Balsamic Vinaigrette
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Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette – this incredibly easy to make salad dressing is deliciously tangy, nicely balanced with sweetness, and has a complex, rich flavor. It’s the perfect compliment to a simple green salad.
Easy Balsamic Dressing
This classic balsamic vinaigrette is a must in your recipe collection.
It takes just a few minutes to make, only needs a handful of ingredients, and it’s one of the most flavorful dressing recipes. Plus it’s a hundred times better than anything you’ll buy in a bottle on the shelf.
For a slightly thicker, refreshingly cold dressing just prepare an hour or two ahead to allow some time for it to chill in the fridge.
Serve it over a classic crisp green salad with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, or over a spinach salad with strawberries and feta. You can’t go wrong with either one!
Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe Ingredients
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp minced garlic, or 1.5 Tbsp minced shallot
- 1/4 tsp (heaping) salt, then more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
A Note About Balsamic Vinegar
Every brand of balsamic vinegar has a different level of tartness. I recommend tasting it first, if it’s quite tart you can reduce to 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, or you can add a little more honey.
How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a bowl, or pour into a jar (cover with lid) and shake.
- Preferably chill for 1 hour before using. Whisk well before serving or shake well in jar again.
Does It Need to be Refrigerated?
- Yes. Balsamic vinaigrette dressing should be refrigerated.
- If dressing becomes thicker than you’d like in the fridge after a day you can just let it rest at room temperature for a while to thin out a bit.
- It can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container up to 1 week.
More Dressing and Salad Recipes to Try
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Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar*
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey**
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp minced garlic, or 1.5 Tbsp minced shallot
- 1/4 tsp (heaping) salt, then more to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl, or pour into a jar (cover with lid) and shake.
- Preferrably chill for 1 hour before using. Whisk well before serving or shake well in jar again.
Notes
- *Every brand of balsamic vinegar has a different level of tartness. I recommend tasting it first, if it's quite tart you can reduce to 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.
- **The amount of honey can be adjusted based on how sweet you'd like dressing to be. If you are serving it with a strawberry salad I would recommend adding an additional 1 Tbsp honey or more to taste.
- Makes about 1 cup + 2 Tbsp dressing.