Julia Child’s 3-Ingredient Dressing I'm Making on Repeat

When I first started culinary school, I had a huge salad habit. Not because I was a Registered Dietitian or because I loved salads necessarily, but because of how quickly and efficiently I could make them. This was important because while I was in culinary school, I was also working full-time.

I’d get to school at 5 a.m. and then head to work straight from class. Salads were easy to pack, traveled well, and I could eat them fast. It was the perfect meal. I’d gotten used to dropping $5 for my favorite bottled dressing at the store, but everything changed once I learned how to make my own vinaigrette.

I went to a culinary school where I learned all the French cooking techniques. Some things were lost on me (when will I ever make a terrine?), but others clicked, like how to make a vinaigrette. I’ll never forget my shock and amazement when I was able to turn simple ingredients into a delicious dressing.

And there’s no vinaigrette recipe as simple and that yields such consistently perfect results as Julia Child’s French vinaigrette. Even if you’re a self-proclaimed “terrible cook,” you can make it. It’s packed with flavor and is perfect for salad, of course, but it can be used in plenty of other ways, too.

How To Make Julia Child's 3-Ingredient Vinaigrette

Besides being an entertaining and lovely human, Julia Child was an excellent teacher. Her cookbooks are proof of that. You can open The French Chef Cookbook to any page and feel confident thanks to her clear instructions.

Her French vinaigrette is a great example of this. It’s simple and requires minimal prep and zero cooking. It’s as easy as combining finely minced shallot with Dijon mustard, salt, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, and pepper in a jar, sealing it, and then shaking it “with great vigor” (her fantastic words).

Here's what you'll need to make 1/2 cup vinaigrette:

• 1 to 2 tablespoons wine vinegar, or a combination of vinegar and lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon minced shallots or scallions

• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dry or Dijon mustard, optional

• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 6 to 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

How I Use Julia Child's Vinaigrette

Of course you can enjoy Child’s French vinaigrette on a beautiful green salad, but it can also be used in many other ways. One of my favorite uses is as a marinade for chicken. I’ll typically double the recipe and use half for the marinade, and the remaining half as a dressing.

The vinaigrette is also delicious as a condiment for sandwiches and wraps and adds perfect flavor to roasted potatoes and vegetables, especially when tossed together right after the veggies come out of the oven. Finally, I love drizzling it over grilled fish, seafood, poultry, or pork for the perfect finishing touch.

The bottom line? Skip the bottled stuff and make your own vinaigrette, specifically Julia Child’s French vinaigrette. It comes together quickly and adds the perfect hit of brightness and acidity to everything from salad to grilled fish. It’s French “cooking” at its finest—thanks Julia!

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