Balsamic Vinaigrette

Although store bought salad dressings are convenient, it is also really easy to make them at home and I do it all the time. Scattered throughout my salad posts you will find quite the array of salad dressings but they are not all that easy to find hidden away in a recipe for a salad. I thought that I would try focusing on a few salad dressings both to give them the attention that they deserve and to make them easier to find.

Out of all the salad dressings out there the ones that I find myself coming back to all the time are vinaigrettes which are really easy to make and taste great. A vinaigrette at its simplest is just oil and vinegar but more often than not vinaigrettes are also seasoned with things like garlic, herbs, cheeses, etc. The basic ratio for oil to vinegar is generally 3 parts oil for 1 part vinegar but I prefer my dressings to be nice and tangy so I normally go with a 1 to 1 ratio but feel free to change this to fit your tastes.

One of my favorite vinaigrettes is a balsamic vinaigrette that is pretty simple and really highlights the flavour of the balsamic vinegar. Though I tend to play around with the recipes for salad dressings depending on what mood I am in, the following is the basic recipe. In addition to the balsamic vinegar and the extra virgin olive oil this recipe contains some garlic for flavour, some mustard to help bind the oil and vinegar together and a bit of honey to balance things out. Though many times I make just enough dressing for the salad at hand, it is often convenient to make a bigger batch to have some for quick use later on. When making the larger batches of dressing I like to use glass jars with tight resealable lids so that you can really give them a good shake before using them.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

(makes 1/2 cup of dressing)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1 large clove garlic (grated)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1. Mix everything.

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Honey Dijon Dressing
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Lemon, Honey and Mustard Vinaigrette

Use on:
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Quinoa Salad
Caramelized Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Salad
Festive Roast Pumpkin Salad
Mushroom and Leek Wild Rice Salad
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Fritters
Black and Blue Steak Sandwich
Warm Mushroom and Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Asparagus and Feta
Fig and Prosciutto Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Strawberry and Balsamic Grilled Chicken Salad
Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Quinoa Salad in Balsamic Vinaigrette
Strawberry Quinoa and Spinach Caprese Salad