Martha Told Me to Make This 4-Ingredient Vinaigrette a Decade Ago—and It’s Still My Go-To

Maybe you want to make salad dressings at home, but it seems too complicated. How do you know which dressing to make? Will you have the ingredients on hand? Will it work with the lettuce you have? Years ago, Martha told me not to overthink it—and her favorite vinaigrette has been my go-to ever since. It’s quick, easy, and goes with all types of salads. It’s cheaper than buying store-bought dressing, you know what goes into it, and you control the ingredients, so it’s better for you. It’s a recipe you’re going to make so often you’ll know it by heart—and it will help you eat more salad, without having to think about it. Once you try it, you will definitely thank Martha.

Just a Few Basic Ingredients

You might expect Martha to use balsamic in her favorite dressing, but you’d be wrong. She prefers a less dominant vinegar for this versatile recipe and uses rice vinegar, which is widely available and easy to use. It’s lighter, so it doesn’t take over the dressing as balsamic does. You can also use white wine vinegar, that’s a Martha-approved swap for this recipe. For the tablespoon of mustard, I usually use Dijon, but you can use what you have on hand; a grainy mustard will also work well. The mustard adds a subtle bite to the dressing and helps it emulsify better, so don’t skip it.

Martha’s secret ingredient for this dressing is granulated sugar, just a pinch. It doesn’t make the dressing sweet, and you do miss it if you make the vinaigrette without it—I know I tried. It’s not bad, but I prefer the dressing with it. (If you opt for white-wine vinegar, you might need an extra pinch of sugar.) 

The main ingredient in the dressing is extra-virgin olive oil. This is when you need your best olive oil—what the pros call a finishing oil, a better quality one than you use for everyday sauteing. It will take your dressing to the next level. Inspired by Martha and her well-known dedicated olive oil cupboard, I usually have a couple of finishing oils in my cupboard, such as Frescobaldi Laudemio from Tuscany and Jenin from Canaan Collective in the West Bank. You only need one bottle, but you need it to be good.

The Method

Be like Martha! Make your dressing directly in the salad bowl because one less dish is one less thing to clean up. The tool for mixing the perfect vinaigrette might surprise you, I use a whisk, not a fork—it’s another trick I learned from the boss. A balloon whisk is the best thing for mixing all the ingredients quickly and easily. 

The process starts with whisking the vinegar with a little salt to dissolve the salt. Then adding a pinch or two of granulated sugar; how much is a matter of personal taste and will be impacted by the vinegar you use—rice vinegar is sweeter than a lot of other types of vinegar. Next is the mustard, whisked in rapidly. Then the big finish, drizzling in the olive oil like a chef would. Whisk it in until the dressing is rich, thick, and emulsified which takes less than a minute. That’s it, your new favorite dressing is ready for its salad.

Sometimes I go big and make a larger batch in a mason jar so I have vinaigrette on hand for salad for one, lunch, or whatever. It will keep about 2 weeks in the refrigerator—just give it a good shake before using. I've found that having the dressing ready to hand can make you more likely to eat a salad.

Mixing It Up

Once you have the basic version down pat, you can riff a little: add fresh dill fronds (a Martha favorite but not one of my go-tos), a little chopped parsley, some fresh thyme, or a tiny bit of tarragon. Bring on the garlic: 1 crushed clove or about 1 teaspoon minced. Or add chopped shallots, scallions, or green onions.

Another thing, don’t save this vinaigrette just for green leafy salads. I use it on grain salads, bean salads, pasta salad (so much better than a mayo pasta salad, truly!), grilled or roasted vegetables, and even to marinate fish or chicken.