House Dressing

By Samin Nosrat

Updated July 1, 2025

House Dressing
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
10 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(1,165)
Comments
Read comments

This perfect vinaigrette recipe comes from Via Carota, the charming West Village restaurant run by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi. Since I first wrote about this recipe, it’s become indispensable not only for me but also for my entire Culinary Brain Trust, who now simply call it House Dressing. This version comes from my book, “Good Things” (Random House, 2025). The warm water in this recipe might surprise you. “We add warm water to make it more palatable,” Ms. Williams said. “Pure vinegar is just too strong — it assaults the taste buds. We want a salad dressing so savory and delicious that you can eat spoonfuls of it. We want you to be able to drink it!” Drizzle this liberally over everything: boiled asparagus, farro salad, steak, fish or roast chicken. And if you don’t have both types of mustard on hand, just use twice as much of whichever you do have.

Featured in: 3 Salad Dressings You Should Memorize

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:1½ cups
  • 1large shallot, very finely diced
  • 2tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon aged sherry vinegar, plus more as needed
  • 1tablespoon warm water
  • 1cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1½ teaspoons honey
  • 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1½ teaspoons whole-grain mustard
  • 2thyme sprigs, washed leaves picked and finely chopped (about ½ teaspoon)
  • 1garlic clove, finely grated
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • ½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

169 calories; 18 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 0 grams protein; 73 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the shallot in a fine-mesh sieve and quickly rinse with cold water. Allow to drain, then place in a medium bowl. Add vinegar and warm water, and let the shallot mixture sit for 2 minutes

  2. Step 2

    Whisk in oil, honey, both mustards, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar as needed.

  3. Step 3

    Cover and refrigerate remaining dressing for up to 1 week.

Tip
  • To make a crunchy and refreshing green salad, toss Little Gem lettuce (or your favorite variety of baby lettuce), thinly shaved fennel, tender dill fronds, whole cilantro and parsley leaves, 1-inch pieces of chives and dressing. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Delicately mound onto a serving platter and serve immediately.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,165 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Gale

Rinsing and a brief soak of alliums will minimize any sharpness (which even shallots often have) and mellow out the taste. Do try it once and it won't be the last time you do it.

GardenGazer

I use an old Good Seasons cruet to make an almost identical dressing. The markings on the cruet for vinegar, water, and oil are perfect and it provides a great way to store the dressing. I add the add-ins (honey, herbs, mustard) after the basic vinaigrette. Luckily, I think you can still buy the cruets.

smb in kentucky

@GardenGazer I wish I still had one of those cruets! Memories of cooking at home as a child.

ac

ugg, the harsh raw garlic killed me and I know it will only get stronger as it sits. Also the amount of oil to vinegar was way too much. I will stick with my own homemade dressing, which uses all these same flavors, but IMO in better balance.

Mark Lynn

This dressing smells like the favorite sub shop of my childhood. I've used it on sandwiches, tossed salads, potato salad, roasted cauliflower, and broiled salmon. I may start adding to my smoothies. I double the recipe whenever I make it. It's a recipe friendly to additions - cilantro, oregano, lime, sumac, whatever. It's a delight.

Minnie

Quick question, I don’t like honey at all and I don’t love sweetness in my salad dressing. Would this be good without honey? Anyone try it that way? Thank you!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.