Even if you don't opt to make a full-blown Niçoise salad, this delicious Niçoise vinaigrette will make any version of fresh greens or veggies magical. 😉
Whenever I make this classic dressing, it makes me want to brush up on my French language skills. Or go to France. It's just such a delightfully inspiring and fresh tasting treat over a Niçoise salad--or even just some simple greens. So good.
I hope this is one of those recipes that you'll want to make over and over again once you see how simple it is; I know it is in our kitchen! And if you like this one, you might also be interested in this easy Greek salad dressing or apple cider vinaigrette.
🌿 Ingredients
There are just a handful of ingredients in this dressing recipe, and you don't need to travel to France to find them! All super easy to find in large grocery stores. If you can't find champagne vinegar, you can easily substitute white wine vinegar which is nearly identical in taste.
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
To make this dressing recipe, simply chop the shallot and fresh herbs and whisk everything together in a mixing bowl. Better yet, use a Mason jar to shake everything up and store in the fridge if you're not serving it right away.
📋 Substitutions
This vinaigrette is really flexible if you don't have everything on hand or have specific dietary requirements. As written, this recipe is vegetarian and gluten free.
- Vegan - substitute agave syrup for honey, or feel free to leave honey out
- Champagne vinegar - substitute white or red wine vinegar, regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- Olive oil - use another mild vegetable oil such as avocado oil or canola oil
- Shallot - substitute very finely chopped red onion
- Fresh thyme and basil - use half the amount of the dried spice for either or both of these, or leave one out if you don't have both
- Dijon mustard - use stone ground mustard or yellow mustard
🔪 Equipment
Very minimal equipment is needed for this Niçoise dressing. Here are the things I used:
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- Mason jar
🍱 Storage
This dressing will stay fresh for store up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. If the olive oil solidifies, just let it sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes after removing it from the fridge.
🎉 Top tip
Don't limit this dressing to just a Niçoise salad! It's delicious over any part of that famous salad including hard boiled eggs, boiled potatoes, tuna or salmon, tomatoes and green beans. Or just keep things simple and serve over chopped Romaine lettuce. With only 10 minutes required to make the dressing, it's worth it for any combination of the above.
Enjoy!
💭 FAQ
Niçoise salad dressing is a vinaigrette typically consisting of olive oil, white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard as its base. Salt, pepper and fresh herbs like thyme, basil and parsley round out its characteristic flavor.
Yes. While white wine or champagne vinegar are more traditional, Niçoise salad dressing also tastes great with red wine vinegar, regular white vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Dijon mustard helps to emulsify Niçoise salad dressing when it's whisked into the dressing, but for even creamier dressing you can blend everything together in a blender or food processor before serving.
Some separation or solidification of the olive oil is normal. Before serving, simply leave your dressing out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes and give it a little shake to reincorporate all of the ingredients.
🍳 Recipe
Niçoise Salad Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅛ cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup for vegan
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine: Place all of the ingredients into a covered Mason jar and shake to combine, or whisk together in a bowl.
- Enjoy: Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.
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