Champagne Vinaigrette

I’d call this Champagne Vinaigrette the “little black dress” of salad dressings. You can literally use it on everything. Want to make an apple walnut salad? Top it with this. A chicken salad? Use this for that, too. Salmon salad? Yep, this will work for that, too.

When my family isn’t in the mood for salad, we still make this… because once you taste it, you instantly want to eat more salad.

What makes this recipe special is how much time I spent testing it. I thought I was happy with it two years ago, but I recently revisited it and made it even better. Sometimes it really does take years to get it “just right.”

But let me tell you, all of that testing was worth it! I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as my family does.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“This is the BEST homemade dressing I have made. Love it!” – Angie

Champagne Vinaigrette Ingredients

• Champagne Vinegar. This is crucial, since all vinegars taste a little different. Champagne vinegar tends to be milder than other varieties, making it perfect when you want a slightly sweeter salad dressing.
• Olive Oil. I use extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressing, but avocado oil would work here, too.
• Dijon Mustard. Did you know that adding mustard to a vinaigrette helps it emulsify? Just a tablespoon makes this dressing almost creamy, rather than oily and separating.
• Shallot. This adds onion flavor, so if you’re not a fan, you can cut back on the amount called for here. But I love the added flavor, and using a whole shallot helps the dressing thicken, without using excess oil.
• Garlic. Just a single clove of garlic will help boost the flavor. (I use two tiny ones if they are on the smaller side.)
• Salt & Pepper. These boost the flavor, so don’t skip them!

How to Make Champagne Vinaigrette

Step 1:

I like to use a high-speed blender to make this vinaigrette quickly. I recommend using a personal-size blender, like the Beast 850 (affiliate link) in these photos, or a blender with a narrow base, like the Vitamix 5200.

To the blender, add 1/4 cup champagne vinegar, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 small shallot (peeled), 1 garlic clove, 3 tablespoons of honey, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.

Note: Watch my Vitamix review video if you want to know more about why I recommend this. It really does make a difference when blending a small batch of dressing!

Step 2:

Secure the lid on your blender, and blend until the dressing looks very smooth. If it looks too thick, you can add a tablespoon of water and blend again.

Alternatively, you can use a whisk to vigorously stir the ingredients together or secure the lid on your mason jar and shake well. (The dressing won’t be as creamy if you don’t blend it, but it’s still tasty!)

Adjust any flavoring to taste, adding more honey for a sweeter flavor or a little more salt or vinegar for a tangier flavor. It’s easy to taste and adjust as you go.

Champagne Vinegar Dressing Serving Tips

This dressing is ready to serve right away over your favorite salad ingredients. Or, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Be sure to shake the dressing well each time you use it again, as separation is normal.

Try serving this dressing over spicy arugula, baby spinach, or chopped romaine lettuce. I can’t think of a salad ingredient that this wouldn’t be delicious with!

Note: When you use extra virgin olive oil in a homemade salad dressing, it can thicken when chilled in the fridge. This is totally normal! Let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before serving, or hold the sealed jar under warm running tap water for a few minutes to help it thin out again.

Champagne Vinaigrette Recipe (with Honey)

5 from 4 votes

If there's one salad dressing that gets me excited to eat more veggies, it's this champagne vinaigrette. I literally crave it every week! This recipe is inspired by a popular restaurant here in Kansas City called The Mixx, but now that I've mastered the ratio, we can make a similar version at home. It's perfect over almost any salad combination you can think of, so it's the dressing my family requests most often.

prep5 mins cook0 mins total5 mins

Servings:8 servings

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ¼ cup champagne vinegar
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small shallot
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

• Add the vinegar, oil, mustard, shallot, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper to a blender. I recommend using a personal-size blender or a blender with a narrow base for the best blending results. (Like the Beast 850 or Vitamix 5200.)
• Secure the lid and blend until the dressing is smooth, and then adjust any seasoning to taste. You can add 1 tablespoon of water to help thin the texture if needed.
• Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use it. This dressing will keep well in the fridge for up to a week. If the dressing thickens when it's chilled, let it come back to room temperature by setting it on the counter for 30 minutes, or you can run the sealed jar under warm running water, until it's runny in consistency again. It's normal for dressing to separate in the fridge, so shake well before each use.

Notes

Nutrition information is for roughly 2 tablespoons of dressing, assuming you get 1 cup of dressing from this recipe. This is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Update Note: I modified this recipe in May 2022 to make it more like the Honey Champagne Vinaigrette served at The Mixx and Caffetteria restaurants here in Kansas City. If you prefer the sugar-free version, you can use these measurements: 

• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or 1 T freshly chopped)
• 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Note: This sugar-free version does not taste like the one at The Mixx, but some readers reported liking it, so I’m leaving it here just in case. 

Nutrition

Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Salad

Cuisine: dairy free, gluten-free

Keyword: champagne vinaigrette

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More Recipes to Try

• Honey Balsamic Dressing
• Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• Italian Dressing
• Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing
• Thanksgiving Salad Recipe

I’d love to hear which version you prefer! If you try this Champagne Vinaigrette, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like it!