Ina Garten's Favorite Vinaigrette Recipe

As any home cook knows, the easiest way to bungle an otherwise tasty salad is to ladle on a bland, too-oily, overpowering, or otherwise flavor-sapping vinaigrette.

Thankfully, Ina Garten has the perfect recipe to make any salad wow all those who gather around the table: Her four-ingredient lemon vinaigrette. Recently, the Barefoot Contessa was kind enough to demo the easy salad dressing on instagram and we can't wait to add it to our own kitchen repertoire.

"People think vinaigrettes are really hard to make and it's so easy. My favorite vinaigrette is lemon vinaigrette and it's four ingredients," Garten begins before walking us through the process. In the caption section of her post, she breaks down the simple recipe for her fans: "Combine 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 cup good olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a small glass measuring cup and whisk until combined." Our takeaway? This vinaigrette is such a cinch to pull together and it sure beats store-bought, too.

In the video, Garten also shares that if she's making a salad in advance, she pours the dressing straight into a big salad bowl, adds her salad greens and then right before serving she mixes it all together (if you dress prematurely, your lettuce will become soggy).

WATCH: Ina Garten Reveals the Only Fast Food She'll Eat — 'It Was Julia Child's Favorite Too'

On a Barefoot Contessa kick? Her new book, Cook Like a Pro: Recipes and Tips for Home Cooks debuts on October 23rd, 2018.