Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette for the Perfect Green Salad

Shallots often make a recipe so much better than using garlic or onions. A few tablespoons of minced shallots really make you feel like you’re eating your salad in France!

What is a Shallot?

Shallots look more like tear drops than round spheres (like onions). Their skin can be orange or red or a combination of both. They are slightly sweet, milder than onions and have just a hint of garlic. In other words, the perfect addition to a beautiful vinaigrette.

A member of the allium family, shallots are closely related to onions, garlic and chives. They are the perfect thing to use when you want a little onion, a little garlic and a little umami. I  cannot explain that extra something a shallot has over an onion, but this recipe won’t be the same trying to sub garlic or onion for this shallot vinaigrette.  Shallots have a milder taste and importantly a milder smell. 

Why Champagne Vinegar

Champagne vinegar is a mild, slightly floral vinegar very suitable for delicate lettuces, yet will deliver an umami experience, especially with shallots. You can substitute with a sherry vinegar or a white wine vinegar.

The funny thing is that while I  love shallots in a vinaigrette, I  detest raw onion in salad. Just recently I  ordered a Cobb salad that had strips of red onion hidden and lunch was ruined for me. I  can’t even take the smell of raw onion, but loved caramelized onions and grilled onions. Shallots, however, are a different story, and are always found in my pantry.

What Kind of Salads are Well Suited to Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette?

Endive salads, red cabbage salads, crunchy vegetable salads are especially suited, but any kind of green leaf lettuce salad would be fine too. I  especially love shallot vinaigrette on salads that include bacon. 

My Perfect Green Salad with Shallot Champagne Vinaigrette

This shallot vinaigrette is suitable for delicate and sturdy lettuces. If using a delicate dressing, go very lightly, adding a little at at time. I tend to keep delicate lettuces simple, adding only one extra ingredient like a sprinkle of feta, blue or goat cheese.

Shallot vinaigrette is very suitable with heavier greens, chards, kale, or romaine, and that’s the time to add in more ingredients such as nuts, apples, pears, grapes, cheese, bacon.

The Key to the Perfect Green Salad

I’m known for my salads. I am the one that brings the salad to every event, and it always disappears quickly. I can tell you why with these important tips.

• Dress and Toss the salad before serving. There’s nothing worse than being served lettuce and expected to dress it yourself. It never takes hold properly.
• Taste along the way. Delicate lettuces do not need much dressing, and do best with vinaigrettes vs. creamy dressings.
• FAT – SALT – ACID – This is a general rule of cooking and balanced taste. You get the fat from the oil, the acid, from the vinegar and lemon and you MUST USE SALT. The trick is the combination of these. Most cooks go too lightly on the acid and forget how important salt is.
• TASTE – I can’t emphasize enough how important tasting is to success. Take a piece of the lettuce you are using, and dip it into your vinaigrette and make adjustment as needed. Salt that bite before you try. Once you dress the greens, taste again. You can always add a sprinkle of vinegar if the acid seems too low.
• Practice these tips and I promise you salad will become something your family and friends love.

Ingredients for Recipe

• Champagne Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Dijon Mustard
• Shallots
• Lemon Juice

More Vinaigrettes from Spinach Tiger

• Warm Maple Cider Vinaigrette
• Maple Vinaigrette
• Champagne Vinaigrette
• Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
• Red Wine Vinaigrette
• Chive Vinaigrette