A good balsamic dressing is a necessity in any recipe box.
It’s especially necessary in our house, because this balsamic dressing is the only way I can get my husband to eat salads! Despite all of the tasty dressings I’ve created, to help change up the flavors of our salads, Austin is a creature of habit–> and this sweet and tangy dressing is a must, as far as he’s concerned.
Not that I blame him. This dressing is easy to prepare and does taste amazing!
I don’t love the amount of oil most recipes call for, so to keep the vinegar flavor balanced, I’ve replaced half of the oil with pure water. The result is a slightly thinner dressing, but the taste is still perfect. Remember, we don’t want to cut out all of the fat in our dressings, because we need fat to absorb many of the vitamins and nutrients found in our salad vegetables– particularly vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Paired with fresh shallot and nutrient-rich honey, this dressing will rival any restaurant version!
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Honey Balsamic Dressing
makes about 1 cup
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse
Ingredients:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 small garlic cloves, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon raw honey
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until completely smooth and emulsified. Allow to chill for 4 hours before serving, for best flavor and texture. Shake well before serving.
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
- 2 small garlic cloves, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons water
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until completely smooth and emulsified.
- Allow to chill for 4 hours before serving, for best flavor and texture. Shake well before serving.
This dressing pairs well with a variety of salad combinations. Whether you’re topping your leafy greens with crumbled goat cheese, sliced avocado or grilled chicken, this dressing is sure to be a hit!
*Note: For a sugar-free version, feel free to substitute stevia for the honey, to taste.
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Reader Feedback: Do you have a favorite type of salad dressing?
When I make my own dressing I usually mash an avocado and add it to plain Greek yogurt for a healthy creamy dressing! Yours looks delish as always!
Looking forward to trying this! How long will this keep in the fridge?
Mine keeps in the fridge for a week, and by then, it’s usually all used up anyway!
Sounds yummy! Thank you for sharing!! We need another good dressing in our home. Right now we just have a delicious honey mustard one. Will be nice to have another choice, though we do LOVE the honey mustard!
Thanks again
~Melissa <
What is a good brand of Balsamic vinegar to buy? I have read that it has sulfites in it. Is that ok?
People with a sulfite intolerance would definitely have to avoid most vinegars, but sulfites naturally occur in many foods, especially those that are fermented, like wine and cheese. Since balsamic vinegar is a fermented grape product, there will naturally be sulfites from the grapes. There are some individuals that believe consuming vinegar, in general, can lead to an acidic environment in the body, but since most vinegar-based dressings actually encourage people to eat MORE veggies (by making them taste good!), I’m all for it.
As far as brands go, I always buy organic. Grapes are often on the “Dirty Dozen” list, so non-organic brands could contain pesticides.
Thank you so much for the information. My husband loves this kind of salad dressing and I want to make it for him! Yum!
Yum this looks delicious! Do you just store it in a plastic container or what?
You can store it in any sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
That looks amazing! I tend to just put olive oil on most things. I always request dressing on the side at restaurants and rarely touch it.
YUM! I’m worried about making “smelly” things in my vitamix – the smell won’t stick to the plastic??
[...] Top with this dressing. [...]