Best Vinaigrette Recipe (with Variations!)
The best vinaigrette recipe with lots of variations is ready in just five minutes so you never have to buy boring 'Italian' dressing again.
Servings: 1 -1/4 cups
Calories: 163kcal
Ingredients
Basic Vinaigrette:
- 1/3 cup apple cider or red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup to taste optional
Balsamic variation (replace the 1/3 cup vinegar in basic recipe with):
- 2 tablespoons aged Balsamic
- 1/4 cup cider or red wine vinegar
Lemon-Herb Variation changes & additions:
- 1/3 cup lemon juice -replace ALL of basic recipe vinegar with this
- 1 to 2 teaspoons dried herbs of choice OR 1 tablespoon fresh thyme + basil, Italian, oregano, etc.
Asian Variation changes & additions:
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar -replaces ALL regular vinegar in basic recipe
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce or to taste
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients you're using together in a 1 or 2-cup measuring glass (or add straight to a bottle to shake and store).
- Whisk by holding the whisk handle between your hands and rotating back-and-forth quickly until the ingredients are completely combined OR by using an immersion blender or regular blender (it's quicker to make it straight in the bottle, but it doesn't mix and stay combined as thoroughly as when whisked).
Notes
Even more variations:
- Red Wine Basil Vinaigrette: Add dried or fresh basil and use only red wine vinegar.
- French Vinaigrette: Add dried Herbs de Provence and use a white wine vinegar.
- Southwest Vinaigrette: Add a little hot sauce to the basic recipe - use over a salad of lettuce, onions, beans, tomatoes, olives and cheese.
- Raspberry Vinaigrette: Add a 1/4 cup raspberries, pureed to the basic or balsamic recipes. This works with other berries, too, like blueberries, blackberries, or cranberries.
- Creamy Italian Salad Dressing: add two tablespoons of mayonnaise to the basic vinaigrette (one of my favorite easy variations).
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 11mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.2mg
