It’s no secret that a delicious vinaigrette has the ability to completely transform a salad. These vinaigrette recipes are perfect for elevating your salad routine and they were among our most saved using our MyRecipes feature. If you haven’t already tried it, MyRecipes offers a simple and efficient way to keep track of all your favorite EatingWell recipes. Whether you’re craving a zesty citrus kick from our Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette or a fresh, herb-infused flavor like our Basil Vinaigrette, there’s a delicious and easy-to-make vinaigrette to suit any occasion.
Julia Child’s Timeless Vinaigrette
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
When making her simple Sauce Vinaigrette recipe, Julia Child suggests using high-quality vinegar and oil, as their flavors will really shine through. We thought a pinch of sugar would balance the acidity and flavor of the ground mustard; feel free to add some if you find the dressing to be too strong.
Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
Eva Kolenko
While a 1-to-2 acid-to-oil ratio is common for vinaigrettes, shifting it to 1-to-1½ yields a dressing with a brighter flavor and fewer calories. That means for every 1/2 cup of acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, use 3/4 cup of oil in this salad dressing recipe.
Citrus Vinaigrette
This versatile citrus salad dressing gets a touch of natural sweetness from orange juice, which balances the acidity of the lemon juice. Use it in coleslaw for a mayo-free dressing, or drizzle it over winter greens with dried fruit and nuts.
Basil Vinaigrette
Drizzle this basil salad dressing over sliced tomatoes or cooked green beans. Or toss it into a grain salad for a pop of fresh summertime flavor.
Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette
Here is a great, all-purpose salad dressing. The pleasing pungency of Dijon mustard makes it a good match for slightly bitter greens, such as escarole, chicory, radicchio or Belgian endive. It also makes an irresistible dipping sauce for crunchy vegetables (especially fennel) and crusty whole-wheat bread.
Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette
Pick your favorite herb (or two!) to feature in this easy lemon-herb vinaigrette that’s perfect tossed with grilled veggies.
Apple-Cider Vinaigrette
This light, garlicky apple-cider vinaigrette tastes great with all manner of greens: delicate greens, peppery greens like arugula and hardy greens like kale.
Herb Vinaigrette
This fresh herb vinaigrette dressing recipe is great tossed with mixed greens or as a dressing for cold pasta salads. It’s easily adapted to whatever herbs and citrus you have on hand. Be sure to shake well before serving.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
In this balsamic vinaigrette recipe, the addition of Italian seasoning adds an extra layer of flavor and spice. Use as a quick and easy balsamic vinegar salad dressing or as a balsamic marinade for chicken that’s delicious and moist.
Garlic-Dijon Vinaigrette
This garlicky mustard vinaigrette is great to have in your repertoire as it goes with almost anything. The recipe makes plenty so you can fix it once and then have it on hand for several days. The garlic is delicious but bold here; use fewer cloves if you want to tone it down.
Olive Orange Vinaigrette
Minced olives add a briny flavor to this healthy homemade salad dressing. The dressing keeps for several days in the fridge, so make a big batch to use on your favorite dinner salads and side salads. Try it on a salad with sliced red onion and fresh oranges.
Parsley-Lemon Vinaigrette
Parsley has a lovely grassy flavor–but feel free to use any herb, such as cilantro, rosemary, basil or dill, in this healthy salad dressing.
Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette with Lemon
A healthy, tasty homemade salad dressing is as simple as shaking a few ingredients in a jar.
Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette
This versatile vinaigrette combines sesame oil, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, and green onions for a quick and easy salad dressing. Serve over torn romaine lettuce.
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette with Shallots
This healthy homemade salad dressing has just the right amount of sweetness without being cloying. Try it on a salad with fresh strawberries and spinach or arugula.
Charred Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette
Jacob Fox
This charred lemon-garlic vinaigrette picks up a pleasant smoky flavor from the grill. The garlic cooks just enough to mellow its flavor, and maple syrup balances the acidity nicely.
Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
This roasted red pepper vinaigrette recipe has a Spanish zing with the addition of sherry vinegar and smoked paprika. Purchased jarred roasted red peppers make this salad dressing recipe quick, or you can make it extra-special by roasting your own red peppers.
Lemon-Garlic-Parmesan Vinaigrette
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Holly Dressman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
This cheesy vinaigrette picks up savory notes from grated Parmesan and Dijon mustard. It works well tossed with anything from delicate greens like butterhead to hardier greens like escarole. Try it drizzled over roasted veggies or tossed with cooked grains.
Sherry Dijon Vinaigrette
This healthy salad dressing takes just a few minutes to whip together and keeps for several days in the fridge. Try it with spicy greens, such as arugula, or any of your favorite dinner salads.
Balsamic Berry Vinaigrette
Sweet balsamic vinegar combines with strawberry preserves and Greek yogurt to make this bold and fruity dressing, perfect for salads with sturdy greens like spinach and romaine.
Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette
This lemony dressing gets a refreshing herbal lift with chopped fresh basil. Serve it with ripe summer tomatoes for an easy side salad.
Cucumber Herb Vinaigrette
As the base of this herb-spiked dressing, pureed cucumber provides a mellow grassy flavor and a luxurious texture. Pureeing vegetables into a salad dressing is a great way to give it body (and to sneak in more low-cal vegetables). Experiment with tomatoes, arugula and/or roasted garlic to create your own dressing magic.
Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Christine Ma
Maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness to this balsamic vinaigrette. Toss with a salad of apples, Cheddar and spinach, or serve over hot or room-temperature asparagus.
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Once you try this easy vinaigrette recipe, you’ll want to use it in every meal. Meyer lemon adds acidity, while the sweetness from the honey and the sharpness from the shallot counterbalance to create a bright, flavorful vinaigrette.
Citrus-Lime Vinaigrette
Tangy and spicy, this citrus-lime vinaigrette with orange juice, jalapeno pepper, and fresh cilantro is perfect tossed with baby arugula.
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