A Top 10 NYTimes 2025 Salad Dressing recipe with thousands of 5-star reviews? I had to try it! The genius is a simple trick: adding warm water to the shallots while they soak in vinegar. It takes the edge off the pungency of both the vinegar and shallots, resulting in a perfectly balanced dressing. And while the dressing is absolutely the star, the salad itself is a delicious combination of ingredients that really lets it shine.