The Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

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The Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe (Balsamic Dressing) – This tangy balsamic vinaigrette dressing will make your salads sparkle, and takes only 5 minutes to prepare!

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Salad Dressing with Balsamic Vinegar

Is there anything more satisfying than skillfully whipping up your own dressing right at home? It makes you wonder why you ever bothered buying bottled stuff at the store.

This homemade salad dressing recipe for the Best Balsamic Vinaigrette is one I’ve tweaked over the years to be perfectly tangy-sweet and silky in texture.

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The tantalizing flavor is based on good quality aged balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, honey, a touch of dijon mustard, and herbs. It is fabulous over robust spinach and kale salads, romaine salads, and even over roasted vegetables!

And you can easily make larger batches of this balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and keep it in the refrigerator for several weeks.

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What Ingredients You Need to Make the Best Vinaigrette Dressing

With just a handful of ingredients, you can make a balsamic dressing that rivals any store-bought brand in both taste and cost.

Here’s all that you need:

  • Aged balsamic vinegarIt’s important to buy very good aged balsamic vinegar. The longer the vinegar has been aged, the sweeter, milder, and richer it becomes.
  • Extra virgin olive oil My personal favorite for making vinaigrettes, but you can substitute it with avocado or any other light-flavored oil you prefer.
  • HoneyYou’ll need less honey in this recipe if you use an older vinegar and/or if you prefer a more savory and less sweet dressing.
  • Dijon mustardFor that perfect tangy element that brings out the boldness of the balsamic.
  • Dried thymeThis balances the sweet and zesty notes of the dressing with a mild earthy flavor.
  • Minced garlicBecause every good vinaigrette needs garlic!
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How To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

  1. Place all the ingredients in a jar and seal tightly.
  2. Shake vigorously. The mustard will help emulsify the vinaigrette and give it a thick luxurious quality.

That’s it. Seriously!

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Get the Full (Printable) Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe Below. Enjoy!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Can Balsamic Dressing Be Stored?

Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, this dressing will keep well for 2-3 weeks. Just give it a good shake before serving.

What Are Some Ways to Enjoy This Balsamic Vinaigrette?

Balsamic vinaigrette dressing is delicious drizzled on cold salads loaded with fresh greens and veggies, and on warm salads with quinoa, chickpeas and/or cooked stone fruits like grilled peaches or poached pears.

It adds a wonderful depth and tanginess to hearty roasted veggies, such as carrots and Brussels sprouts, as a balsamic glaze after cooking.

Try a bit of this balsamic vinaigrette recipe with fruits like watermelon and strawberries for a terrifically savory and sweet treat. Adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream turns the salad into an instant dessert.

You can even use it as a marinade over proteins like steak, pork, and chicken.

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Can I Substitute Ingredients in this Recipe?

You absolutely can. Use whatever mild flavor oil you prefer (like paleo-friendly avocado oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil), substitute maple syrup for the honey to make it vegan, and it’s perfectly okay to use other mustards like stone-ground or yellow mustard if you don’t have Dijon.

Where Does Balsamic Vinegar Come From?

Authentic balsamic vinegar is made in only the cities of Reggio Emilia and Modena, Italy. It is highly regulated for quality so the traditional methods and production process is monitored by a special certification agency in Italy.

Traditional balsamic vinegar begins with grape must, which is a thick juice or mash made of whole pressed grapes including every component from skin to seeds and stems. They must achieve the perfect balance in flavor after cooking to concentrate the liquid, then fermenting for several weeks. It is then aged in barrels made of chestnut, oak, cherry, mulberry, and juniper wood to create unique flavor notes.

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Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

The Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe – This tangy balsamic vinaigrette dressing will make your salads sparkle, and takes only 5 minutes to prepare!

Servings: 8

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Pour the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, 2 tablespoons honey, Dijon mustard, dried thyme, and garlic clove in a jar. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.

  • Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously to combine. Once smooth, taste. Then add more honey or salt if needed.

Video

Notes

Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, this dressing will keep well for 2-3 weeks. Just give it a good shake before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons, Calories: 84kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 0g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 16mg, Potassium: 8mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Course: Dressing

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Sommer Collier

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The Best Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe | A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

What is in President's choice balsamic vinaigrette? ›

Ingredients: water, soybean oil, balsamic vinegar (wine vinegar, cookedgrape must, concentrated grape juice, caramel colour, sulphites),balsamic vinegar reduction (wine vinegar, concentrated grape must,caramel colour, natural flavour, sulphites), sugar, extra virgin oliveoil, salt, herbs and spice, garlic, citric acid, ...

What's the difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic vinaigrette? ›

Balsamic vinegar is pure vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is dark brown in color and has a very robust, slightly sweet flavor. Balsamic vinaigrette is a mixture made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and/or other spices. It is typically used as a salad dressing but has other uses in the kitchen as well.

What makes a good balsamic vinegar? ›

Good quality balsamic vinegar will have its ingredients listed as “Grape must, tradizionale'. This means that it has been aged for at least 12 years, and the vinegar will thick and sweet. Cheaper vinegar will be combined with a wine vinegar, caramel, flavourings and other ingredients.

Does balsamic vinaigrette lower blood pressure? ›

Heart health and blood pressure

Balsamic vinegar can reduce the concentration of triglycerides and total cholesterol in the body; these have been linked to heart attacks and stroke. Also, due to its low saturated fat content, balsamic vinegar is believed to enhance heart health and reduce high blood pressure.

Which is healthier balsamic vinegar or vinaigrette? ›

A balsamic vinaigrette typically involves adding oil, sugar, and/or mustard to balsamic vinegar, along with seasonings like garlic, salt, and pepper. While it can be made in a way that makes it healthier than several other salad dressing options, it can't compare to simply using the vinegar and oil.

What is the formula for vinaigrette dressing? ›

The French have decided that the perfect ratio for a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. For my personal taste, that's a little too oily — but it's totally up to you. My simple system is: In a small screw-top jar, place vinegar and a pinch of salt; cover and shake (this helps to dissolve the salt).

Which vinegar is best for vinaigrette? ›

In addition to white wine vinegar, red wine, sherry, balsamic and cider vinegars can all be used in the same quantities as above. It's really down to personal taste and it's great to have a selection of vinegars in your cupboard to give variety to even the simplest salads.

What type of balsamic vinegar is best for salad? ›

stamp are the most expensive, but they contain only grape must, so they're thicker, sweeter, and more flavorful compared to vinegars without the stamp. 1 Heat can destroy the flavor of traditional balsamic vinegars, so they're best used for drizzling atop cooked dishes, desserts, and salads to let the flavor shine.

What is the healthiest salad dressing? ›

Oil and vinegar.

“This is a great option, because it won't have any added sugar or salt,” says Allers. “But the type of oil is important. Opt for olive or avocado oil over an alternative like canola or soybean oil.” These healthy oils are packed with antioxidants, and can even help lower cholesterol.

Is balsamic vinegar good for gut health? ›

Balsamic vinegar is fantastic for gut health. In fact, it's one of the best foods you can eat if you have digestive disorders or problems with food intolerances. The enzymes in balsamic vinegar help with digestion and absorption of nutrients, making this an excellent addition to any diet plan.

Which is the best balsamic vinegar? ›

Best Overall: Fini Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

This classic balsamic vinegar has a smooth, balanced flavor that makes it ideal for a variety of uses beyond dressing a salad. This variety is aged for a full year to give it a balanced, mellow tang.

What should be the first ingredient in balsamic vinegar? ›

If the first ingredient in your bottle of balsamic vinegar is red wine vinegar, the product will actually be much more acidic and thinner than the sweeter vinegar we think of as balsamic. Instead, the first ingredient in a bottle of good balsamic vinegar should be cooked grape must.

What are the ingredients in balsamic vinegar? ›

Traditional balsamic vinegar is made only with one ingredient — "grape must" (in Italian, "mosto"), the sweet juice of freshly pressed grapes — that is boiled to a concentrate, fermented and acidified, and aged for 12 to 25 years or longer in wood barrels.

Are balsamic vinaigrettes healthy? ›

Takeaway. Balsamic vinegar is a safe food additive that contains no fat and very little natural sugar. It's been proven effective to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood pressure. Some research suggests it can also work as an appetite suppressant, and it contains strains of probiotic bacteria.

Is balsamic vinaigrette healthy to eat? ›

Improves digestion and gut health

The enzymes in balsamic vinegar help with digestion and absorption of nutrients, making this an excellent addition to any diet plan. Protein – Balsamic vinegar helps with protein digestion by breaking down the amino acids and making them more absorbable by your body.

What is balsamic vinaigrette dressing? ›

Balsamic vinaigrette is made by adding a small amount of balsamic vinegar to a simple vinaigrette of olive oil and wine vinegar. Brazil: A mix between olive oil, alcohol vinegar, tomatoes, onions and sometimes bell peppers is called vinagrete.

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