine vinegar
Wine vinegar is sharp and clean. Avoid white distilled vinegar, which is harsh, and balsamic, which turns it sweet and brown. White wine vinegar works the same if that's what you have.
🛒 Unico Red Wine Vinegar (500 mL, made in Canada) is at Walmart. Most supermarkets shelve wine vinegars next to the balsamic, not with the white vinegar.
Good to know: A small jar of Dijon goes a long way: it keeps for months in the fridge once opened. French's Dijon, made with Canadian mustard seed, is at Walmart and Sobeys-group stores; Maille Dijon Originale is at Sobeys-group stores too.
Ready to cook?
Dijon Vinaigrette
Vinaigrette à la moutarde
Dijon mustard, wine vinegar, salt and oil whisked into a thick, sharp dressing in two minutes. The everyday French vinaigrette for green salads, made with canola, the Canadian cousin of the colza oil French cooks use.
Prep time
5 min
Cook time
0 min
Total time
5 min
Servings
6
Ingredients
Original recipe: 6 servings.
Instructions
Dissolve the salt. In the bottom of the salad bowl, or a small bowl, whisk the mustard, vinegar and salt until the salt dissolves. Add the shallot, if using, and pepper.
Emulsify. Pour in the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until the vinaigrette is thick, creamy and pale yellow, enough to cling to a lettuce leaf. Or shake everything in a closed jar for 20 seconds.
Taste. Dip a lettuce leaf in and taste. Add a little vinegar if it's flat, a little oil if it's too sharp.
Notes
Makes about 150 mL, enough for a large salad for 6: count about 25 mL (just under 2 tbsp) per person.
Keeps a week in a jar in the fridge, or 3–4 days with shallot. It separates as it sits: shake it again just before dressing the salad.
Variations: rub the bowl with a cut garlic clove first, swap a spoon of the canola for walnut oil on an endive salad, or stir in chopped chives.
For a honey-mustard version, add 1 tsp liquid honey. For more texture, add 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard, such as Maille Old Style (500 mL) on Voilà by Sobeys.
Course: Sauces & Basics · Cuisine: French · Adapted for Canadian kitchens
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