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Thyme-Mustard Vinaigrette

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Time

20 minutes

Yield

Serves 6 to 8 (Makes enough to dress 8 cups of greens)

Thyme-Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients

¾ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves 1 shallot, peeled1 garlic clove, peeled¼ cup cider vinegar ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Before You Begin

Whole-grain mustard adds texture to this dressing, but you can use any mustard in its place.

Instructions

  1. Heat 1/4 cup oil with 1 tablespoon thyme in medium saucepan over medium heat until thyme turns bright green and small bubbles appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and steep 5 minutes.
  2. Process shallot, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and remaining thyme in blender until garlic and shallot are finely chopped, about 15 seconds. With blender running, slowly add remaining oil and steeped thyme oil and continue to process until dressing is smooth and emulsified, about 15 seconds. (Dressing can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days.)
Thyme-Mustard Vinaigrette

Thyme-Mustard Vinaigrette

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

20 minutes

Yield

Serves 6 to 8 (Makes enough to dress 8 cups of greens)

Ingredients

¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 shallot, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 shallot, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 shallot, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Homemade vinaigrettes are easy to make and much more flavorful than their bottled counterparts. For our Thyme-Mustard Vinaigrette recipe, we used regular olive oil, which imparted more flavor than canola and vegetable oils but didn’t overpower the herbs the way extra virgin olive oil did. Mixing our vinaigrette recipe in the blender helped to extract the herbs’ flavors.

Before You Begin

Whole-grain mustard adds texture to this dressing, but you can use any mustard in its place.

Instructions

  1. Heat 1/4 cup oil with 1 tablespoon thyme in medium saucepan over medium heat until thyme turns bright green and small bubbles appear, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and steep 5 minutes.
  2. Process shallot, garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and remaining thyme in blender until garlic and shallot are finely chopped, about 15 seconds. With blender running, slowly add remaining oil and steeped thyme oil and continue to process until dressing is smooth and emulsified, about 15 seconds. (Dressing can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

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