Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette dressing with chopped salad
Type	Salad dressing, sauce, or marinade
Main ingredients	Oil (soybean oil, canola oil, olive oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, or grape seed oil), vinegar, optionally herbs and spices

Vinaigrette (/vɪnəˈɡrɛt/ vin-ə-GRET) is made by mixing an oil with something acidic such as vinegar or lemon juice. The mixture can be enhanced with salt, herbs and/or spices. It is used most commonly as a salad dressing, but can also be used as a marinade. Traditionally, a vinaigrette consists of 3 parts oil and 1 part vinegar mixed into a stable emulsion, but the term is also applied to mixtures with different proportions and to unstable emulsions which last only a short time before separating into layered oil and vinegar phases.

"Vinaigrette" is the diminutive form of the French word "vinaigre" ("vinegar"). It was commonly known as "french dressing" in the 19th century.

In general, vinaigrette consists of 3 parts of oil to 1 part of vinegar whisked into an emulsion. Salt and pepper are often added. Herbs and shallots are added, especially when it is used for cooked vegetables or grains. Sometimes mustard is used as an emulsifier and to add flavour. Some vinaigrettes use a small amount of sweetener, such as maple syrup.

Vinaigrette may be made with a variety of oils and vinegars. Olive oil and neutral vegetable oils such as soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, or grape seed oil are all common.