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 Apr. 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

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)
160 Calories
17g Fat
2g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 160
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 87mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 29mg 1%
*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.)