I always have a jar of balsamic vinaigrette ready to go in my fridge. I use it almost daily on salads, spread on sandwiches, or drizzled over vegetables. It’s so versatile I rarely bother to make any other kind of salad dressing. And it certainly beats store-bought options with their cheap oils and high fructose corn syrup.
For Thanksgiving I’m using the vinaigrette on my favorite fall salad with greens, dried cranberries, candied walnuts and feta cheese. It is also fantastic drizzled over my go-to green beans or as a dip for grilled vegetables. I love using it on sandwiches, and it’s particularly great for make-ahead occasions when mayonnaise won’t do. And a beribboned jar makes a great holiday or hostess gift.
I’ve been meaning to post this vinaigrette for months, but because it’s one of those things I make without measuring, it took a while to sit down and actually formulate a recipe. Rest assured that with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar, you can’t go far wrong with balsamic vinaigrette – I’ve made it with more mustard, or more honey, or less olive oil, or without garlic – and it’s all good. My friend Josephine makes her balsamic vinaigrette with a squeeze of ketchup instead of mustard and honey, and that’s also great.
I rarely break out electronic appliances in the kitchen, but you can certainly whir this up in a blender or food processor. I’m too lazy to get out appliances, and cleanup always seems easier with a bowl and fork.
Honey, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic in a mixing bowl.
Not thinking ahead, I’d already measured out the oil and vinegar together. It’s a bit easier to mix the balsamic vinegar with the honey-mustard mixture first, and then whisk in the oil. But this works too.
Only takes a minute to emulsify to a nice, thick vinaigrette.
Store in a jar. I like to repurpose jam jars.
Mmmm. This doesn’t last as long as you might think.
One more baby step in Thanksgiving week. I’ll be lining up the jam jars after Thanksgiving to make more vinaigrette as holiday gifts (I hear my sisters-in-law cheering), along with batches of spicy candied nuts.
I have more holiday food gift ideas to share after Thanksgiving – my favorite gingerbread cake and my mother-in-law’s famous hot fudge sauce. So stay tuned.
Balsamic vinaigrette
A versatile vinaigrette with a touch of sweetness – so much better and healthier than store-bought salad dressings. I make a jar at a time and use it on everything – salads, sandwiches, drizzled over grilled vegetables. Also makes a fantastic holiday or hostess gift.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard (whole grain dijon is also great if you have it)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, crushed (or minced if you like a stronger garlic flavor)
Directions
- In mixing bowl measure honey, mustard, salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Stir with fork to combine (you can use a whisk if you’re using minced garlic; the crushed garlic clove tends to get caught in the wires).
- Add balsamic vinegar and stir. Gradually oil, whisking with fork to incorporate. Stir until fully emulsified.
- Store in a jar with lid (a repurposed jam jar works nicely). Keeps indefinitely in refrigerator. I like to leave the garlic clove in, where it sits at the bottom of the jar and continues to release its subtle garlic flavor. But if you are afraid you’re accidentally going to get in your salad, you can fish it out with a fork and discard it.
Makes approximately one cup of vinaigrette.
Note
- If using a blender or food processor, mix mustard, honey, garlic, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar first until garlic is well blended. Add oil in batches, pulsing to mix after each addition. Too much mixing will make the vinaigrette extremely thick. I learned this the hard way and had to make a runnier batch to whisk the two together. Alternatively you can whisk in a bit of water to loosen it up, but this will also lighten the color of the vinaigrette. But these adjustments are just for appearances – a too-thick vinaigrette is perfectly usable and will thin out when mixed on salad.
Here’s a link to the printable version: Balsamic vinaigrette recipe for printing.
oh my, how did i miss this?
This will be awesome to use in a salad. How long can i store this for?
hi flavor carousel – regarding storage, honey and vinegar are both natural preservatives, and i’ve never had the garlic go rancid. normally i cycle through a batch of vinaigrette very quickly, but occasionally i’ve lost track of a jar in the fridge. many weeks or even a few months later it’s still good.
I know it says in the recipe stores indefinitely but that is not true and could also be dangerous you can get botulism from garlic and I for sure would not use it and definitely a few weeks and that’s it
hi nicki – thank you for taking the time to comment! cooks illustrated had an article on this issue: “According to Dr. Harris, homemade vinaigrettes that contain garlic don’t present a botulism poisoning risk because the acid in vinegar inhibits bacterial growth, particularly if the oil and vinegar separate so that the garlic is sitting in vinegar alone.” of course you should absolutely trust your instincts regarding food safety. in my experience, the refrigerated vinaigrette keeps as well as a vinaigrette you would purchase.
This will be awesome to use in a salad. Usually i just use balsamic vinegar with salt and pepper but this recipe with garlic adds that extra zing and just the fact that i can store this indefinitely makes it a keeper :-).
Do you ever find that it seems to solidify? I made a slightly different version and after a couple of days it did this.
hi christine – vegetable oils do solidify in the refrigerator, so the vinaigrette will as well. but it’s really a soft solid – use a spoon to scoop out the dressing, and it will quickly return to liquid as you toss it with your salad. hope that helps!
I run my jar under hot water for a couple seconds and a quick shake or whisk with a fork seems to mix everything back up pretty well.
hi ky – thanks for sharing back!
Thank you, it does help!! Great recipe btw!!
Have you ever tried making this lower-fat? Do you think that I can substitute water for 1/2 cup of the oil?
hi devorie – excellent question. the oil-vinegar balance here serves a couple of purposes. first, the proportion as is will hold an emulsion – that is, properly mixed, the vinaigrette will stay mixed. substituting water will essentially give you diluted vinegar (which is ok, oil dilutes the vinegar too) with some oil floating on top, which may not be a consistency that works for you.
but aside from aesthetics, the olive oil serves an important nutritional purpose. first, extra-virgin olive oil is a healthful, monosaturated fat that is derived with minimal processing. when you eat vegetables, you need some fat in order to absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K. if you eat vegetables without fat, the fat-soluble vitamins will pass through unabsorbed.
hope that helps! thanks for taking the time to ask.
Thanks!
I absolutely LOVED this! Even my husband, who is a pretty die hard ceasar/thousand island kinda guy, loved it. I’ll have to double the batch next time!
hi melinda – that is fantastic! thanks for letting me know. =)
Just made this now. It’s awesome! Thanks for the recipe.
hi crystal – so glad you like it!
CG- dont know how to start my own comment but this dressing has been a staple in my house for at least the past five years. I make it at least twice a month. I just taught my daughters (ages 11 & 9) the recipe. The best! Thank you! I’ll never stray!
hi terese – thank you so much for this note! i love that you are passing the recipe down to your girls. my kids use the recipes here all the time, and it makes me so happy. 😊 thank you for sharing!
I add one head of roasted garlic instead of the minced garlic
hi isa – great idea, yum!
I made this tonight for my valentine! we both loved it!! thank you for sharing the recipe!!
hi scott – awww, that is so cute. thank you so much for sharing back!
Lately we’ve had trouble finding our usual favorite dressing (Drew’s Rosemary Balsamic) at local stores, and the other dressings that we’ve tried have not been cutting it. To the internet! This recipe is amazing (although we used more like 1 tsp of honey – don’t like our dressing too sweet), and is our go-to now. This recipe works really well mixed in a measuring cup with our immersion blender, provided you go with the minced garlic. Stays nice and emulsified.
hi lori – so glad you like it! it really is so convenient to make dressing at home, not to mention cheaper. thanks for sharing your modification too! it really is a flexible recipe.
Made this a few weeks ago and we loved it. Thanks for the awesome recipe. My search for the perfect balsamic vinaigrette is over!
hi mary – fantastic! thanks so much for letting me know. =)
Hi,
Love your blog. Is there any brand of balsamic vineger you recommend.
hi leju – thanks for visiting! among widely-available brands, i like monari federzoni balsamic vinegar of modena – it’s an excellent value.
Thanks for posting this. I can’t wait to get home to try it tonight. I have 3 types of Basil growing on the back porch, and want to try a batch with a crushed basil leaf or two. Thanks again.
thanks, john – hope you enjoy it! i’m envious of your three types of basil, sounds like summer bliss.
Ok, one sorta complaint about this dressing, it is so good that I continue to eat salad until I run out of dressing. Thanks for posting it, it is wonderful. Just raided the herb garden for some cherry tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, speriment leaves, and Genovese basil. Topped it with your dressing and sent my toung on a trip to wonderland. Thanks again. My long term relationship with Good Seasons has come to an end. 🙂
hi john – i know what you mean, it’s habit-forming! but at least it’s a good habit. =) wish i had your garden, it sounds delicious.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ve been making this a few times now. I poach a couple cloves of garlic in the olive oil. Also I put the ingredients in a bottle and shake it. Less washing :^)
hi sian – i love the poached garlic idea. and shaking in the jar…less to wash is always a good thing!
Where can I buy Jam jar at?
you can use any glass jar with a tight lid. when i finish the contents of a jar, such as jam or mustard, i often save it for re-use. but you can also buy jars at stores like wal-mart, target, or large grocery stores.
I am getting ready to try this for company (and myself) 🙂 It will keep for sometime in the fridge?
hi jan – yes, it keeps for ages! it will solidify in the fridge but returns to normal at room temperature. hope you enjoy it.
I was truly skeptical of this dressing as I’ve always thought of myself as a “ranch-only” type of person. I recently decided to branch out and thought I would give this a try after your glowing review… and I’m SO GLAD I DID! It was so yummy!!! I want to make it again and again! (first batch is already devoured!) Thank you for posting this!
hi stacysaurus – a convert! i love it. thanks for sharing back.
I literally just made this and had to come back to share just how wonderful it is!! Splendid! Simply splendid!!
I’m making my crockpot version of ratatouille tonight for dinner and desired a nice balsamic vinigarette to drizzle over too before serving. I found your recipe and went to make it, however I didn’t have any Dijon mustard. So I was forced to substitute your standard classic mustard instead. The outcome was still fabulous though!! Now I’m scouring the kitchen looking for anything I can put it on!!!
hi audra – i’m so behind on my comments, sorry! glad the vinaigrette worked out for you. it really does go with everything!
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!!! Only dressing I have now since trying it.
thank you, dee! so glad it’s found a home in your kitchen!
Omigosh! I am not kidding, this is the best Balsamic Vinegar Dressing ever! I followed the recipe exactly, which I generally do not do, and it is perfect. I pressed the garlic in my Pampered Chef press and whisked until I thought my arm would fall off…WELL worth it!! Thanks for sharing such a delight! 🙂
hi lori – i am so happy you like it! thanks for letting me know. =)
Oh my gosh, how good this is!!!! I have NEVER liked Balsamic Vinegar on anything, but this looked good so I thought I’d give it a try and I am very glad that I did. The only thing that I did different, is that I used a balsamic glaze instead of vinegar since I didn’t have any balsamic vinegar on hand….still delicious and cannot wait to try it on my salads and for cooking!!! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
hi robin – i’m so excited that you are a balsamic vinegar convert! thanks so much for letting me know, i feel so fulfilled. =)
Made this tonight for our salad to go along with an Ahi Tuna recipe I wanted to try. I followed your recipe, but used a cruet to shake the ingredients together. I had planned to eat the tuna along side the salad, but I loved the dressing so much that I ended up tossing the tuna into the salad bowl. I wanted to lick the bowl, it was so good! I am making a note to make up some jars for gifts. Thanks for sharing!
hi nancy – mmm, that sounds fantastic! i am so glad you liked the dressing.
This is delicious! I added a 1/2 teaspoon of packed brown sugar for a little more sweetness. Thank you for such a great recipe.
hi valerie – i’m glad you liked the recipe! and a little more sweet is always good in my book. =) thanks so much for sharing back.
I made this tonight to go on caprese sandwiches, and it was fantastic! Thank you for an excellent recipe!
hi katie – yum, i love it on sandwiches, and caprese ones are a favorite. thanks so much for sharing back!
Ohh this sounds really good! But I don’t have dijon in my house- can I use a substitute? I only can seem to find whole grain German mustard- would that be ok? Or should I make a dijon substitute? (1 TBS mustard powder, 1 tsp water, 1 tsp white vinegar, 1 TBS mayo, pinch of sugar?) Thanks! :3
hi eden – whole grain german mustard will do just fine! hope you enjoy the vinaigrette.
This is the best balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Definitely a keeper. I made it tonight minus the mustard as I didn’t have it at hand. The honey and garlic balances the acidity. Thank you!
great that it worked out for you! thanks so much for letting me know. 🙂
came across this via the Kitchn….and have now made it maybe 6 times in 3 wks??? yum! I have been on a pasta salad kick and it goes great with it!
hi andrea – wow! so glad you are liking it, and so nice of you to share back.
I am just checking to see if the 3/4 cup of oil is correct. The link to your friends version of this dressing uses 1/4 cup of oil vs. the 3/4 listed here.
Thanks so much,
hi cyd – yes, 3/4 cup is correct. thanks for checking!
Is there an easy but healthy way to modify this recipe to be a fruit vinaigrette, like strawberry or raspberry? Many recipes I find say to use a fruit jam or jelly, but that doesn’t seem very healthy since they are usually loaded with artificial sweeteners and preservatives (at least the kinds you can buy in the grocery store).
Thanks!
hi cynthia – i’ve never tried that, but it sounds like a great idea! probably easiest to start with a good-quality jam and substitute it for honey. otherwise you’d have to make your own fruit puree with berries and sugar – but you’d need to cook it down to concentrate flavor, or it will make your vinaigrette too watery. good luck!
This looks great! Can I use agave as honey substitute?
hi megan – yes, i haven’t tried it with agave but others have! i think agave is sweeter than honey? so maybe start with less and add to taste. good luck!
I was searching for an awesome balsamic vinegarette recipe and this it! I just made it and it is seriously sOo delicious. I blended a little more than half the mixture with the magic bullet and then mixed it with the rest of the mix just whisked together and the consistency is perfect! Thanks so much for sharing!! 🙂
After reading all the great comments & responses I’m making & serving your vinaigrette tomorrow to friends on a simple salad. I’ll learn how to make a Caprese sandwich but I could use some suggestions of basic sandwich ingredients that your much admired vinaigrette would enhance. With a suggestion or two, I could surely launch myself toward building on my own. Thanks so much in advance. Blessings.
hi judy – hope you liked the vinaigrette! i use it on any kind of sandwich – i’m not big into mayonnaise, and i especially love balsamic vinaigrette on sandwiches for the plane, since doesn’t have any food safety issues. it really goes great with any meat, cheese or veggie sandwich – ham and brie, turkey and avocado, cheddar and tomato, or certainly any italian sub. it would even be great with tuna. enjoy!
Hi. I like the idea of putting this in a jam jar and giving it as a gift. Do you need to follow the same steps as for jelly to preserve? Such as hot water bath?? Please let me know how you do this! Thanks!
hi victoria – unfortunately it’s not safe to can foods with oil at home. i believe that oil on the rim of the jar prevents formation of a tight seal, and oil in the food can create an anaerobic environment that is a botulism risk. so when i give people vinaigrette, i just tell them to refrigerate it. the vinaigrette is fine for day or so unrefrigerated. hope that helps!
CG–I didn’t like your Balsamic Vinaigrette. I LOVED IT!! Thanks for your sandwich suggestions–I’m off and running with my imagination working overtime–I’ve tossed all store bought dressings as this is all I could ever need or want. YUM! With this dressing sandwiches & salads have a new hierarchy in my kitchen along with ciabatta rolls. Fresh is the best. Tomato season is still going strong in NH. Tonight we had a Caprese salad followed by a Caprese sandwich. Looking forward to making my way through your recipe list. Many thanks & Blessings.
yay judy – i love a success story! so glad you are finding ways to enjoy the vinaigrette. you are a sweetie for sharing back, too. =)
Greetings! I just wanted to let you know that I have loved your version of this delicious dressing for quite some time, now. It is a staple in our household. I have weaned my entire family off of ranch and onto balsamic vinaigrette! Even my mother loves it, and she prefers to eat her salads and veggies plain. So, thank you so much for sharing. You’re awesome!
hi heather – YOU are awesome for taking the time to write! i love hearing about your family’s conversion from ranch dressing. not that ranch isn’t great sometimes too…but homemade dressing is always better. =) keep up the balsamic evangelism, i’m with you too!
How can all these ppl be wrong! Just made it & yummm…its addictive. Thank ypu for the recipe.
I mixed up a cold bean salad for a after funeral luncheon at church…and need a dressing for it. Lots of good reviews about this one, so I am going to try it!
hi carmie – hope the dressing worked out for you!
My family has proclaimed this the only dressing I ever need to make. I’ve made it exactly as written and also used white balsamic vinegar and garlic powder and it was also delicious. So easy to just shake up in a jar, no bowl or fork needed. Thank you for the recipe.
hi julie – thanks for sharing, i am so glad your family loves it! i’ve never tried it with white balsamic vinegar, glad to know it works.
This is a great recipe! However, for some reason, the batch I made was more runny than the thick consistency I see in the photos 🙁 I like my dressing like the consistency you had in the pic.. does that depend on the quality of the Balsamic Vinegar and EVOO? I bought both from Trader Joe’s…
hi rochelle – normally the mustard and honey in this recipe really help the dressing to emulsify and thicken. adding oil gradually helps too. the few times i’ve had problems with runny dressing, it was when whatever vessel i was mixing my dressing in was not totally dry. hope that helps – let me know if you have the same problem the next time!
Hello, made a second batch and it was perfect this time! I think I didn’t whisk it enough the first time, lol thanks so much again for this recipe! 🙂
hi rochelle – yay, glad it worked out! thanks for letting me know.
I love this recipe..Thanks 4 the tip re thinning it down.
Can I substitute the olive oil for a different type of oil, like hemp oil or avacado oil? I can imagine it might change the flavor slightly but have you tried it?
hi lori – i haven’t used other oils but it should work just fine. good luck!
I’ve been using your recipe for some time now and and like others have claimed, its GREAT!! Lately I’ve used brown sugar instead of honey because we’re running low and the bees are still wintering here. Still wonderful! I’ve been a great fan of balsamic vinegar for years and have cobbled up a mixture which I use as a flavour enhancer whenever something I’m cooking needs a boost. 50/50 balsamic and soysauce, a few shakes of Worcestershire (or lots of “shakes” if you want), herbs such as basil and thyme , pepper and garlic powder. I just spoon the dry ingredients into a bottle that had the balsamic vinaigrette I no longer buy in it and then pour the liquids in with it, shake to mix and its ready to use. If anyone tries this out I’d love to know how it went over. Also, variations on the concept. Sorry CG if I’m highjacking your forum :-}<
hi norml – love it, thanks so much for the variation. please highjack anytime! =)
Hi. Nice recipe.
I’ve been buying balsamic vinaigrette by the gallon at a restaurant supply place (Costco Business) but they stopped carrying it. I didn’t care much for the other stuff in the regular Costco so I decided to make my own. I winged it: read the proportions off the back of a packet of salad dressing mix and then improvised:
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar (Roland)
1/4 water
1/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
Added one pressed clove of garlic, 1 tsp salt, about 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1 tsp dried chopped onion, 2 tsp turbinado sugar, and 1 tsp of a salt-free herb seasoning mix. Shaking in a jar, it didn’t emulsify that well, but it tasted good on a salad. I tried adding a few splashes of Worstershire Sauce to the salad, and that was OK but not exactly the taste I was after (made it slightly bitter). Then I went on line and found this and other recipes, so I went back to the jar and added 2 tsp Dijon mustard and gave it a few whirls at low speed in the blender. That emulsified it very well, although it is a bit thin. The mustard gave it that extra taste, and it was better than before on the salad (another salad!).
Next time I’ll try increasing the oil and eliminating the water. Since olive oil tends to solidify in the fridge, this recipe might be fine, although it could be a little more tart.
Anyway, thanks for the ideas!
Just made this yesterday. left out the honey (it wouldnt pour) and didnt measure the mustard, winged it, did measure the oil and vinegar, but nothing else. added extra garlic, put it in my 10.00 mini chopper, all of it, and blended well, poured in a pint mason jar and put it in the fridge to marry. Mixed up cut up tomato and cucumber, seeds removed from both, sliced on an angle celery, chopped green onion (all of it) fresh basil and mint from my garden (slivered lengthwise) and 2 leaves of cilantro chopped very very small. Added spring mix salad stuff, just a little as it is mostly a tomato cucumber salad and then drizzled the dressing over it. put in a glass bowl with a lid and shook it real good and put it in fridge. Went to get some today, it sat overnight, and the whole 2 qt bowl was gone. daughter ate it. left me a note to make more so she can live on it.
hi wendy – that sounds fantastic! so glad your daughter loved it too. you are a peach for sharing the story here – i love it. =)
THANKS for this awesome recipe! I was trying to duplicate a dressing I’d had at a restaurant, and this matched it exactly. If anyone’s interested, the salad the restaurant served was delicious with this dressing: curly (or any kind) kale (I chop it finely); roasted butternut squash slices; avocado; sautéed, thinly sliced red onion and red bell pepper.
hi leeann – that salad sounds AMAZING! i need to try it. thanks so much for sharing back!
Nutritional info or caloric content per tablespoon? Asking bc currently drinking it it’s so good. Just kidding, kind of.
hi stephanie – ha, i could practically drink it myself! though maybe only a shot glass. =P i can’t vouch for the accuracy, but a calorie calculator says 56 calories per tablespoon, 5.8 grams fat (9% DV). hope that helps!
Hi, I was wondering, I only have minced garlic that is already prepared, about how much would be a garlic clove? Half a teaspoon? Thanks!
hi dana – half a teaspoon will do fine. hope you like it!
It’s delicious! It literally took a couple minutes to make. I followed the recipe exactly, except for the mustard. I didn’t have enough, but what I could put in there still made a difference. I put about a half a teaspoon of garlic, but I love garlic! I had to put it in the fridge, I was seriously tempted to drink it!
yay dana! i am so glad you enjoyed it. try more garlic next time if you like!
OMG!! I have been searching for a balsalmic vinaigrette but never had that “je ne sais quoi”…. I have FOUND it!! Love your recipe! I used a Magic Bullet and dumped all ingredients, including the oil. Maybe it is due to the speed but it was just perfect! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
hi dominique – yipee, so glad you found the holy grail of balsamic vinaigrette here! and good to know the dump-and-mix works in the magic bullet. thanks so much for sharing back!
Last week I made a jar full and yes, very good, but after a couple of days it thickened so much that I had to spoon it out. Could I have done something wrong?
hi don – nothing’s wrong, the oil in the dressing solidifies in the fridge (just like straight-up olive oil would), and it makes the vinaigrette kind of solid. but as soon as it warms up to room temperature (whether in the jar or on the salad), it’s liquid again. so no worries, i just scoop it out with a spoon too, and as soon as i start tossing the salad, it’s good to go. thanks for asking!
CG, you are so informed. I like your detailed answers to the posts. I love this dressing and I will use agave instead of honey because we cannot have sugar.
BTW, It is carbs and overeating that makes us fat. Good fat is an important food in our diets.
It is best to always refrigerate olive oil as it can oxidize quickly if left out too long even in the green bottles. It should be kept in a cool dark place to prevent oxidation as much as possible.
Hey, I found a recipe for Balsalmic Porkchops on mrfood.com and I think I will use this to replace all the other stuff in the recipe! How easy is that!
hi wendy – that sounds awesome, love it!
hi i_fortuna – agave should work fine! i hope you like it. thanks for the tips too – i really appreciate you sharing back!
this is how I have made my dressing for many years (except I also use less honey.) I first slice or dice (very thinly or small) two shallots and then pour the balsamic vinegar over them and let them sit on the counter and pickle for awhile. The shallots pick up the sweetness from the balsamic. Then I add the rest of the ingredients.
To deal with it becoming rather solid in the fridge, I take a small Pyrex bowl and heat a couple Tb of water in the microwave in it, then dump out the water and put a few Tb of dressing in the little bowl. The warmed bowl melts the EVOO.
hi deborah – i always think shallots would be great – i just need to remember to buy them! and i love your warmed bowl trick – you are right, it only takes a bit of warmth to melt the olive oil. thank you so much for taking the time to share back!
I just dumped all the ingredients into a canning jar,covered with the lid and shook for a couple of minutes and results were fantastic!
hi marie – as long as the honey isn’t too thick, the shaking method works really well! thanks so much for sharing back.
I’m not a seasoned cook, so I’m not familiar with good EVOO. Ina Garten always says “use a good quality fill-in-the-blank,” but I’m not always aware of what a good quality food item is. I don’t think it’s always based upon cost, so I’m writing to ask if you could comment on a good quality EVOO. I know Costco is supposed to have a good one, but I can’t buy that much at one time because it would not be used. I have a Trader Joe’s nearby and find they usually have good products. If you could make a recommendation that I could find in a mid-sized city, I would be grateful. Can’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks!
hi there – trader joe’s EVOO will work great. in a vinaigrette, the flavor of the EVOO will be dominated by the vinegar, so the vinegar quality ends up being more important than the olive oil. but the garlic, mustard and honey in this recipe make it more forgiving than a vinaigrette made with just oil and vinegar. give it a shot, i think you’ll like it!
CG, the endless length of comments just proves that you are a genius. Thanks for the recipe. Wonderful:-)!
hi myra – haha, i just make easy food – no genius here, alas! but i love and appreciate the hyperbole. =)
I am so glad I found this awesome recipe!!! I am Alpha-gal positive (which means I am allergic to mammal meats and products derived from mammals, and also allergic to milk) due to being bit by a tick, so I am now reading all labels on all products. This recipe is wonderful, and I know exactly what I am eating!! It is so easy to make and tastes soooo good. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!
hi connie – thank you, i am so glad you love it! that sounds like a tough allergy to monitor. at least having a good salad dressing does make veg eating so much better. best of luck to you!
I’m confused, I can only get this to make about 8oz, not 13. Am I missing something? The math just doesn’t add up. At first I thought it would whip up to 13 after mixing, but it doesn’t.
hi kara – so sorry, somehow i missed your comment earlier. excellent question. all i know is that when i make the dressing, it fits in a bonne maman jam jar (13 oz) and not a hero jam jar (12 oz). but i hear you on the math (and i’m a math major!), so hang tight – i am going to get to the bottom of this question and get back to you.
Hi, I use a Blenderbottle. It’s used mainly to make protein shakes, but it’s awesome for this! I measure all the ingredients and add this or that depending on how I want it to taste or how much I want to make, it’s 28oz. Hope this helps. Theres a 20 and 20 ounce bottle and several colors. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001KADGMI?pc_redir=1410062671&robot_redir=1
Oops 20 and 28 ounce bottle*
hi kara – duh, i just realized jam is sold by weight, not volume. revised my estimate on my vinaigrette volume. thanks for the catch, i really appreciate it!
Hi! When making this it never got thick? What did i do wrong? I double checked the recipe to make sure I measured right. .. I’m stumped!
hi kari – this has only happened to me once or twice, and i was stumped too. did you mix the mustard, honey and vinegar first, then add the oil in batches? sometimes when you add the oil all at once, it doesn’t emulsify well. it tends to do better at incorporating the oil gradually.
Yes i followed your directions exactly.
ok, the only other time i can remember, i was making multiple batches in my mini food processor for gifts. one batch i made after cleaning the bowl and not drying it completely (figured a few drops of water wouldn’t hurt), it didn’t emulsify at all. i don’t know if the damp bowl was the problem, but after that i made sure i dried it thoroughly, and it didn’t happen again. don’t know if that helps…i am sorry it didn’t work for you!
Plan to make this recipe today. There has been so much talk about using unrefined coconut oil, unrefined is supposed to have a less coconut flavour, instead of EVOO. What is your opinion for a substitution? Have not tried this oil yet but have been considering buying some.
hi peggy – i like coconut oil, but because it is solid at room temperature, i wouldn’t recommend using it in a salad dressing. good luck!
I made this last week and let me tell you, never in my life have I daydreamed about a salad dressing the way this recipe has consumed my thoughts! 😉 To say that I loved it is an understatement. Oh, and I told my husband that he’d be having this salad dressing for the next 40 years. SO glad to have discovered your blog!
yvonne – how awesome are you? thanks so much for the supersweet note. you made my week! and btw i have been making this dressing for 20 years and am not tired of it yet. 🙂
This is a dressing I could eat just out of the bottle! Kidding!!!!!! Kinda. Sorta. It’s super delicious on a salad of spinach, red onion, bacon and…… watermelon!!! The salty/sweet flavor is soooo good! Thank you for sharing with us.
hi kathy – i feel the same way, no kidding. 🙂 thanks for sharing your ideas!
I will never go back to preservative-laden store bought dressings again! Simple, delicious, & healthy. I’m so glad I stumbled upon your recipe. Definitely a keeper! I mean, I just ate beet greens and ENJOYED them because I put this dressing over them 🙂
hi vita – yay for you! funny, my mom just bought beets this week just for the greens…she doesn’t even like beets! i am glad to know the vinaigrette worked with the greens, i haven’t met a vegetable yet that isn’t good with it. thanks for letting me know of your success! =)
made this last weekend. It was incredible and got rave reviews. Thank you for the great recipe! I did add a tablespoon of mayonnaise as somebody else suggested to thicken the dressing.
hi margaret – fantastic! thank you so much for sharing your success back! =)
Hi, I just wanted to tell how how much my family LOVES this dressing. I make it weekly, sometimes more if I’m having friends over. I’ve used white balsalmic, apple cider vinegar, plain old vegetable oil when I didn’t have enough olive oil, agave, grainy mustard, shallots, assorted fruits and citrus..(try blitzing a small chunk of pineapple and making a pineapple vinaigrette, wonderful on a spinach salad with strawberries, goat cheese and spiced nuts) but my favorite is your original recipe. I give out the recipe alot! 🙂 I wrote it on a recipe card and taped it to the inside of my cupboard for quick reference even though I know it by heart. Also love your thoughtful and encouraging replies to your posters. Thank you
ria – that is so fantastic! you are a sweetheart for sharing, and i love your creative variations. thank you so much for taking the time to share back. i really really appreciate it!
i make the same dressing with one extra ingredient which makes the dressing complete for me. I add terragon.
I cant have honey. Can i substitute something for the honey
yes! you could try a little agave, or even just a bit of sugar. maple syrup could work too, though it has a stronger taste. my good friend also uses a squirt of ketchup (!) – which you could try if you want another dimension without as much sweetness. trust your taste buds and good luck!
Just made this…IT IS SO, SO, SO GOOD!!! Thank you!
thank you, bianca – sweet of you to let me know you loved it!
I am on a low sodium diet how many mg of sodium does this contain
hi peg – it’s smart to make your own salad dressing, that way you can control the amount of sodium. the fine sea salt i usually use is 1160 mg sodium per 1/2 teaspoon, a tablespoon of dijon mustard has 360 mg, and the other ingredients have no sodium. the recipe makes about 1 cup of dressing. so if your serving size is 2 tablespoons, that would be 190 mg sodium. bottled dressings generally have more, eg newman’s own balsamic has 240 mg per 2-tablespoon serving. and of course you can easily reduce the sodium in this recipe simply by adding less salt. good luck!
So I noticed there was mention about the garlic not going on the salad. Is the garlic there just to infiltrate its flavor and not to be eaten. Thanks
hi candice – i’m all about convenience…if i mix by hand i just crush the clove to flavor the dressing. but when i use my chopper to make the vinaigrette, i blend in the clove too. good either way!
This is basically the vinaigrette I’ve been making for years, except that I’ve never used garlic; I combine items in a different order before whisking in the oil; I don’t refrigerate it. For my next batch I’ll add a garlic clove that I’ll put through a garlic press and will do it in your order. I always have empty Bonne Maman jars so that part will be easy 🙂 Thanks for giving me these new ideas!
hi millie – yes, agree you really don’t need to refrigerate if you use it quickly enough. it’s funny, i didn’t write the recipe down until i started the blog, but now i find the recipe so handy to share with others. thanks for sharing back!
I absolutely love this recipe! I am making it for the first time in over a year and am so excited!
hi ashley – yay…enjoy! =)
I’ve been making your dressing for years! I just did a food sensitivity test and found out that I am highly sensitive to olives and will need to eliminate olive oil from my diet. Would you know if avocado oil will work just as well?
hi kathy l – i love avocado oil. i haven’t tried the dressing with it, but i am sure it will work well. it has a more neutral taste than olive oil, but the vinaigrette has plenty of other flavors going on. good luck to you!
Makes an awesome chicken salad alternative to mayo. Added some pecans walnuts cranberries celery and green onion. It was great!
hi becky – i am soooo late replying to this, sorry! but i loved your chicken salad idea and can’t wait to try it too! you are awesome for sharing.
Thank you! I am trying to cut processed food from my families diet and this dressing/marinade makes that goal easier. I did add a few red pepper flakes (we like spice). It’s my new favorite!!!
hi lisa – awesome goal, and so glad i could be of help! =)
Hello! Thanks so much for this great recipe. I’m having an issue with making it. The dressing is not emsulsifying like in the pictures above. The oil and vinegar don’t seem to be fully incorporated and the resulting dressing is very thin. How do I fix this to make it thicker? Also, what do I need to do to get the thick, fully incorporated dressing pictured above moving forward so in new batches I don’t have this issue.
My process was first combining the dry ingredients in a small bowl using a fork as described above. Then I gradually added the vinegar, and stirred that around, before then adding the olive oil a little at a time and continuing to whisk with a fork. I’m not sure what is going wrong here. Would appreciate your advice. Thank you!
hi amir – the mustard and honey should really help the emulsion here. the only time i have had trouble is when my bowl was a bit wet when i began. so if you start by mixing the mustard, honey, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar, and then mix in the olive oil in batches (mixing until emulsified after each addition), it ought to work. it sounds like you did everything right. but kitchen chemistry is sometimes unpredictable – fingers crossed for next time!!
Thanks for your reply. I’ve made this twice, and this happened both times, so I think I must be doing something wrong. Does it matter what size bowl I am using? I have been using a cereal/salad size bowl to mix this, so it’s much smaller than the bowl you are using above. Does that matter? Thanks for the tip of making sure the bowl is also dry.
This sounds fantastic. Can’t wait to try it. Is a serving size 1 Tbs or 2 for a small salad. Would you possibly know what the point value would be for Weight Watchers ? I just joined online and am trying to find tasty low point foods to calculate. I would think it would be low. Thank you so much
hi victoria – sorry for the slow response, i really don’t know anything about weight watchers! but i would think a bit of homemade salad dressing shouldn’t count for much. as calories go, these are good ones. and a bit of great flavor makes anything more enjoyable and satisfying, which in my experience reduces the urge to munch later. good luck!
Hello, this recipe has been the source of so much happiness and such a staple in our house ever since I first discovered it — I finally got around to paying it humble homage by producing an illustrated adaptation. I hope you won’t mind my sharing that here: http://www.paticheri.com/2016/09/28/the-best-balsamic-vinaigrette-ever/ I hope you like it!
ahhhh deepa – i got so behind on comment replies…this is the cutest ever!!! thank you so much for sharing your fantastic illustration, i LOVE it. thank you for sharing back, i am so happy you love the vinaigrette.
The many comments are a tribute to the deliciousness of your recipe. It is fabulous. It made me look at your candied walnuts. Will try them, too. Thanks so much!!!!!!
hi angela – thank you so much, i love that you love the dressing! hope you enjoy the walnuts too, it’s hard for me to resist eating them all.
There’s a problem with this recipe… it was stated it will last indefinitely in the fridge but in my house a double batch only lasts about 4 days. Omg so yummy!!!! I’ll never make another dressing.
funny erin!! thanks so much for letting me know you love it. i never ever get tired of it!
This has got to be the single BEST dressing in the world. We’ve been using this recipe for years, and it’s amazing. We just add extra garlic and use Manuka honey – incredibly tasty and keeps the cold bugs at bay (along with vampires, if that’s a problem!)