To make this vibrant homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing, I use olive oil for body, balsamic vinegar for mild tartness, honey for sweetness, whole grain Dijon mustard for texture and zest, and salt to bring out all the flavors. You can think of this an all purpose sweet and tart honey balsamic dressing that goes well with almost anything. While some salads, like traditional Greek salad or cucumber tomato salad, need just a squeeze of lemon or a dash of vinegar, others benefit greatly from a perfectly balanced vinaigrette. This is my go-to homemade balsamic vinaigrette recipe to use on everything from a weeknight dinner caprese chicken salad, roasted beet and goat cheese salad, or elegant mains.
Balsamic Vinaigrette: Homemade Versus Store Bought
Be it balsamic, Dijon, apple cider, or basil, there is simply no substitute for the quality or taste of homemade vinaigrette. Store-bought salad dressings are often filled with low-quality oils, sulfates, preservatives, and added flavorings with high sugar and salt content. Whisking your own dressing allows you to control the ingredients, making it not only healthier but also far more economical and delicious. I grew up in a Greek home where homemade vinaigrettes were the norm. I had never seen a store-bought salad dressing in our home. To this day, I have never purchased one myself! Vinaigrettes are also super easy to prepare. My mother had her designated dressing for each of her salads. She had regular favorites, like her Greek salad dressing with olive oil and oregano, her cabbage salad that was super tangy from the copious amounts of lemon juice, her garden salad with a fresh and vibrant balsamic vinaigrette—the list went on. There was no measuring involved, of course, it was all eyeballed and came together as she tasted and adjusted. “Why buy salad vinaigrettes when they are so simple to make?” she would say! In this balsamic vinaigrette recipe, I’ll teach you a simple vinaigrette that you can commit to memory and adjust to your liking. You may quickly find yourself like my mother, whisking without measurements, adjusting to your taste, and never overpaying for store-bought again!
Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients
This honey balsamic dressing uses simple pantry staples that you likely already have on hand. Here’s what you need:
Olive oil: I always like to use the best extra virgin olive oil when it comes to vinaigrettes as it adds a lot of flavor. I like something either peppery, like our Spanish Hojiblanca, or fruity, like our Greek Early Harvest. Mustard: I use whole grain mustard, sometimes called “seeded,” “old style,” or “country style.” I like the texture of the seeds, the visual factor, and its flavor. It is ever so spicy with an underlying sweetness. Always choose a preservative-free mustard where possible. If you prefer, you can use a non-seeded mustard. Balsamic vinegar: Has a unique flavor that is wonderfully balanced in both sweetness and acidity. Together with the honey, it creates a sticky appetizing vinaigrette. The longer vinegar is aged, the more temperate and sweeter it will be. You can use either variety, just look for a balsamic with no added sugar. Keep in mind that if you use aged balsamic, you may want to use less honey. Taste and adjust. Honey: Use a high quality runny honey as it will be easier to combine. Alternatively, if your honey has crystalized you can whisk in one tablespoon of boiled water to loosen it. As with all sweeteners, you want to taste and adjust as you go so that it doesn’t overpower or make the vinaigrette into a dessert syrup. Honey varies in taste depending on the type. I use mild light-tasting honey, like our like our Greek Alfa Honey. You could substitute maple syrup for honey to make it vegan. Salt: Kosher salt enhances and brings out the flavor. I always say taste and adjust seasoning to your palate. This is totally a preference, though the overall vinaigrette must have a salty, sour, and sweet tone.
How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
This honey balsamic dressing is so easy to put together. Just like our lemon vinaigrette (or most any vinaigrette recipe, really) all you need to do is whisk or shake! Here are the steps:
Whisk. In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon Dijon, 2 tablespoons balsamic, and 4 tablespoons honey. Season with a pinch of salt and and whisk until the vinaigrette is fully emulsified. Taste and adjust as necessary. If it is too thick for your liking, just add one tablespoon or so of boiled water to loosen it. If you’d like it to be more peppery, add more Dijon. For more sweetness, add more honey. For more tartness, add a splash more of balsamic. If it tastes a bit dull or flat, whisk in a pinch more salt. Use or store. Use immediately, or store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, shaking well before serving.
How to Store Salad Dressing
This honey balsamic dressing, as with just about any vinaigrette recipe, can be made ahead, sealed in a glass jar, and stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it, simply shake to mix the ingredients together. The oil and vinegar may separate and thicken during storage, so just give it a good shake. Olive oil can also solidify in the refrigerator. This is not a problem. Just remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. If you’re short on time, simply add one tablespoon of boiled water to the vinaigrette. Whisk, taste, and adjust with a dash more vinegar and honey.
How to Use this Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
This honey balsamic dressing is a great vinaigrette to toss with any fresh salad. It works particularly well with green salads, beet salads, and even pasta salads. It is also delicious drizzled over roasted vegetables. Because it is thick and sticky, it coats the veggies and even chicken or fish well. This vinaigrette is very bold and intense in flavor. Be mindful not to overload your salad. Drizzle a little, toss, taste, and add as you see necessary. Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
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