7 Basic Vinaigrette Recipes

7 basic vinaigrette recipes that will add so much flavor to your salads! These are ready in under 5 minutes and are so much tastier than the store-bought stuff.

Lacking pizzazz in your meals? A sauce or vinaigrette can make all the difference in the world! We shared these 7 stir fry sauce recipes to add some oomf to your stir fries, and now it's time to tackle salads.

Ingredient notes

• olive oil- When prepping a salad dressing, reach for a good quality olive oil like extra virgin
• vinegar- Many people suggest you opt for a good quality vinegar, but I find grocery store vinegar works fine. For apple cider vinegar, look for 'raw unfiltered' if you want the added health benefits.
• dijon mustard- acts as an emulsifier to help the oil and vinegar stay together. It adds a subtle layer of flavor and does not make your dressing taste like mustard at all. Don't skip it!
• sweetener- honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar. A little sweetness is needed to balance out the tanginess of the vinegar.
• optional fruit & vegetable add ins- three of these vinaigrette recipes have fruit & veggies blended into the dressing for extra flavor. Fruit can vary naturally in sweetness, so I recommend you taste and add more sweetener as needed.

How to make vinaigrette

Simply shake the ingredients together, or in the case of the strawberry, raspberry and cilantro lime vinaigrettes, blend them up with an immersion blender.

Recipe tips

The ratio

Traditional vinaigrette recipes use a 1:3 ratio of vinegar: oil. It comes down to taste preference, and I welcome you to play around with this ratio to get a tangier vinaigrette.

I prefer a 1:1 ratio for maximum flavor on my salad, and I recommend starting with this ratio and adding more oil if you find this too tangy.

Storage

Homemade vinaigrettes are easy to prep ahead. Store them in a mason jar or salad dressing shaker.

• basic vinaigrettes without fresh fruit or herbs- store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
• vinaigrettes with fresh herbs or fruit- store in the fridge for up to 3 days

As the vinaigrette stores, the oil and vinegar will separate over time. Let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, then shake it up well before serving.

FAQ

7 Basic Vinaigrette Recipes

Grab the full recipes in the recipe card below.

• Balsamic Vinaigrette- tangy, rich and slightly sweet; goes well with Caprese salad, kale salad, and with berries
• White Wine Vinaigrette- neutral and goes with everything; use on spinach salad, quinoa salad, roasted cauliflower salad
• Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette- with fresh cilantro flavor, garlic, lime juice, and tangy vinegar; goes well on a sweet potato salad, taco salad, with grilled corn or fish
• Red Wine Vinaigrette- tangy and works well on pasta salad; Mediterranean ingredients
• Raspberry Vinaigrette- slight floral raspberry flavors, herbaceous basil; tangy and slightly sweet. Goes well on spinach salad, with fresh berries, and goat cheese served with grilled chicken.
• Apple Cider Vinaigrette- neutral but less tangy; works well paired with apples, on a spinach salad, on farro salad
• Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette- with sweet strawberries, spicy black pepper and tangy vinegar. Goes well with grilled chicken, fresh berries, strawberry spinach salad, and salmon.

Salad dressings you'll love

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7 Basic Vinaigrette Recipes

5 from 6 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 5 minutes mins

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7 basic vinaigrette recipes that will add so much flavor to your salads! These are ready in under 5 minutes and are so much tastier than the store-bought stuff.

8

Ingredients

1. White Wine Vinaigrette

• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup white wine vinegar see note 1
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup (honey or brown sugar may be subbed)
• ▢ salt & pepper

2. Red Wine Vinaigrette

• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup red wine vinegar see note 2
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup (honey or brown sugar may be subbed)
• ▢ salt & pepper

3. Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (raw unfiltered)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup (honey or brown sugar may be subbed)
• ▢ salt & pepper

4. Balsamic Vinaigrette

• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup (honey or brown sugar may be subbed)
• ▢ salt & pepper

5. Raspberry Vinaigrette

• ▢ 1 cup fresh raspberries
• ▢ ¼ cup basil leaves (loosely packed)
• ▢ ¼ cup red wine vinegar (balsamic also works)
• ▢ ¼ cup water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons maple syrup (increase if necessary)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dijon mustard

6. Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

• ▢ ½ cup cilantro leaves (loosely packed)
• ▢ ¼ cup white wine vinegar
• ▢ ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1 clove garlic (minced)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lime juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey (maple syrup or brown sugar may be swapped)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ avocado (optional and not pictured)

7. Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette

• ▢ 12 strawberries (hulled)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon water
• ▢ 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)

Instructions 

White Wine, Red Wine, Balsamic and Apple Cider Vinaigrettes

• Shake together all ingredients. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Raspberry & Cilantro Lime Vinaigrettes

• Blend together all ingredients in a blender or with an immersion blender. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Roasted Strawberry Vinaigrette

• Heat oven to 350°F. Roast strawberries for 25 minutes and allow to cool slightly.
• Blend together all ingredients in a blender or with an immersion blender. Store in the fridge for 3-5 days.

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Tips:

1- not to be confused with white vinegar!

2- this recipe works great as written on pasta salad, however it's a bit tangy for a green salad. for green salads I recommend a 1:2 (3 tablespoons red wine vinegar + 6 tablespoons of olive oil) or a 1:3 (2 tablespoons red wine vinegar + 6 tablespoons olive oil) ratio of oil to vinegar 

Storage

• basic vinaigrettes without fresh fruit or herbs- store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks
• vinaigrettes with fresh herbs or fruit- store in the fridge for up to 3 days

As the vinaigrette stores, the oil and vinegar will separate over time. Let it stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, then shake it up well before serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/8 of a batch of white wine vinaigrette, Calories: 74kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 0g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 4mg, Potassium: 11mg, Sugar: 2g, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.1mg

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

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