This golden-hued shallot lemon vinaigrette is a robust blend of juicy lemon, briny capers, and punchy shallots, balanced by the subtle sweetness of dried chervil and grounded with spicy Dijon mustard.

a spoonful of shalllot lemon vinaigrette is lifted from a bowl of the dressing

If the idea of mincing shallots makes you want to immediately close this page, you're in good company. Working with shallots has never been my strong suit. I actually lost points on my culinary school final exam due to shallots. And then on my first day at work, I was asked to mince shallots for the person training me, who later referred to my efforts as "fiddlesticking terrible". (sub colorful expletive of choice 🙃)

After cutting like, oh a billion shallots since then, I'm still not great at it! Practice has, decidedly not, made perfect. And guess what? That's fine. I've made peace with these funky little members of the onion family and you should too. Just take your time and dice them as small as you can. If you wind up with all different sized pieces, don't worry about it. Heck, get out the Slap Chop if you want to.

My point is, you don't have to be a restaurant professional to make a restaurant-style vinaigrette. The kind that can transform a random bowl of vegetables into a singular, cohesive dish. And this Bistro-Style Shallot Lemon Vinaigrette is just the thing to recreate that cant-get-it-anywhere-else feeling of a restaurant salad, right at home.

I actually designed this recipe specifically for my Arugula Steak Salad, and it turned out to be so good, it demanded its own page! The flavor is bold yet balanced, and far more layered than a simple combination of shallot and lemon. Dried chervil adds a subtle cast of sweet anise, while chopped capers deliver a briny pop that permeates the dressing, anchoring the flavor profile of any salad you toss in it.

ingredients for shallot lemon vinaigrette

all of the ingredients needed to make shallot lemon vinaigrette are laid out on a work surface and labeled

ingredient notes & swaps

As a key flavor in this vinaigrette, using fresh lemon juice and zest is especially important. The bottled stuff you can get in the store loses its floral sweetness, becoming sharper and more acidic with time. Not what you're looking for in a bistro-style dressing!
Capers are packed in a heavily salted brine, so you'll want to make sure to drain and rinse them before chopping. The best way is to just put the amount you're going to use in a little fine mesh strainer and run them under cold water.
The crisp, mild acidity of champagne vinegar is perfect for this dressing, working alongside that fruity fresh lemon juice to give your vinaigrette a bright lift without being overly sour. If you can't find champagne (or prosecco) vinegar, use a mild white wine vinegar instead.
Culinary school totally changed how I view Dijon mustard. Not only does it give dressings and sauces a tangy, savory bite, but it also has the unique ability of acting as an emulsifier; that is, it can help hold oil and water based ingredients together in a cohesive mixture. If you really don't like the flavor of mustard though, I get that. Try subbing in an equal amount of mayonnaise or greek yogurt. Full disclosure: I have not yet tried making this shallot lemon vinaigrette without mustard, so I cannot speak to the efficacy of these swaps!
Okay, what the heck is dried chervil? Think of it like a slightly more mild cousin of parsley, with subtle anise flavor. It gives undeniably French-inspired undertones to this lemon shallot vinaigrette recipe, so I really recommend picking up a bottle if you don't have one in your pantry yet! Dried parsley will work as a sub if you can't find chervil though.

What type of olive oil is best for making vinaigrette?

You want to use good quality, extra virgin olive oil for making vinaigrette. It can be from Italy, Greece, California, or anywhere in between! The key feature is just to make sure that it actually tastes good. Before making your vinaigrette, taste your oil by itself. It should be fruity and rich with a sharp bitterness. Depending on the variety, it may even have a bit of prickly heat to it!

shallot lemon vinaigrette is drizzled over a simple salad of arugula and thinly sliced mushrooms

shallot lemon vinaigrette recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Print Recipe

This golden-hued shallot lemon vinaigrette is a robust blend of juicy lemon, briny capers, and punchy shallots, balanced by the subtle sweetness of dried chervil and grounded with spicy Dijon mustard.

Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 1 ¼ cups 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped capers
¼ cup minced shallot
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon dried chervil
Salt and cracked black pepper, to taste (start with about ¼ teaspoon of each, then adjust)
¾ cup olive oil

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Zest and juice the lemon, then set aside. Lightly chop the capers set aside. Mince shallots and place them in a medium-size mixing bowl.
Add the lemon juice and the champagne vinegar to the bowl with the minced shallots and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.; this will help to soften the shallots and mellow their flavor.
Whisk the lemon zest, chopped capers, Dijon mustard, honey, dried chervil, salt, and black pepper into the shallot mixture.
Slowly stream the olive oil into the shallot mixture, whisking constantly, until all of the oil is incorporated and the dressing becomes thick and cohesive. The key here is to drizzle the oil in slowly, giving it time to emulsify with the acids and other ingredients.
Allow the dressing to sit for a few minutes, then whisk again and taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve your shallot lemon vinaigrette right away, or pour it into a jar or bottle and refrigerate until you're ready for it.