A balsamic dressing should be a perfect blend of silky sweetness with a pleasant tang, and that’s exactly what our homemade balsamic vinaigrette is.
When we were in Italy, we would start our evening meal dipping fresh ciabatta bread into the most wonderful oil and vinegar, we knew that we had to make a dressing when we got home and, 12 years later, we’ve perfected the best balsamic vinaigrette recipe you could hope to taste.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This balsamic dressing is so easy, and we mean EASY! It will take you literally 2 minutes to make.
- It’s so flexible, use it with bread, over salads, pasta salads, roasted vegetables and so much more!
- It keeps fresh for 4 days in the fridge, so you can make it ahead.
- It’s 100% vegetarian and vegan, so everyone can enjoy our balsamic vinaigrette!
Using store cupboard ingredients, you can whip up the most delicious balsamic vinaigrette dressing in 2 minutes. We guarantee that you’ll never want to buy store-bought vinaigrette again.
What is balsamic vinaigrette dressing made of?
When you look for a balsamic vinaigrette recipe, you’ll find that there are so many to choose from.
The simplest will be literally balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, with a ratio of three parts olive oil and one part balsamic vinegar.
In this Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing recipe, we add a few extra flavors, garlic, Dijon must, salt and pepper to season, and depending on the quality of your balsamic vinegar, a little honey.
We love our blend and use it on so many of our dishes!
What type of balsamic vinegar should I use?
A traditional aged balsamic vinegar comes from Italy and in particular, the kinds of vinegar that are considered to be the highest quality, are those from two regions, Reggio Emilia and Modena.
Some high-quality balsamic vinegar can be crazy expensive – can you believe they can cost up to $300 – $400?
You don’t want to be using these in your balsamic vinaigrette dressing!
For a good balsamic vinegar, check the label on the bottle, you should see either ‘Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia’ or ‘Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena’.
If the bottle you’re looking at doesn’t have these, then put it down and look for one that does.
Luckily for us all, not all traditional balsamic vinegar is crazy prices, and you should be able to pick one up that suits your budget.
What’s the difference between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil is made in a process that uses pure, cold-pressed olives, they grind the olives into a paste form and then press them to extract all the oil out of them.
Extra virgin olive oil is perfect for making dressings, in dips, and for final finishing touches on food.
Regular olive oil is a combination, it does contain cold-pressed oil but it also contains processed oils.
It’s perfect for sauteing and general cooking.
So, for your balsamic vinaigrette dressing, choose extra virgin olive oil.
How long is balsamic vinaigrette good for?
Using our balsamic vinaigrette recipe, your salad dressing will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
What can I use this vinaigrette on?
Our balsamic vinaigrette makes a great salad dressing drizzled, over roasted vegetables, and we love it drizzled over a cold Caprese pasta salad.
Recipe tips and notes
- Don’t have any honey?
Use maple syrup instead. - Not got a mason jar?
Just place all the ingredients in a measuring jug and give them a good whisk, that’ll work just fine. - Want to zest your salad dressing up some more?
Why not try experimenting with a little lemon juice? - Not keen on garlic?
Just leave it out!
How to make balsamic vinaigrette with step-by-step instructions
You’re going to love just how easy our homemade balsamic vinaigrette recipe is, you’ll make it in just 2 minutes!
A full printable version of this great recipe with all ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
In a sterilized mason jar, add extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, fine sea salt, ground black pepper, and garlic.
Now, secure the lid on the jar and shake vigorously for approximately 20 seconds until it’s combined.
Taste the vinaigrette, and if you think it needs a little sweetening, then use a little honey, then shake again.
Taste and add more salt or honey to suit your taste and just shake the jar once again to combine.
Enjoy your delicious homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing!
Follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, for more tasty inspiration!
Other vegetarian recipes you’ll love
- Chili and lime dressing – beautifully zesty, with a subtle spice kick, our salad dressing really helps to lift your salads!
- Beetroot and grilled halloumi salad – this light cheesy salad is perfect to drizzle your balsamic vinaigrette on.
- Roasted beetroot and feta salad – the sweetness of beetroot pairs perfectly with the saltiness of the feta cheese – try it!
- Pasta alla sorrentina – cheesy, sweet ripe tomatoes, garlic, and perfect pasta, we can’t resist this perfect pasta dish!
We hope that you love making our balsamic vinaigrette recipe and we’d love to hear how you got on.
Please leave a comment below or feel free to ask any questions you may have.
EASY BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING
Ingredients
- 175 ml Extra virgin olive oil
- 60 ml Balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp Fine sea salt
- ½ tsp Ground black pepper
- 1 clove Garlic minced
Instructions
- In a sterilized mason jar, add extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, fine sea salt, black pepper, and garlic
- Now, secure the lid on the jar and shake vigorously for approximately 20 seconds until it's combined
- Taste the vinaigrette, and if you think it needs a little sweetening, then use a little honey, then shake again
- Taste and add more salt or honey to suit your taste and just shake the jar once again to combine
- Enjoy your delicious homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing!
Notes
- Don’t have any honey?
Use maple syrup instead - Not got a mason jar?
Just place all the ingredients in a measuring jug and give them a good whisk, that’ll work just fine - Want to zest your salad dressing up some more?
Why not try experimenting with a little lemon juice? - Not keen on garlic?
Just leave it out!
Did you make this recipe?
We love hearing how you went with ours recipes! Tag us on Instagram at @splash_of_taste_uk
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