The Food Lab's Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated April 13, 2020
Asparagus and a poached egg with walnut vinaigrette.
Photograph: J. Kenji López-Alt

This is the vinaigrette featured in the recipe for Micro-Steamed Asparagus With Poached Egg and Walnut Vinaigrette, but it's also great on roasted vegetables, like beets or sweet potatoes, or on robust bitter greens, such as radicchio, endive, or frisée.

This recipe is excerpted from The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

Recipe Details

The Food Lab's Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe

Active 5 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 12 servings
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) sherry vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) water

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) Dijon mustard

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) honey

  • 1 small shallot, minced or grated on a Microplane (about 1 tablespoon)

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 cup (60ml) canola oil

  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) walnut oil (optional)

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Combine walnuts, vinegar, water, mustard, honey, and shallot in a medium bowl and whisk together. To keep it from moving, set bowl inside a heavy medium saucepan lined with a dish towel. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in olive and canola oil; the dressing should emulsify and thicken significantly. Whisk in walnut oil, if using. Season with salt and pepper. The dressing will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks; shake vigorously before using.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
160Calories
17gFat
2gCarbs
1gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories160
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g22%
Saturated Fat 2g9%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 87mg4%
Total Carbohydrate 2g1%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg1%
Calcium 6mg0%
Iron 0mg1%
Potassium 29mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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