I made Ina Garten’s 4-ingredient vinaigrette, and it’s now my secret sauce for upgrading just about any dish

Trying to cook meals for a family of five can be challenging, so I rely on simple recipes that are quick and easy to make.

When I came across Ina Garten’s lemon vinaigrette recipe on Instagram, I knew I could use it to add flavor to a variety of different dishes.

Here’s how I transformed Ina Garten’s basic salad dressing recipe into four different dishes — none of which involved a green salad.

I started by making four batches of the lemon vinaigrette.

Garten’s lemon vinaigrette recipe calls for four simple ingredients — freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Like Garten, I used a glass measuring cup to simplify the measuring and pouring process.

I replicated the recipe four times and whisked the ingredients together.

First, I used the vinaigrette as a marinade for salmon.

I poured half a cup of the dressing into a plastic bag with 2 pounds of salmon and shook it thoroughly to ensure the fish was evenly covered.

I then placed the salmon in the fridge for 30 minutes and preheated the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Later, I arranged the pieces of salmon on a baking sheet and roasted them for 30 to 35 minutes until they were lightly browned.

When I tasted it, the salmon was moist and perfectly flavored.

Next, I used the vinaigrette to season some Broccolini.

First, I washed and dried  1 ½-pounds of Broccolini and tossed it in a mixing bowl with a quarter of a cup of dressing. I arranged the seasoned Broccolini on a large baking sheet and put it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

I roasted it for 25 minutes, but recommend keeping it in the oven longer if you prefer a crisper texture.

Once the Broccolini cooled, I sprinkled it with Maldon salt. The dish was super flavorful and had a tangy finish.

Then, I mixed the vinaigrette into a quinoa salad.

For the quinoa salad, I combined sliced red onions, hearts of palm, and cherry tomatoes in a bowl with a cup of cooked quinoa.

I drizzled a quarter of a cup of the lemon vinaigrette over the combined vegetables and quinoa.

Before serving, I let the salad chill in the fridge for 15 minutes to enhance the flavor. When I tasted it, the dish was incredibly light and fresh.

Finally, I added scallions to the vinaigrette to make a dipping sauce for sweet potatoes.

Finally, I decided to make the vinaigrette into a dipping sauce for sweet potato wedges.

I sliced four scallions, added them to one batch of the vinaigrette, and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. This allowed time for the scallions to soak up the flavor.

While the scallions were soaking, I sliced two large sweet potatoes into 1-inch wedges.

I then placed the sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl, added olive oil and garlic salt, and mixed it all together.

After arranging the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, I placed them in a 375-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

Once cooled, I plated them with the scallion dipping sauce. My husband and kids devoured the entire plate in one sitting.

My favorite way to use Garten’s vinaigrette was as a dipping sauce.

Out of the four different dishes I made using Garten’s lemon vinaigrette recipe, the scallion dipping sauce was my favorite.

My kids had a great time dipping their sweet potatoes in the sauce, which made dinner interactive and enjoyable.

I’ll definitely be making this vinaigrette again, as it’s the perfect dressing to enhance a dish.

Next time, I’m using it for spring rolls.

This story was originally published on January 25, 2024, and most recently updated on July 23, 2025.

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