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Home » Recipes

Updated Jan 14, 2025 · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Mediterranean Herb Vinaigrette

This Mediterranean herb vinaigrette is loaded with flavors that will add briny + herby kick to any veg-based salad. It’s also just as versatile as it is delicious; it works as a dressing, a sauce, or a marinade for fish, chicken, or steak.

JUMP TO RECIPE
Mediterranean herb vinaigrette in a bowl with a spoon. Surrounded by tomatoes, lettuce, a red onion, and a napkin.

This recipe for Mediterranean herb vinaigrette was originally part of my Loaded Greek Salad recipe, but it ended up being so delicious and so useful that I decided it deserved its own post. It’s a recipe that grew from a little olive oil and red wine vinegar with a pinch of salt into a more complex version that can be used in a variety of ways. And it still comes together quickly and easily in either a small batch intended for a single salad or a larger batch that yields about a cup of dressing. 

More than a dressing

I discovered purely by accident that this recipe makes a great quick marinade. It’s got quite a bit of acid in it, so you don’t want to marinate anything for too long, but the balance of acid, fat, and herbiness works well with chicken, meat, and even fish. If you are using it as a marinade, it’s doubly important to make sure your dressing is well-seasoned to ensure your meat doesn’t taste under seasoned at the end of cooking.

  • To marinate chicken add 2-3 chicken breasts to a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over them. Seal the bag and toss to coat, then place in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. Allow the chicken breasts to sit out for 20-30 minutes before cooking.
  • To marinate a steak, such as flank steak or flatiron, follow the procedure above, but you can leave it in the marinade for longer, up to 6 hours.
  • For fish, use a firm white fish such as halibut or cod. Pour the marinade over the prepared filet, but only allow to marinate for 15-20 minutes. If you leave fish in marinade for longer, it will begin to break down the texture of the fish.

This Mediterranean herb vinaigrette is also really delicious spooned over grilled meat such as lamb or steak, much like a chimichurri sauce.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Ingredients for Mediterranean Herb Vinaigrette

Red wine vinegar: There are a lot of cheap, low-quality red wine vinegars out there…look for a brand in the $7-$10 range and skip the $3 bottles. I’m a big fan of De Nigris vinegars. 

Kalamata olive brine: Adds a delightful salty/tangy kick to the dressing. You can also use lemon juice or sour grape juice. 

EVOO: I break out the good stuff for salad dressings like this one. I'm a big fan of olive oils from Graza.

Dijon mustard: This is added mostly as an emulsifier to keep the dressing together. I use Maille.

Garlic: I am sensitive to raw garlic, so I use granulated garlic in my dressings. One clove of crushed raw garlic will also work here.

Salt: Start with ¼ teaspoon, and add by the pinch until the dressing is adequately seasoned. If you are dressing a salad with a lot of salty elements, be sure to not make it too salty. 

Oregano, dill, and parsley: The Greek herb trifecta! This dressing is delicious with fresh herbs, but dried herbs work as well. If using dried herbs, make the dressing a little earlier so the herbs can rehydrate.

Whisking emulsifiers for Mediterranean Herb Vinaigrette
Adding olive oil to other ingredients in vinaigrette.
Adding herbs to Mediterranean Herb Vinaigrette.

FAQ: Mediterranean herb vinaigrette

Q: How long does vinaigrette last in the refrigerator?

It depends…if you use fresh herbs and/or fresh garlic, the vinaigrette will last 3 days in the refrigerator. Vinaigrette made with dried herbs and granulated garlic will last up to a week.

Q: Can I shake this vinaigrette rather than whisking?

Sure, just be aware that the emulsification may not hold together as well. To prepare this dressing by shaking, add everything except the herbs to a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake for at least 20 seconds. Check to make sure the salt has dissolved completely, and shake it for longer if you can still see salt crystals. Once the salt is dissolved, adjust the seasoning and fold in the herbs. Use the vinaigrette quickly after shaking, as it will begin to separate as soon as you let it settle.

Q: Can I make vinaigrette in a blender?

Sure! I sometimes use the smoothie cup attachment on my Ninja blender to make lrager batches of vinaigrette. Be sure not to blend it too long, or it will turn into an aioli (which is sometimes desirable, but not really in this case). I usually pulse it for 10-20 seconds max. Remember to taste and adjust the seasoning and fold in the herbs after blending the other ingredients together.

Prep ahead and storage

Mediterranean herb vinaigrette that is made with fresh herbs and/or garlic can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator 3 days. If you use granulated garlic and dried herbs, it will last for a week. 

Whisking herbs into Mediterranean Herb Vinaigrette

I love hearing from you!

What’s your favorite salad dressing? How did you like this Mediterranean herb vinaigrette recipe? Drop me a question, a comment, or a rating and let me know...you’ll make my day! And don’t forget to save and share this recipe by pinning it to Pinterest or saving to Whisk, or Flipboard.

Mediterranean Herb Vinaigrette in a bowl with a spoon.
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Mediterranean Herb Vinaigrette

A tangy+herby and versatile dressing that can be used on salads, as a marinade, or a sauce for grilled meat.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 243.7kcal
Author: Parsley & Parm

Equipment

  • 1 Salad bowl
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Knife and cutting board

Ingredients

For about one cup of vinaigrette

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons kalamata olive brine or lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic or one clove garlic, crushed
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper or to taste
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh dill minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh parsley minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)

Instructions

  • In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, brine or lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and salt until fully combined and the salt is dissolved.
  • Whisking vigorously, slowly pour the olive oil into the vinegar mixture. Stop pouring the oil if pools of oil appear on top of the vinegar mixture, and resume once they are incorporated. Continue whisking until all of the oil is fully incorporated and the dressing is slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  • Fold in the minced herbs and serve immediately, or store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

If using dried herbs, allow the dressing to sit for 5-10 minutes to allow them to rehydrate a bit. 
If your vinaigrette begins to separate before serving, either whisk it together again or add it to an airtight container and shake for 20-30 seconds.
Dressing that has fresh herbs and/or garlic will last 3 days in the refrigerator. If granulated garlic and dried herbs are used, it will last for a week.

Need more servings?

To adjust a recipe for more or fewer servings, hover your cursor over the number servings on the recipe card. This will bring up a slider that you can move to the number of servings you want to make.

Nutrition*

Serving: 2tablespoon | Calories: 243.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.1g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 27.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19.7g | Sodium: 153.5mg | Potassium: 21.1mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 25.8IU | Vitamin C: 1.1mg | Calcium: 17.5mg | Iron: 0.6mg

*All nutritional values are estimates only. They are calculated by an online resource.

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Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Spillt User says

    June 03, 2023 at 7:36 pm

    5 stars
    Easy peesy lemon squeezy. Just a simple classic. Made twice already! ?

    Reply
  2. Spillt User says

    July 16, 2023 at 9:35 pm

    5 stars
    So easy and delicious!!!

    Reply
  3. Spillt User says

    March 14, 2023 at 2:01 pm

    5 stars
    OBSESSED

    Reply
  4. Spillt User says

    October 02, 2022 at 9:00 am

    5 stars
    Lots of flavor!

    Reply
  5. Spillt User says

    September 28, 2022 at 4:27 am

    5 stars
    So delicious and easy!

    Reply
  6. Spillt User says

    September 21, 2022 at 1:41 pm

    5 stars
    Really easy and quick to make. Perfect weeknight meal

    Reply
  7. Spillt User says

    September 20, 2022 at 10:43 am

    5 stars
    I absolutely love this recipe! I've made it twice exactly as written and it does not disappoint! I wish I had made a double batch last time I made it so I could have leftovers!

    Reply
  8. Spillt User says

    August 31, 2022 at 4:02 pm

    5 stars
    This was so easy to make and perfect for a hot summer day! I made a double batch for my coworkers and everyone loved it!

    Reply
  9. Spillt User says

    July 31, 2022 at 5:01 pm

    5 stars
    Easy and tasty!

    Reply
  10. Spillt User says

    July 31, 2022 at 3:24 am

    5 stars
    So quick and easy but also super yummy!

    Reply
  11. Spillt User says

    July 24, 2022 at 11:13 am

    5 stars
    A classic.

    Reply
  12. Spillt User says

    July 23, 2022 at 12:15 pm

    5 stars
    This was DELICIOUS! Everyone loved it. Will definitely make again.

    Reply
  13. Spillt User says

    July 07, 2022 at 7:06 am

    4 stars
    Fast and easy! Also it really held up for a couple days in the fridge which was great

    Reply
  14. Spillt User says

    June 23, 2022 at 4:30 am

    5 stars
    This is one of my favs. Soooooo good!

    Reply
  15. Spillt User says

    June 22, 2022 at 8:03 am

    5 stars
    So quick and easy! Yum!

    Reply
  16. Spillt User says

    May 13, 2022 at 10:33 am

    5 stars
    easy peasy

    Reply
  17. Spillt User says

    April 04, 2022 at 10:02 pm

    5 stars
    Love

    Reply
  18. Spillt User says

    April 01, 2022 at 6:11 am

    5 stars
    Tasty

    Reply
  19. Spillt User says

    March 27, 2022 at 9:39 pm

    5 stars
    Always a hit

    Reply
  20. Spillt User says

    March 05, 2022 at 3:21 pm

    5 stars
    This was really good thx Fernanda for the rec. kinda a lot of work but tastyyyy

    Reply
  21. Spillt User says

    February 28, 2022 at 3:03 pm

    5 stars
    So easy to make, esp. if you use frozen pie shells

    Reply
  22. Spillt User says

    May 01, 2022 at 10:46 am

    4 stars
    Yum!

    Reply
  23. Spillt User says

    February 14, 2022 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    This one was a hit! Used greek yogurt and a hand mixer so it had a little thicker texture than “whipped” but still a great addition to our cheese board. Probably should have taken a pic before we started eating but oh well!

    Reply
  24. Spillt User says

    February 13, 2022 at 10:17 am

    5 stars
    Really enjoy this one! Nice change up to a boring salad. We subbed Pom seeds instead of dried cranberries because we fancy. Notice my glass of champagne in the pic ?‍♀️

    Reply
  25. Spillt User says

    February 12, 2022 at 11:48 am

    5 stars
    I was skeptical of the addition of cinnamon, but I ended up loving it! So easy and so good.

    Reply
  26. Spillt User says

    February 10, 2022 at 7:13 am

    5 stars
    I need to try?

    Reply
  27. Spillt User says

    March 27, 2022 at 10:05 am

    5 stars
    This is the one.

    Reply
  28. Spillt User says

    December 26, 2021 at 11:43 am

    5 stars
    Yum.

    Reply
  29. Spillt User says

    November 05, 2021 at 12:58 pm

    5 stars
    Wow such a good recipe!

    Reply
  30. Spillt User says

    November 04, 2021 at 9:48 pm

    5 stars
    Quite simply the best

    Reply
  31. Spillt User says

    November 25, 2021 at 5:04 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe!

    Reply
  32. Spillt User says

    November 23, 2021 at 12:01 am

    5 stars
    Oh, My God! It very tasty!!!

    Reply
  33. Spillt User says

    November 09, 2021 at 12:21 pm

    5 stars
    This was great!

    Reply
  34. Spillt User says

    January 08, 2022 at 4:34 pm

    4 stars
    You literally can't ruin this

    Reply
  35. Spillt User says

    November 30, 2021 at 2:25 am

    5 stars
    Very tasty

    Reply
  36. Spillt User says

    November 29, 2021 at 2:13 pm

    5 stars
    This is SO. GOOD.

    Reply
  37. Spillt User says

    November 18, 2021 at 7:20 am

    5 stars
    Turned out great!

    Reply
  38. Spillt User says

    November 15, 2021 at 6:15 pm

    5 stars
    so easy and fool-proof

    Reply
  39. Spillt User says

    November 05, 2021 at 9:54 am

    5 stars

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Lisa!

I’m a midlife foodie on a mission to eat healthier—without giving up the foods I love.

Parsley & Parm is all about big flavor, fresh vegetables, olive oil, whole grains, and healthy proteins…with zero diet vibes.

I believe healthy eating should be about what you do eat—not what you can’t. Guidelines replace rules. Balance beats restriction. And fresh, seasonal veggies always steal the show.

More about me→

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