Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Published June 25, 2020. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Never buy store-bought dressing again once you learn how easy it is to make a delicious homemade balsamic vinaigrette recipe right from home.
We eat big bountiful salads a few times a week and this dressing is excellent to use in just about any salad. You for sure should try it out in my Mandarin Orange salad or my Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Balsamic vinaigrette is one of the first dressings I ever learned how to make. It’s incredibly easy to prepare, it has few ingredients and it can totally be interchangeable with other ingredients.
The basic rule of thumb to making any vinaigrette is 3-parts oil to 1-part vinegar. If you prefer a tangier more vinegar forward dressing, then you can change it 2-parts oil to 1-part vinegar. Here are the basic ingredients for a balsamic vinaigrette:
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Oil (A light olive oil or sunflower oil)
- Dijon Mustard
- Shallots
- Sugar
If you’re wondering what the Dijon mustard is for, it’s to help emulsify the dressing and bring it together. Oil does not like vinegar and the mustard will aid in bringing it together. You can also use whole grain mustard.
Does it Matter What Kind of Balsamic Vinegar I Use?
It can be overwhelming knowing which kind of balsamic vinegar to buy when in the grocery store, there are literally so many different brands. While you can absolutely tell the difference if you were to taste the vinegar by itself, I’m not sure it will make a huge impact once mixed in with a lot of other ingredients in a dressing. My recommendation is to buy an inexpensive vinegar or find a good one that is on sale.
How to Make It
Follow these quick instructions for how to make a simple and delicious balsamic vinaigrette:
Add some chopped shallots, fresh basil, Dijon mustard, and sugar to a large bowl.
Pour in the vinegar and begin to whisk the ingredients together.
Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking so that the dressing stays emulsified and does not break.
Finish the balsamic vinaigrette with sea salt and cracked pepper and serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead of time. You can absolutely serve this right away, but more flavors will come out with time.
How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up 7 days. This will not freeze.
chef notes + tips
- You can also use whole grain mustard instead of Dijon mustard
- Sub out the sugar with honey or agave if you desire.
- Feel free to use any oil that you’d like, but I recommend a soft very light virgin olive oil or any other neutral-flavored oil like sunflower oil. You can also blend the oils together.
- If you do not like fresh basil, you can also use fresh thyme or even rosemary to alter the flavor.
- Sub out the 8-10 fresh basil leaves for 1 ½ teaspoons of dry basil.
- You can also make this recipe in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Salads to Use This In
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Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ peeled and small diced shallot
- 8-10 finely minced fresh basil leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups oil
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the shallots, basil, mustard, sugar, and balsamic vinegar to a medium-size bowl.
- Using a whisk, whisk the ingredients together while slowly drizzling in the oil to make sure it stays emulsified.
- Finish by seasoning it with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 3 days ahead of time. You can absolutely serve this right away, but more flavors will come out with time.
- How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up 7 days. This will not freeze.
- You can also use whole grain mustard instead of Dijon mustard
- Sub out the sugar with honey or agave if you desire.
- Feel free to use any oil that you’d like, but I recommend a soft very light virgin olive oil or any other neutral-flavored oil like sunflower oil. You can also blend the oils together.
- If you do not like fresh basil, you can also use fresh thyme or even rosemary to alter the flavor.
- Sub out the 8-10 fresh basil leaves for 1 ½ teaspoons of dry basil.
- You can also make this recipe in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
Delish! I didn’t plan ahead to make this and I did not have shallots on hand so I used sweet onion. To reduce sugar (diabetic) I used a small amount of real sugar and a pack of Splenda, No fresh basil so I used dried. Only thing I might do differently next time is cut the recipe in half for our small family. I appreciated the mild flavor of this dressing. I will definitely make this again!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made this dressing for a salad
with fresh tomatoes, onions and banana peppers from my garden. I used the leftover dressing to marinate chicken thighs for the grill the next day. What a great recipe!
Thank you for giving it a try!