We all know that the key to a tasty salad is a delicious salad dressing.
I usually prepare my salad dressings in my trusty blender, but since that’s been out of commission for the past couple of weeks, I’ve had to get a little more creative. This recipe requires no fancy equipment–> just a glass mason jar, or other sealed container, for shaking!
Raw apple cider vinegar has been associated with a variety of health benefits, including the possibility of lowering glucose levels and relieving gas, bloating and heartburn. While most vinegars are acidic in the body, raw apple cider vinegar is actually thought to have an alkalizing effect– similar to lemons or limes, which also taste acidic but leave an alkaline ash in the body.
When shopping for apple cider vinegar, make sure you select a variety that is labeled as “With the Mother” and has a bit of sediment floating around the bottom of the bottle. (I like Bragg’s brand.) This odd-looking sediment is actually raw enzymes and gut-friendly bacteria that are thought to promote healing.
Paired with raw honey and fresh garlic, this dressing is sure to liven up any salad and might even have your family craving their veggies!
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Raw Apple Cider Vinaigrette
makes about 1 cup
Adapted from this recipe
Ingredients:
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons raw honey, as needed for sweetness
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
Combine all of the ingredients in glass mason jar, then seal the lid and shake until the honey dissolves and the ingredients are well combined. Adjust flavor to taste, if necessary. For best flavor, allow the dressing to marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving over your favorite greens.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week, and shake well before serving each time.
A healthy vinaigrette featuring raw apple cider vinegar.
- 1 garlic clove , minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juic
- 1-2 tablespoons raw honey , as needed for sweetness
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper , to taste
- Combine all of the ingredients in glass mason jar, then seal the lid and shake until the honey dissolves and the ingredients are well combined. Adjust flavor to taste, if necessary. For best flavor, allow the dressing to marinate for at least 30 minutes before serving over your favorite greens.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week, and shake well before serving each time.
I can’t seem to get enough of this dressing over my salads this week, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite type of salad dressing?
Michaela
I like almond butter dressing easy with tamari lemon garlic stevia.or any kind with lemon acv or coconut vinegar and stevia
Oh do you use stevia in pregnancy?
Thanks for answer
Megan
I stopped using stevia when we started trying to conceive, so I’m not using it while pregnant or nursing, either. I don’t know of any studies that say it’s necessarily a bad thing to use during pregnancy, it’s just my own personal preference.
Fit n Fifty
The simpler the better….lemon and mustard or white balsamic with Olive Oil, garlic and oregano.
Katie
Thanks for the recipe! I’ve been enjoying apple cider vinegar lately. I’ve been drinking 2 T in 8oz of water twice a day. I was just wondering if Megan or anyone else does this or would have any advice. Thanks so much!
Megan
I don’t do that regularly while pregnant, but I have taken a teaspoon in water twice a day in the past, and did feel that it helped with blood sugar issues. I definitely prefer it in dressing-form, though!
Rena
Perfect timing! I just went to a restaurant and had a salad with lemon vinaigrette dressing that was amazing. This looks very similar, i’ll give it a try, thanks!
Maura
This sounds so amazing! thank you for sharing. I just bought my first bottle of racv last week. Excited to make this!
Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat
This vinaigrette sounds wonderful! I never new apple cider vinegar was so good for you. That’s so good to know!
Camille
I’ve found that not only do I have to avoid sugar for a chronic health problem, but honey & maple syrup seem to act as culprits as well. 🙁 so now I’m left to using dates or date sugar. I would try this dressing with a stevia sweetener, but I bet you need something with a bit more substance to thicken & help the liquids blend. So I think I’ll try this with date sugar & see what happens… 🙂 thanks again for the awesome & tasty recipes, Megan!
Addy
Try Agave nectar. It’s similar to honey in sweetness and thickness, but doesn’t act the same way with your blood sugar. Coconut sugar is also a great alternative for brown sugar.
Barbs
Agave nectar is really bad for you and severely processed. Extremely high fructose levels. Something like 85%!! Steer clear.
Paul G
Camille, I will say that I have made a balsamic Vinaigrette with virtually the SAME recipe (substituting Balsamic vinegar for ACV) and I too used Stevia. You don’t need the sugar or honey for thickening. The Oil is pretty much all you need. This is not a “Thick” dressing. A good shake to mix things up before you pour it on your salad and the oil will help it to “Cling” to your salad.
I actually found this recipe because Balsamic Vinegar is actually higher in carbs than ACV and I am trying to limit my carbs. I actually love both though.
Meagan
I love this! I’ll make it for my mom since she’s always looking for a new dressing! The simplicity of this is awesome 🙂
Lisa
This looks like a great dressing! I’ve been wanting to try apple cider vinegar again, but last time I tried it I had a weird reaction to it. It was the same thing I got from drinking kombucha. No clue would caused it, which makes me afraid to try the raw vinegar again. Even though it’s super healthy. It was random haha.
Andrew Olson
Ooh, I love Apple Cider Vinegar and I’ve made dressings with it before but I’ve never made this Dijon vinaigrette combo. It sounds great – I can’t wait to try it!
P.S. What happened to the Vitamix? I love mine and it seems indestructible! 🙂
Megan
The screws on the bottom of my pitcher wore out and started smoking when I used my blender! I guess that’s what I get for using it so often for the last 3 years… but luckily it’s still under warranty, so I’m just waiting for my brand-new pitcher to arrive in the mail!
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance
I absolutely love making apple cider dressings. So simple and so flavorful! I already know I will love your version 🙂
Nancy A.
I was wanting to find a good dressing and here it is!! I just love your site, always find new things to try and new ideas. I am tired of bottled dressings at the store and all the junk they seem to have in them, so am going to give this a try today. Thank you for all the great recipes!!!!!
lareen
this sound great to can’t wait to make do you have a cookbook ?
Leslie
I have blood sugar issues as well and I react to honey, maple, white, date sugars also. I have found I don’t react at all to palm or coconut sugar and it apparently is low on glycemic index so Camille, you might try that. Regular stores won’t have it but health food stores will or Whole Foods, and where I live in the southwest U.S., Vitamin Cottage or Sprouts carries it.
Can’t wait to try this simple dressing. I like to have them made up in small containers to take to restaurants so I can enjoy the salad that most likely will have salad dressings I can’t have!
Jenn
Nice how, when we are forced to “make do”
Without certain electrical conveniences we can see how unnecessary they are for certain things(salad dressing, in this instance). Small thing, I know, but how can we ask corporations to make more environmentally-friendly decisions if we are not willing to do the same?
Rhonda Devine
One of my favorite dressings that is super easy to make:
equal parts of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and real maple syrup–goes great over a salad that has apple in it.
Denise
This is a delicious dressing! My 2 year old daughter even approves! Apparently she loves mama’s kale, spinach, avocado, beet, cucumber and goat cheese salad. The whole time I ate my salad she was jumping up and down and asking for bites.
Thank you!
Debbie
Denise, That salad sounds heavenly. Would you mind posting the recipe or at least a link? . We get plenty of kale, spinach and beets in our garden and that salad combo sounds fantastic. Thanks!
Bianca
Hi all,
I have the same recipe for salad dressing (the Dijon is wonderful
in it) most delicious !
Also, I most always make my own dressing to take to restaurants.
OR I bring EVOO in a small bottle, a fresh lemon, and small
vials of sea salt. All fit into my purse and I love doing this!
Good blog Megan… 🙂
Jennifer
Love this recipe! I made it without the honey and it was delicious. Thanks!
Katie
I tried making it without the honey too and it had a very strong bitter taste to it. Maybe its because of the apple cider vinegar I used? Did you add anything to yours to help combat the bitterness or do you have any suggestions?
Elena
This is my new favorited dressing, can’t get enough 🙂 thank you!
Teesha
Any substitutions for the lemon juice? I am allergic but would lvoe to try this!!! Thank you megan for providing us with healthy and delish recipes!
Megan
I’d just leave out the lemon juice, and maybe add a touch more vinegar or simply use less honey for a balanced flavor.
Shannan
I absolutely love this dressing! Thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes!
Bill
Italian dressing made with raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and unfiltered cold pressed (imported from Italy made from organic Italian olives) olive oil, a little water, freshly chopped garlic, minced dried onion, fresh ginger root grated, one bay leaf, Italian seasoning. Shake well, the unfiltered olive oil and raw vinegar (particularly with the mother) will stay blended longer than cooked (dead) cider vinegar and processed oils, so will be blended evenly when pouring, this stuff lasts for a very long time in the cupboard (in glass, i use red-wine vinegar bottles, dump the red-wine vinegar out and wash the bottle). Very healthy salad dressing, good for weight control and many many health issues.
Bill
Camille,
Are you able to have uncooked unheated local raw honey? there is a big difference in the sugar. Even avoid honey from containers with electric heaters on them (warming for pouring) as the electromagnetic field around the heating element affects the sugar adversely. Just pure unadulterated honey poured straight from the comb. Beware that many apiaries also “sugar the hives” and depending on the type of sugar, might contribute to the bad health effects you’ve experienced. Find a trustworthy bee-keeper and try just a little, then slowly increase the intake if no problems.
Gillian
I’ve used this recipe so many times. It’s perfect!!!! I don’t like using anything else.
Claire
I made this tonight with the ACV and Hemp oil… it was fantastic, and green. 😉
Priscilla
Thanks so much for the perfect apple cider vinaigrette! I was looking for something simple to throw together – not too sweet, not too tart – and this perfectly hit the spot! With ingredients I already had on hand, even! This was wonderful over greens with a T of gorgonzola, walnut pieces, and some diced green apple!
Leah
This recipe is amazing! And, with the help of my trusty food processor, so incredibly simple. I just love your blog Megan! Thank you for doing what you do.
Marissa
I was searching an apple cider dressing for my sprouted bean salad so I can incorporate more whole foods into my diet and came across this recipe. I have to say this is was sooo yummy. Definitely will be making it often! Thank you for sharing!
Ashley
Love love love this dressing! The flavor is unbelievable! When I make it, I like to add a little fresh minced ginger! Sooo good, thank you for sharing this!
April
Do you happen to have the nutritional info on this?
Wendy
I did a search tonight for a raw apple cider dressing, you popped up first! We loved it, I’ll be using it in a ‘first time neighborhood block party’, in OCNJ this weekend. I’ll be the talk of the town 🙂 Thanks!
Carrie
Made it tonight. It’s delicious!
Susan
Made it tonight for the first time – it was absolutely delicious. Used it on a salad of butter lettuce, chopped green apple, toasted pecans and a little crumbled blue cheese. I will definitely make this again and again!
Allison
Loved this recipe! My family loved it as well!
M. Gilkerson
I’m currently on a raw food cleanse and was looking for a really healthy and yummy vinaigrette recipe to put over my greens. I absolute love this !!
I cannot wait to share this with my family. Well done !!!
Rebecca
I made this to have on hand for Christmas. It’s a versatile dressing that I may just try as a chicken marinade when the weather warms up.
Tamara
This is delicious. Do you know how many calories it would be for the entire salad dressing?
melanie
I made this without the Dijon mustard. I used dried ground mustard. It was good but took some getting used to at first (since I have been used to commercial dressings). I am upset that I cannot pin it easily to my board on Pinterest. Thanks
Megan Gilmore
If you hover over any image in my posts a “Pin It” button should pop up for easy pinning!