Once you make your own homemade Vinaigrette Dressing you won’t buy it from the store ever again! It is a staple in my kitchen and soon to be one in yours too.
Making basic vinaigrette is ridiculously simple. You only need vinegar, oil, a little mustard and you are in business. I love to drizzle vinaigrette on salads to give it a fresh and zingy taste. You all love my post on 9 homemade salad dressings so here's 3 more salad dressing recipes!
Vinaigrette Recipe
Homemade vinaigrette takes about a minute to make and it is cheaper than buying it at the store. Seriously, if you aren’t making your own vinaigrette IT IS TIME!
The formula to make any basic vinaigrette is combining 1 part vinegar with 3 parts oil. If you are making a bigger batch you would use ¼ cup of vinegar with ¾ cups oil. If you want to make a small serving just adjust the volume but keep the same 1:3 ratio.
If you are new to making homemade vinaigrette you will quickly come to realize that oil and vinegar do not mix. Due to the molecular properties of oil, it actually repels vinegar. In other words, mixing oil and vinegar is like trying to connect two positively charged magnets-they will repel each other. So we need an emulsifier to mix oil and vinegar together and a bit of mustard does the trick. The mustard is able to hold together these two liquids that otherwise wouldn’t blend together. How’s that for a science lesson!
What is the best oil to use for vinaigrette?
The oil you decide to use for vinaigrette depends greatly on personal preference. Some oils have a really strong flavor and might not be well suited for a salad dressing. I suggest using an olive oil that you like the taste of. You can also use avocado oil, grape-seed oil or whatever you happen to have on hand.
How do I mix vinaigrette dressing?
There are a few different methods you can use to mix together vinaigrette dressing: blend, whisk or shake. You can combine the ingredients by using a blender which is simple and efficient or you can whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl using a fork or a whisk. The last option is to put the ingredients in a jar and shake by hand. I generally do the shaking option, it's easiest for me.
Why is vinaigrette dressing healthy?
Vinaigrette dressings tend to be healthier than their creamy counterparts because of the oil that contains healthy fats that can benefit your heart when eaten in moderation. Plus you know what is going in to the dressing, no preservatives needed.
How long does homemade vinaigrette last?
Homemade vinaigrette will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Just let it come to room temperature before serving.
More easy salad recipes:
- How to Make Homemade Salad Dressing: 9 Easy Recipes
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
- Easy Apple Cabbage Salad with Pecans
- Thai Chopped Salad with the Best Peanut Dressing
If you’ve tried this easy homemade vinaigrette dressing recipe or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories AND add your photo to your comment so that other can see your creation.
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Basic Vinaigrette Recipe
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: ¾ of a cup or 6 generous servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Learn how to make homemade salad dressing with this super simple vinaigrette recipe that only needs a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 finely minced garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic powder (or fresh), honey or maple syrup, salt, and pepper to a small bowl or a small mason jar. Whisk to combine or if you are using a jar, add a lid and shake to combine.
- Test the taste on a little piece of greens, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve right away on your favorite salad.
- Vinaigrettes is especially good on salad greens (opposed to just plain lettuce).
- See notes for variations.
Notes
- Variations: To make Lemon Vinaigrette replace the balsamic vinegar in the recipe with 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. To make a Red Wine Vinaigrette, replace the balsamic vinegar in the recipe with 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar.
- You can swap out the vinegar for just about any vinegar you like or have on hand. It's a great chance to try flavored vinegars like peach or strawberry vinegars too, they are great in salad dressing!
- You can use other light oils such as avocado oil in this recipe if you prefer.
- I like to warm my honey up just a bit before adding it to encourage it to incorporate into the dressing better.
- You can store leftover dressing in the fridge for a few weeks, just bring it back to room temperature before serving. Shake or whisk before serving.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Category: side
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: how to make vinaigrette, basic vinaigrette recipe, vinaigrette, balsamic vinaigrette recipe, lemon vinaigrette recipe, red wine vinaigrette recipe, easy vinaigrette recipe
Everyone needs a tried and true homemade Vinaigrette Dressing. Once you make it yourself, you won’t ever go back to store-bought again!
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