Why it works: Onion and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,226 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓
French Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
In a deep plate or saucer, put one tablespoonful of vinegar, a saltspoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of grated onion, if desired.
Gradually stir in three tablespoonsful of oil.
Pour the dressing over your salad and tomatoes.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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.
-
Onion + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Vinegar
- Provides the sharp acidity that balances the richness of the oil.
- Oil
- Adds fat and body, coating the salad and carrying flavour across the tongue.
- Onion
- Contributes a pungent aroma and savoury bite to the dressing.
The step that matters
Gradually stir in the oil. Adding the oil slowly while stirring lets it disperse into the vinegar as fine droplets. Poured in all at once, the oil stays in separate layers and the dressing will not hold together as well on the salad.
“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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