Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Go-To” Vinaigrette Is So Good, I Keep a Jar in My Fridge at All Times

Whether you love or hate the Goop brand, one thing seems certain: Gwyneth Paltrow knows her way around wholesome food.

We recently came upon her “Really Good Chopped Salad,” which features a mix of bright, fresh ingredients and everyday pantry items. She originally shared it during 2020, when suddenly everyone was cooking a lot more at home. But her “use what you have” philosophy is still totally relevant (and is what inspired me to try it). She frames the salad as more of a blueprint, and as someone who rarely follows a recipe to the tee, I was down with her laissez-faire approach.

First chop all the salad components: romaine, avocados, cooked beets, cherry tomatoes, scallions, and pepperoncini. Then drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. After this prep (mise en place), it’s just a simple assembly job. (Pro tip: When I serve deconstructed, visually striking dishes like this, I always ask my kids to pick their favorite ingredients. This gets them excited about eating the salad before I mix everything together.)

To dress the salad, Paltrow uses her “go-to vinaigrette.” Making it is simple: Whisk together Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and red wine vinegar, then slowly pour in a mix of canola and extra-virgin olive oil until the dressing comes together. A good hit of salt and pepper brings it to life.

As someone who’s always chasing that sweet spot between healthy and easy, this salad felt like a win. It’s fresh, flavorful, and simple to throw together — especially if you take the shortcut I did by using pre-cooked beets (because there’s no way I’m roasting beets on a weekday lunch break). Avocado and pepperoncini peppers also happen to be two of my favorite ingredients, so, in all transparency, the salad already had a head-start. The dressing was also a 10/10. It’s bright and balanced, plus I can make it with ingredients I always have on hand.

It’s the kind of recipe you can truly make your own. The ingredients are simple and flexible, which I always appreciate. I doubled the recipe to make lunches throughout the week; I kept everything separate in the fridge until it was time to eat, which turned out to be a godsend. When I make it again, I’ll probably bulk it up with a bit more protein, like some grilled chicken, canned tuna, or a couple of jammy eggs. And because I’m a crunch-lover, I’ll also add some textural components like roasted pumpkin seeds, tamari sunflower seeds, or crushed pita chips. With or without these additions, though, it’s delicious, endlessly riffable, and a solid staple for easy lunches.

• Chop everything small: The joy of eating a proper chopped salad is getting a bit of everything in each bite.
• Upgrade the chickpeas: Plain chickpeas are good, but lightly roasted or marinated chickpeas take the salad to another level.
• Take the beets a step further: Similarly, if you don’t love plain, cooked beets, try roasting or marinating them for a deeper, richer flavor.
• Mix it up: The Instagram-inspired segmented approach is stunning, but tossing everything together is the key to ensuring every bite has a good ratio of ingredients to dressing. No one wants a dry forkful of plain lettuce!
• Meal prep: This salad is ideal for meal-preppers. Keep all the prepared components (aside from the avocado) in individual containers in the fridge. Then assemble, dress, and toss when you’re ready to eat.
• Make extra dressing: The vinaigrette deserves a permanent spot in your refrigerator. Double the recipe — it’s that good! If you make and store it in a Mason jar, all it needs is a quick shake to emulsify everything again before using it. It’ll keep well for about a week, and it works on practically any salad or roasted vegetables, or even as a quick marinade for chicken.

In a world of overly complicated recipes and hard-to-find ingredients, Paltrow’s simple, satisfying, and endlessly adaptable “Really Good Chopped Salad” lives up to its name.