Honey balsamic dressing is the sweet and tangy punch your salad is looking for. This dressing recipe is super easy to make using mostly staple ingredients from your fridge and pantry and only takes a couple of minutes to make!
This is my go-to salad dressing recipe when I'm serving most salads. Its super versatile and flavorful and I almost always have these ingredients hanging out around the kitchen.
Pair this dressing year-round with a pear cranberry chicken salad in the fall, a berry crunch salad in the spring, or drizzled on California burger bowls in the summer.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Honey. A good pure maple syrup is a great subsitute here - especially in the fall.
- Olive Oil. I prefer extra virgin for the extra flavor, but avocado or regular olive oil are just as delicious.
- Water. Not entirely neccessary, but I like to thin out the dressing a bit to get good salad coverage without adding any extra oil.
- Balsamic vinegar. Reach for the apple cider vinegar if you're in a pinch.
- Dijon mustard. Stone ground mustard works well too.
- Shallot. The shallot adds a mild onion flavor, but if you can't find any white onion works well too, or ½ teaspoon of onion powder.
- Garlic. I love, love garlic, so I like to use a big giant fresh clove, but ½ teaspoon of garlic powder works well too.
- Salt and pepper. You'll add this at the very end to taste. I use kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, but if you use a different brand or kind of salt the measurements are going to vary.
See this citrus herb version of this recipe for something bright and fresh!
>>See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This couldn't be any easier! All you have to do is add everything but the salt and pepper into a medium bowl or measuring cup (my personal favorite) and whisk away.
Add the salt and pepper at the end to taste and you're ready to serve or store!
Hint: If you refrigerate the dressing for an hour or two before serving, it allows the flavors to develop even further.
Storage
Store the dressing in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Equipment
📖 Recipe
Honey Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- MIX: In a medium bowl or two cup measuring cup add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, water, mustard, shallot, and garlic and whisk vigorously to fully emulsify. Start by adding ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon for pepper, whisk a bit more to incorporate, taste and add more if it's needed.
- STORE: Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. Shake or mix before using to incorporate the ingredients once they've settled.
Notes
- STORAGE: Store in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container
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