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Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette

A creamy vinaigrette made with Dijon mustard, olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 6 ingredients
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Why it works: Mustard and olive match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,950 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓

Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients except oil until well blended.

  2. Slowly mix in oil until fully incorporated.

  3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

195Calories
0 gProtein
14 gFat
19 gCarbs

Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 6 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Honey1 tbsp (21g)64
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Mustard1 tsp (5g) yellow3
Vinegar1 tbsp (15ml) distilled3
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Cidernot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Mustard + olivetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,950 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  2. Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,430 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Olive + peppertop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together30,263 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  4. Olive + white winetop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,949 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).

  5. Olive + honeytop 14% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,792 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Dijon mustard
Emulsifies the oil and vinegar, helping the dressing stay smooth and combined.
Olive oil
Provides fat and body, giving the dressing its rich texture.
White wine vinegar or cider vinegar
Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the oil.
Honey
Adds sweetness that softens the sharpness of the mustard and vinegar.

The step that matters

Slowly mix in oil until fully incorporated. Adding oil gradually while mixing lets its droplets disperse finely in the mustard, forming a stable emulsion. Pouring it in too fast can cause the dressing to separate.

Swap the mustard

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, white wine, honey, pepper):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Tomatofits better
  3. Carrotfits about as well
  4. Mustardthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, white wine, honey, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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