My homemade Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is simple, healthy, and flavorful. With just a few pantry staples, you can create a fresh and delicious dressing in minutes. Skip the store-bought versions and try this easy homemade vinaigrette recipe for salads and more!
If you love making homemade dressings, try my Balsamic Vinaigrette, Easy Blue Cheese Dressing, and Homemade Greek Salad Dressing.
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Gone are the days of searching for a basic vinaigrette at the store only to be disappointed by its lack of flavor. I will show you how to make my tried-and-true homemade vinaigrette dressing in just five minutes!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pantry Staple Ingredients – The best part is that you probably already have everything you need! With just some vinegar, oil, and a little Dijon mustard, you’re ready to go. It’s that simple.
- Excellent Flavor – I’ve tried every brand of vinaigrette dressing on the shelves, and almost all lack flavor. Making a simple vinaigrette dressing from scratch means we can pack in all the flavor that those store-bought dressings lack.
- Budget-Friendly – Store-bought dressings can be pricey and often come with unnecessary additives. But when you make your own, you’re getting a high-quality, delicious vinaigrette for less than $3, using the oils and vinegars you love most!
Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Ingredients
- Grab your favorite good-quality extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. I prefer to use champagne vinegar, but white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, or balsamic vinegar will also work.
- For flavor, you’ll need salt, Dijon mustard, fresh garlic, and black pepper (fresh ground is preferred).
- My American-style vinaigrette uses honey for a bit of sweetness because the olive oil in stores here is usually lower quality and thus more bitter. The honey balances this. But the better your olive oil, the less honey you’ll need.
Recipe Variations
- Italian: Add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- Smokey: Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder or 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder for smokey heat.
- Berry: Like my Blueberry Vinaigrette, fresh berries like raspberries and strawberries work beautifully.
- Shallots: Finely mince shallots and mix them into the dressing.
- Citrus: Swap half of the vinegar for lemon or orange juice, or add the zest.
- Fresh Herbs: This might be my all-time favorite way to add extra flavor. I love chopped chives, basil, and thyme.
Basic Vinaigrette Recipe Directions
- In a medium bowl, add vinegar, salt, mustard, honey, and garlic, and sit for 5 minutes. Whisk ingredients until blended.
- Slowly add the oil in a stream while whisking until an emulsion forms. The vinaigrette will become golden yellow. Taste and adjust the seasoning, including the oil and vinegar.
How Long Does Olive Oil Vinaigrette Last?
You can store this in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Just shake it before serving again. I like to keep mine in a sealed mason jar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, maple syrup will also work. I wouldn’t use granulated sugar because the dressing won’t emulsify. If using maple syrup, try using apple cider vinegar for all the fall favors.
This is a personal preference to some extent, but generally, 1 part acid to 3 parts oil is the most widely used ratio. I use this ratio for all my dressings.
Serving Suggestions
This salad is delicious on everything and as a marinade. Use it on everyday green salad or Fresh Tomato Salad. Marinating Grilled Lemon Chicken or shrimp in Easy Shrimp Salad is also great.
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If you tried this Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup good vinegar – I use Champagne but sherry or balsamic is fine
- ⅔ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ clove garlic – finely minced or 2 teaspoons minced shallots
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add vinegar, salt, mustard, honey and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Whisk ingredients until blended.
- Slowly add the oil in a stream while whisking until an emulsion forms – color of vinaigrette will change to a golden yellow.
- Taste and adjust seasoning including the oil and vinegar.
Notes
-
- Italian: Add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
-
- Smokey: Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder or 1 teaspoon of chipotle powder for smokey heat.
-
- Berry: Like my Blueberry Vinaigrette, fresh berries like raspberries and strawberries work beautifully.
-
- Shallots: Finely mince shallots and mix them into the dressing.
-
- Citrus: Swap half of the vinegar for lemon or orange juice, or add the zest.
-
- Fresh Herbs: This might be my all-time favorite way to add extra flavor. I love chopped chives, basil, and thyme.
Nutrition
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Janice
I made this salad dressing today and it was so good! Thank you for sharing it.
Avery Selden
Hey Janice!
Thanks so much for your rating! I personally love using this dressing on everything so I’m very glad you enjoyed it as well! Thank you so much for your support!
~Donya
The Hill Hangout
This looks delicious, Donya! I also love homemade salad dressings, and I haven't tried anything like this before. Might try it for dinner tonight!
The Hill Hangout
Hey, Donya! This looks delicious! I'm also a big fan of homemade salad dressing, and I haven't tried anything like this before. I'll definitely give it a try.
Holly McDonald
mmmm, I love making my own dressing and this one sounds great! Thank you for spreading JOY and sharing at the Oh What a HAPPY Day party.Holly at Not Done Growing
Donya Mullins
Thanks Holly! It's been a fun Thursday and I've enjoyed all of the new ideas on the party page!