Balsamic Vinaigrette
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
My go-to balsamic vinaigrette—perfect for drizzling over fresh greens, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and more.
Tangy and a touch sweet, this is a great all-purpose balsamic vinaigrette. The secret is a spoonful of Dijon mustard, which not only adds flavor but also acts as an emulsifier to make the vinaigrette nice and thick. In addition, finely minced shallots, which have a delicate and slightly sweet onion flavor, and a bit of fresh garlic round out the flavor. Try to use good-quality extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar—it makes a big difference. Balsamic vinaigrette will keep for about 4 days at room temperature. It’s delicious tossed with mixed greens, drizzled over a Caprese salad or grilled vegetables, or slathered onto an Italian-style sandwich.
“Delicious, fresh and simple to make. No longer buying this at the grocery store.”
What You’ll Need To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Dijon Mustard: Adds tanginess and helps emulsify the vinaigrette.
- Garlic: Infuses the dressing with a subtle savory flavor.
- Shallot: Provides a mild oniony taste.
- Salt and Pepper: Enhance the overall seasoning.
- Sugar: Balances out the acidity of the balsamic vinegar.
- Balsamic Vinegar: The star ingredient, lending its rich, sweet, and tangy flavor. I’d suggest a quality brand like Lucini.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Adds richness and smoothness to the vinaigrette. Similar to the balsamic vinegar, I really like the Lucini brand of olive oil.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step-Instructions
Combine the mustard, garlic, shallot, salt, freshly ground black pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar in a medium bowl.
Whisk to combine.
While whisking, slowly pour in the olive oil to create an emulsion.
The dressing should be slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
That’s all there is to it. Store the vinaigrette in a jar at room temperature for up to 4 days. Shake to re-emulsify when ready to use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, you can freeze it, but it’s not ideal. Olive oil can solidify and change texture in the freezer, affecting the overall quality. It keeps nicely at room temperature in a jar or other airtight container for up to 4 days. If you’d like to extend the shelf life, you can refrigerate it for up to a week. Just make sure you give it a shake to re-emulsify before using.
Sure, that should work! However, because the dressing has vinegar in it (which is acidic), it will do best with either bone-in chicken pieces or dark meat. Acidic marinades are generally too harsh for lean white meats like boneless skinless chicken breasts; they will give the meat a leathery texture.
You May Also Like
Balsamic Vinaigrette
My go-to balsamic vinaigrette—perfect for drizzling over fresh greens, juicy tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and more.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallot, from 1 small shallot
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, garlic, shallot, salt, freshly ground black pepper, sugar and balsamic vinegar. While whisking vigorously, slowly pour in the oil to create an emulsion; the dressing should be slightly thickened and emulsified when all the oil is added. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Store the vinaigrette in a jar at room temperature for up to 4 days. Shake to re-emulsify when ready to use.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 174
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Sugar: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 193mg
- Cholesterol: 0mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Had a store-bought pasta salad that was very bland. Before discarding it, I found your recipe for this vinaigarette and decided to see if it would perk up the salad. WOW!!! Everyone said it was fantastic! I cannot wait to make this dressing for a freshly-made salad!!! This is definitely a keeper! Thank you again for another great recipe!
Delicious
Delicious, fresh and simple to make. No longer buying this at the grocery store.
What are your thoughts about using maple syrup?
Glad you like it! Are you referring to replacing the sugar with maple syrup? If so, I think that should work. 🙂
I used a teaspoon of maple syrup and it was delicious.
Love this dressing! My husband and I almost exclusively use balsamic dressing on our salads and this is so much better than store bought…I try to have it on hand all the time, and if I run out it’s a quick and easy make. Ingredients are simple and usually on hand. A definite winner!
I prefer non-creamy dressings and stumbled on this when I was out of my regular store-bought dressing. Now it is what I always use and have requests for it as well. Using shallots is spot on for their sweetness and the dijon is just the right amount – not overwhelming at all. I like having say over what olive to use as well as Balsamic vinegar. It’s a winner in our household! Goes especially well with just a basic sliced tomato, avocado and lettuce side salad!
Friends and family love this balsamic dressing on mixed green leaf and red oak greens with goat cheese, apple and your spicy pecans. My teenagers request this salad every time I ask which salad they would enjoy for dinner!
I love this salad dressing, but my store doesn’t have Lucini balsamic vinegar anymore. Can you recommend a brand that’s similar?
Hi Carol, I also like Colavita. 🙂
My husband and I love this dressing. I use onion instead of the shallots, avocado oil instead of olive oil, and monk fruit instead of sugar. Also, I double this and it keeps for up to 2 weeks no problem for us.
Can I substitute sugar with honey? If yes, how much do you recommend?
Sure, Nanny, that should work. I’d suggest 1 tsp. honey. Please LMK how it turns out!
Another great basic–and I think these are sometimes the hardest to get perfect. It now has a regular place in our fridge.