Oil and vinegar salad dressing in a glass container with a salad and two white bowls behind all on a white surface (with logo overlay)

How to Make Basic Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing

Combine a few simple ingredients to make your own oil and vinegar salad dressing to dress up a simple salad.

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So many salad dressings on the store shelves have preservatives and added ingredients in them. Making your own at home is a great way to control exactly what goes into your food. 

Sometimes, a simple oil and vinegar salad dressing is all you need to dress up a regular salad. It’s easy to mix up a few basic ingredients and have your own homemade dressing. If you don’t like something in this mix, switch it out. Make this your own so you don’t have to buy store-bought dressings again!

Getting the perfect balance of oil to vinegar is the most important part of making homemade vinaigrettes. I find that about 3 parts oil to 6 parts vinegar works best. Or, in other words, a 2:1 ratio. 

This recipe will make about 1/2 cup of dressing. If you need more, you can easily scale the recipe by adding more of everything. 

Additional Add-Ins for Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing

There are a lot of ways you can add some flavor or a different taste to your homemade salad dressing.

  1. Switch the white wine for red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
  2. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  3. Add fresh garlic cloves, fresh herbs, dried herbs, or red pepper flakes for more taste
  4. Mix in a little bit of Dijon mustard or mustard seed
  5. Make it sweeter with a pinch of sugar or brown sugar

How to Serve

Oil and vinegar dressing is delicious over a bed of leafy greens or on kale salads. 

It’s also delicious as a simple bread dip (especially if you use garlic) or for a drizzle on soups. 

Add some cooked meat to a bed of greens with bell peppers and red onions and sprinkle it with oil dressing. 

Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic, minced, dried
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
Ingredients for oil and vinegar salad dressing

Preparation

In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together.

Oil and vinegar salad dressing ingredients with a wire whisk in a stainless steel bowl

Use immediately or cover and store in the fridge.

Oil and vinegar salad dressing in a glass container with a salad and two white bowls behind all on a white surface (vertical)

Oil & Vinegar Salad Dressing Leftovers

Storage: Put extra salad dressing in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. I like to store it in a mason jar. Give it a good shake before using it again.

Recipe

Originally Published On: May 23, 2022

Last Updated On: October 18, 2023

Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing

Combine a few simple ingredients to make your own oil and vinegar salad dressing to dress up a simple salad.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course:
Homemade Staple
Cuisine:
American
Diet
Gluten Free
|
Vegan
|
Vegetarian
Keyword:
oil and vinegar
|
salad
|
salad dressing
|
vinegar
Dietary Needs:
Dairy-Free
|
Egg-Free
|
Gluten-Free
|
Keto
|
Nut-Free
|
Paleo
|
Vegan
Servings: 5
5 from 11 votes

Ingredients

  • 6 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic (minced, dried)
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together
  • Use immediately
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Nutrition Facts
Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing
Amount Per Serving (2 tbsp)
Calories 98 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Sodium 293mg12%
Potassium 12mg0%
Carbohydrates 1g0%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 1IU0%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 3mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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27 thoughts on “How to Make Basic Oil and Vinegar Salad Dressing”

  1. This looks so good and refreshing! During summer we are all about fresh salads because it is so hot in South Florida. This salad dressing is perfect and not heavy! Can’t wait to try

  2. 5 stars
    Wow! This salad dressing recipe looks absolutely delicious. Perfect match for any salad we want to do especially the veggies type of salad.

  3. 5 stars
    This dressing is so healthy and it really spices up simple salads like lettuce and cucumber. This is definitely a make again recipe for me.

  4. I haven’t made my own dressing in a long time but this reminds me I should try again! This recipe sounds delish!

  5. 5 stars
    This sounds so much more exciting and tastier than a basic oil and vinegar dressing. I love the addition of the garlic. That would be perfect for my salad tomorrow.

  6. We don’t buy salad dressing anymore. Most times I just add a little apple cider vinegar but this sounds yum and my husband loves adding lemon to his salads.

  7. I love a good salad dressing, but never use it enough to buy some. And this is so easy to make, I’d probably add loads more garlic haha x

  8. 5 stars
    Adding in garlic and lemon zest is a really good idea. It really does give the salad dressing that extra flavour kick. This is one of my favourite dressings.

  9. 5 stars
    Nothing tops a simple salad dressing like this when you need one in a pinch. I think homemade is better and healthier too so I always try to make my own.

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