Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette

This Red Wine Shallot Dressing is a great salad dressing to always have as your go to dressing. Tastes fantastic and will elevate any salad!

Let’s get back to basics. What makes a good salad often comes down to the vinaigrette. We know it is easy to grab a bottle from the shops but it is as easy to create your own at home.

The classic French vinaigrette calls for a 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil. There is a growing trend to have more vinegar but this can be entirely up to your own taste. Some ingredients can take a more zesty punch, whilst others prefer a more mellow dressing.

What do you need to build your favourite vinaigrette?

Start with a good quality olive oil for base then add acidity of choice – can be a vinegar or citrus juice like lemon and lime. Next throw in an emulsifier like mustard, garlic or ginger. This helps bind the oil and vinegar together.

If you wish, you can then add herbs, onions or shallots to pep up the flavours. Season well with salt and pepper and add a little sweetener like honey or sugar to balance. Finally, give it a good shake.

Our Red Wine Shallot Vinaigrette is definitely on the tangy side as we keep equal parts oil and red wine vinegar. It was a perfect match for our Prawn and Avocado Salad with Golden Kiwi as the sweetness of the golden kiwi was able to take the extra zing.

Try it also with other salads that have citrus like grapefruit or oranges or pair with flavoursome protein like duck or steak.

Ingredients

These are the ingredients you need for red wine shallot vinaigrette:

Red shallot: A milder and more subtle flavour compared to an onion. It helps to complement a dish rather than overpower it.

Red wine vinegar: Add a good splash of good quality red wine vinegar for a tart and intense flavour. Never hurts to invest in a well aged red wine vinegar if you’re a salad lover. It will never go to waste.

For a good quality red wine vinegar with a good price tag, try Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar or if you’d like to splurge a little on a good barrel aged vinegar you can try Fini Red Wine Vinegar.

Extra virgin olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Perfect for salad dressings. If you’re getting the Pompeian Red Wine Vinegar, you can also try their Pompeian Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Salt and pepper: Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

Step by step instructions for how to make red wine shallot vinaigrette:

A tangy vinaigrette with red shallots to help tie the salad together.

Finely chop red shallots. Then mix all ingredients, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar and red shallots in a small bowl or shake well in a jar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Best Salad for This Dressing

Prawn and Avocado Salad with Golden Kiwi

Deliciously sweet with a shot of zing, Prawn and Avocado Salad with Golden Kiwi is a perfect meal for one, two or ten! The honey sweetness of golden kiwi paired with fresh prawns; buttery avocados tossed together with tangy red shallot vinaigrette creates contrast but a delectable balance.

More Salad Dressing Recipes

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