Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Delicious Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing recipe. Make once use many ways! Brighten-up salad, flavor bruschetta, or use as marinade. Balsamic Vinaigrette makes everything taste better.
Posted By Savita
The best ever, homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing. Brighten-up salad, flavor bruschetta, or use as marinade. Balsamic Vinaigrette makes everything taste better. Stays good in refrigerator for up to 3 months. I'm also sharing easy ingredients to make a sharp or spicy Balsamic dressing. (Check out details in Recipe Card) It is also gluten free, has no added sugar and can be made low-fat and low-sodium. With this recipe you can make this versatile dressing meet your taste and diet preference.
If you already a fan of Balsamic Vinaigrette, I recommend trying my Bruschetta Chicken recipe. Balsamic Vinaigrette was my inspiration behind this vibrant one-dish chicken bake.
BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
Balsamic Vinaigrette is balsamic vinegar based vinaigrette salad dressing of Italian Mediterranean cuisine. It's versatile dressing with sweet and tangy flavor of rich balsamic vinegar, and aroma of olive oil, garlic, herbs and spices. Often used as Salad Dressing, this dressing is also perfect to flavor bruschetta topping, pasta, or marinate chicken.
For me, the sweet and sharp notes of balsamic makes it an additive dressing. Can never have enough! Really, Balsamic Vinaigrette make everything taste better.
BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS
Like I mentioned, a good quality Balsamic Vinegar is key ingredient to make Balsamic Vinaigrette. Other ingredients are: olive oil, distilled vinegar, herbs - oregano, basil, garlic, shallot, black pepper, and salt.
You can also create a spicy or sharp Balsamic Vinaigrette. Sharp dressing use the above base ingredients and few more as follows:
Sharp Balsamic Vinaigrette: To make sharp Balsamic Vinaigrette, make classic vinaigrette dressing using the recipe in Recipe Card. Next add 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tbsp of dijon mustard. Whisk to emulsify oil, mustard, and vinegar. The sharp flavor of mustard and soy sauce makes Balsamic Vinaigrette a whole new delicious flavor. Perfect with Tomato-Cucumber Salad or as chicken marinade.
Spicy Balsamic Vinaigrette: To make sharp Balsamic Vinaigrette, make vinaigrette dressing using the recipe in Recipe Card. Next add 1/2 tsp of medium-hot paprika or cayenne, 1/4 tsp of chili flakes, and 1/2 tsp more of ground black pepper. Mix to emulsify. This version of Balsamic vinaigrette dressing has spicy kick. Perfect with bruschetta.
That said. No matter how you make it your own.. I recommend to only use a good quality Balsamic Vinegar. A good, preferably aged, Balsamic Vinegar is key flavor of Balsamic Vinaigrette. (I have added some suggested brands in Recipe Notes.)
To make dressing, I start by mincing the shallot onion and garlic. You can also use dried onion and garlic. But I love the flavor of fresh onion and garlic here. Next in a bowl, I add all ingredients of Balsamic Vinaigrette - balsamic vinegar, distilled vinegar, olive oil, black pepper, salt, paprika, herbs, and minced onion, garlic. Whisk well until oil and vinegar emulsify.
Method 2: Skip to mince garlic and onion. Add all ingredients for dressing in food processor with rough chopped shallot, herb, and garlic. Pulse a couple of times or until oil and vinegar emulsify.
Note: You can also use white part of scallion instead of shallot.
HOW LONG DOES BALSAMIC DRESSING STAYS FRESH?
Dressing stays fresh up-to 3 months. Keep refrigerated in container with lid. Homemade dressing does not have thickeners. So oil will separate from vinegar as it sits. For best results, shake well before every use.
SALADS RECIPES TO TRY WITH BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE DRESSING:
Other than salads, use Balsamic Vinaigrette to marinate chicken, season Bruschetta topping, or serve for dipping Caprese Salad Skewers - Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Skewers (my favorite) as shown in pictures. Yumm!
I recommend to only use a good quality Balsamic Vinegar. Make some Balsamic Vinaigrette and flavor-boost any salad you planning to eat this week. Don't forget to check the Salad suggestion listed above.
Enjoy!
Make more Salad Dressing and Sauces at home:
Ingredients
- Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar (good quality balsamic vinegar)
- 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar (or Distilled White Vinegar)
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Garlic (1-2 cloves, minced)
- 1/2 tsp Paprika (sweet paprika)
- 1/4 tsp Chili Flakes
- 1 tsp Salt and Black Pepper (1/2 tsp each)
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Basil (dried or fresh 2-3 tbsp chopped)
- 1 Shallot Onions (minced, or use white of a scallion)
- Sharp Dressing
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp Mustard (Dijon)
Directions
- 1. Prepare ingredients: Mince shallot, and garlic. Small chop basil (if using fresh)
- 2. In a glass bowl, add all Balsamic Vinaigrette ingredients. Whisk until vinegar-oil emulsify. Transfer dressing to a container with lid. Refrigerate until ready to use. For sharp dressing, also whisk in soy and mustard. (See Note 1)
Savita's Recipe Notes:
- Make-Ahead: Dressing stays fresh up-to 3 months. Keep refrigerated in container with lid. Homemade dressing does not have thickeners. So oil will separate from vinegar as it sits. For best results, shake well before every use.
- Sharp Balsamic Vinaigrette: To make sharp Balsamic Vinaigrette, make classic vinaigrette dressing using the recipe in Recipe Card. Next add 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 2 tbsp of dijon mustard. Whisk to emulsify oil, mustard, and vinegar. The sharp flavor of mustard and soy sauce makes Balsamic Vinaigrette a whole new delicious flavor. Perfect with Tomato-Cucumber Salad or as chicken marinade.
- Spicy Balsamic Vinaigrette: To make sharp Balsamic Vinaigrette, make vinaigrette dressing using the recipe in Recipe Card. Next add 1/2 tsp of medium-hot paprika or cayenne, 1/4 tsp of chili flakes, and 1/2 tsp more of ground black pepper. Mix to emulsify. This version of Balsamic vinaigrette dressing has spicy kick. Perfect with bruschetta.
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