This Vinaigrette Recipe is easier than you think and healthier too! It doesn’t have any preservatives. Enjoy!
Today, I brought to you an easy homemade vinaigrette dressing for summer salads. Finally, the long and sunny days have arrived! Who doesn’t like to enjoy every free moment outside eating a delicious salad bowl, especially with some grilled meat? I do. For this reason, I always have this dressing in my fridge to save time in the kitchen and enjoy more of the fresh air outside 😉
When it comes to flavor, homemade salad dressings taste much better than store-bought dressings. You also should make your vinaigrette dressing to avoid the high sodium and preservatives that come in the bottled options in stores.
Speaking of the vinaigrette recipe… Some people don’t like to incorporate garlic into their dressings because they think it tastes too strong. If you finely mince the garlic, the very small pieces will easily spread throughout your dressing. Then the taste won’t be as strong!
I also like to use whole-wheat dijon mustard. I, personally, love the texture of it, but you can use the traditional one too since it won’t affect the flavor of the dressing. One last thing, because this vinaigrette dressing can easily separate, you must shake or whisk it before serving.
This vinaigrette goes so well with salads like my Quinoa Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Salmon Chopped Salad Recipe, Spring Quinoa Salad Recipe, and Easy and Quick Quinoa Salad. It even goes with my Bean Salad!
You can store your homemade vinaigrette in a mason jar (or any other covered container) in the fridge for over 3 days. Any longer than that, your vinaigrette can go bad since it doesn’t have any preservatives.
I hope I inspired you to create your own vinaigrette in your kitchen today and use it in any of my favourite salads in my 50 Healthy Salad Recipes list!
If you like this recipe, please share with your friends and family. Do you want to taste more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow Primavera Kitchen on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all delicious recipes updates. As always, I really appreciate you stopping by.
Vinaigrette Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon whole grain dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white-wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Finely mince a clove of garlic.
- Place in a salad dressing jar with the whole grain dijon mustard.
- Pour the lemon juice into the mixture with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Whisk to combine all the ingredients.
- Slowly pour extra-virgin olive oil, whisking as you go to mix.
- Taste to check the seasoning and it is done.
- Enjoy it on your favorite salad!
Tips
- For a little sweetness, you can add a splash of maple syrup.
- Instead of whisking, you can add everything to a mason jar, tighten the lid, and shake to combine. Then use the same jar to store the vinaigrette.
- Freshly minced garlic adds a ton of flavour. Do not swap for garlic powder.
- To store: Store vinaigrette for up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
Bring joy and healthier dressings into your plate!
Sarah@WholeandHeavenlyOven says
I love making my own homemade dressings! I’ve found that absolutely NOTHING beats the flavor. —Bottled dressing doesn’t even hold a candle. 😉 This looks ah-MAZING, Olivia! And your photos are just beautiful. I want this dressing on my lunch salad this afternoon! Pinned.
Olivia says
I totally agree with you Sarah. I wish I could mail you this dressing for your lunch 😉 Thanks for your sweet compliment.
Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says
I love to make my own dressings- they just taste so much better than store-bought dressings! This looks amazing as well!
Olivia says
It does… I love too. So glad you stopped by, Cindy 😉
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
I love making my own vinaigrettes! It’s so fun experimenting with different oils and vinegars. I love that you put garlic in yours! And so true about mincing it really fine. I actually grate my garlic, so it’s just teeny tiny specks. Your pictures are beautiful!
Olivia says
Nat, you are so kind. Thanks for your compliment 😉 I always add garlic because if I don’t my husband complains… hahahha! He is a huge fan of garlic! I love too. It is good for you and has an amazing flavour. I always love when you stop by, Nat!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
I pretty much ONLY make my own salad dressing. It’s so easy and there are way too many weird, unpronounceable ingredients in bottled dressings! This one sounds yummy… I love adding mustard!
Olivia says
That’s right, Jess. So easy to make and we always know what is going in there 😉
Annie @Maebells says
What a good post! I recently tried to make a red wine vinaigrette and it was horrible. Like really really terrible! Ha! It left me a little jaded, but I am going to try your version, it looks fantastic!
Olivia says
Really??! So bad! Annie, I’ve never made red wine vinaigrette. But I can guarantee to you that you will enjoy my version 😉
Ashley says
I love making homemade dressings! They are so good and really so simple to make! This looks perfect to have on hand for all the salads I’ll eat this summer : )
Olivia says
Thanks, Ashley. I agree with you, there is no reason not to make them from scratch.
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
Homemade dressings taste so much better than store bought! Add in the fact that they are so simple to make, and there is no reason not to make them from scratch. Thanks for the recipe – pinning it now. Beautiful pics!
Olivia says
I couldn’t agree more with you, Heather. I always love reading your comments. Thanks a lot 😉
Cailee @ http://hellohealthyeating.com says
YUM!! I never make my own salad dressing… but I’m sure it’s so much better than the store bought stuff!! Delicious and nutritious! YUM:)
Olivia says
You should try it, Cailee. It is easy, delicious, nutritious and even cheaper than the store bought stuff 😉
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
I also make my basic dressing pretty much your way!! I love the first pic! Gorgeous!
Olivia says
Happy you love my picture 😉
Arpita@ TheGastronomicBong says
Such a gorgeous salad dressing.. so simple yet so delicious… 🙂
Olivia says
Glad you like it 😉