This simple champagne vinaigrette is my favorite everyday dressing for salads. Champagne vinegar is pleasantly tart without being overly acidic. Mustard, minced shallot, and maple syrup create a balance of savory and sweet flavor. This vinaigrette is easy to make and wonderful on salads, as well as grain bowls and roasted vegetables. It’s a staple in my home!

Every home home cook should have a go-to vinaigrette recipe—something to dress up simple green salads, roasted vegetables, grain bowls, and more.

If you’ve been searching for your forever vinaigrette recipe, then perhaps you’ll allow me to share my go-to with you. It’s a perfectly balanced, champagne vinaigrette seasoned with finely diced shallots, and it’s a keeper.

The joys of an every day vinaigrette

I’m a big believer in keeping a jar of simple, unfussy, yet flavorful vinaigrette in the fridge.

There are other types of salad dressings, including nut or seed-based options (think creamy cashew carrot dressing, or delightfully green tahini dressing). But no other dressing is as quick and easy or as versatile as vinaigrette.

An excellent vinaigrette can be ready in minutes. And many home cooks will have the basic ingredients at home at any given moment.

Those ingredients are oil, vinegar or lemon juice, salt, and pepper. The addition of some finely diced shallot or minced garlic adds complexity, and shallots are my mix-in of choice for this champagne vinaigrette.

How to make a vinaigrette (with or without a recipe)

Vinaigrettes don’t really require the use of a recipe. Instead, you can conceptualize them as an ingredient ratio: two or three parts oil to one part vinegar.

Three parts oil will create a more mild vinaigrette, while two parts will give you a tart, acidic vinaigrette.

For seasoning, I use between a quarter and a half teaspoon of fine salt for each batch of vinaigrette (the yield is one half to two thirds of a cup). And I give each batch a few generous turns of black pepper—about 1/8 of a teaspoon.

Three parts oil + one part acid + salt as needed + freshly ground black pepper as needed = an adaptable formula for homemade vinaigrette.

Whisk it together or shake it up

Once you have an ingredient ratio at the ready, you’ll need to mix the vinaigrette.

I do this in one of two ways. Sometimes, I just put all of my ingredients into a mason jar, seal it tightly with its lid, and shake it like crazy.

If there’s a lot of acid in the vinaigrette, shaking alone might not be enough to really emulsify it. But most of the time, it works well.

When I’m being a little more patient, I like to whisk my vinaigrette together with a whisk or fork. This step can be done in a small mixing bowl, a mason jar, or in a Pyrex liquid measuring cup.

Why Champagne vinegar?

I nearly always use olive oil for my vinaigrette recipes. What varies is the choice of vinegar.

There’s a big flavor difference between a batch of balsamic vinaigrette versus red wine vinaigrette. As a result, I usually have a few types of vinegar on my kitchen countertop.

Champagne vinegar may be my favorite, and it’s the key ingredient in this champagne vinaigrette recipe.

Champagne vinegar is a wine-based vinegar, just like white or red wine vinegar. It’s made with a Chardonnay or pinot noir base that undergoes fermentation.

While Champagne vinegar is made in a similar fashion as red or white wine vinegar, it has a distinct flavor. It’s acidic without being overly sharp, and this mellow quality creates a great dressing.

You can usually find Champagne vinegar in grocery stores. If not, it’s available for purchase online. I’m a fan of the Napa Valley Naturals Champagne Vinegar.

For a treat, Brightland makes a double-fermented Champagne vinegar called Parasol, which is lovely—and nice for gifting.

My favorite Champagne vinaigrette

Once you’ve gotten your hands on a bottle of champagne vinegar, you can whisk together this very tasty vinaigrette. Here are the steps.

Step 1: Gather your ingredients

In addition to olive oil, Champagne vinegar, salt, and pepper, I add shallots, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup to my dressing.

The mustard will add some zippiness, while maple syrup is for balance. I add a little sweetener to nearly all of my salad dressing recipes to help balance out the acidity. Only a small amount is needed, but I think it makes a big difference.

You can omit the syrup, if you wish.

Step 2: Whisk or shake

Next, you’ll add all of the ingredients except for the minced shallots to whatever container you’re using to whisk the dressing up.

Whisk or shake the dressing vigorously, until it appears almost creamy. This is a sign that it’s emulsified evenly.

Add the shallots, and then whisk the dressing up again.

Step 3: Serve or store

Next, you’ll use the vinaigrette right away, or you can store it.

Meal prep & storage

The dressing will keep in an airtight container in the fridge—I usually use a mason jar—for up to one week.

What should I serve the Champagne vinaigrette with?

There are so many great uses for this versatile vinaigrette.

First and foremost, it’s perfect on a simple, leafy green salad (it’s especially nice in my butter lettuce side salad). I also love it on my super fresh green pea salad.

You can also massage the Champagne vinaigrette into a big bowl of curly kale or thin collard green ribbons.

Other raw vegetables that work well with the dressing are thinly sliced, shaved fennel, radicchio and other chicories, and tomatoes.

If you lean toward cooked vegetables, you can serve the vinaigrette with sautéed or roasted broccoli, lightly cooked green beans, grilled, steamed, or roasted asparagus, or simple oven roasted beets.

Basically, I don’t think you’ll have a hard time finding uses for this lovely salad dressing once you start making it.

Here’s the recipe.

If I ever casually mention “a simple vinaigrette,” you can be reasonably confident that it’s this Champagne vinaigrette I’m talking about.

I hope you’ll come to love it and rely on it, too.

xo