Whenever I need a general vinaigrette for salads, this is my go-to recipe. I've been fixing it for nearly 10 years now! It's the one I always fall back on because everyone loves balsamic vinegar.
The version I'm sharing today has more vinegar than oil and a bit more maple syrup & mustard, which creates a tangy & sweet (but not too sweet) vinaigrette with a nice kick.
This ratio is perfect for leafy salads with goat cheese (like my strawberry chicken salad), blue cheese, and sweet fruits like blueberries, raspberries, or watermelon.
For more savory recipes like steak salad, Caprese salad, or as a dip for crusty bread, I dial back the sweetener and mustard a bit so the vinegar & oil are at the forefront. But that's the beauty of a homemade vinaigrette -- you can easily adjust the flavors to suit your taste.
If I'm cooking for other people, I'll typically bring them the vinaigrette to taste and ask them if they want more oil, vinegar or sweetener. I'm thoughtful like that. :)
Why Use Maple Syrup To Sweeten Balsamic Vinaigrette Instead of Honey or Sugar?
Balsamic vinegar is on the sweeter side and less acidic tasting than other kinds of vinegar such as apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.When I'm making a homemade vinaigrette with a higher ratio of sweetener (for leafy salads with fresh fruit), I find raw honey overpowering. I much prefer honey for apple cider vinaigrette or red wine vinaigrette.
Can you use a granulated sweetener like cane sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar? Of course! However, I almost always use unrefined liquid sweeteners because they dissolve quickly into dressings.
Also, the underlying maple syrup taste in this vinaigrette is heavenly with salads that use goat cheese or candied nuts.
I first tried maple-sweetened balsamic vinaigrette years ago at this restaurant in Leawood, Kansas called Ingredient (they also had locations in Lawrence & Kansas City but they're all closed now). I was blown away at how frigging delicious it was on a leafy salad mixed with tangy, creamy goat cheese.
(Note to self: make some sort of goat cheese + balsamic vinaigrette appetizer dip soon!)
So, if you already have real maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup) in your pantry or fridge for pancakes, waffles, or French toast, please give this a try and let me know what you think.
Ingredients For Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Good-Quality Aged Balsamic Vinegar: This is the most important ingredient. Look for a bottle that's been aged and contains no added sugars. It should just say wine vinegar & grape must on the back of the label. Another thing to watch for is the thickness of the vinegar. As I discussed in my Hot Caprese Dip post, you can test that by tipping the bottle on its side to see how fast the vinegar moves. Regular vinegar will shift quickly. If it moves slowly like molasses, it'll be sweeter & more concentrated like a balamic glaze. I prefer to use regular vinegar for dressing recipes like this, but if you like a thicker & sweeter balsamic vinegar, remember to use less sweetener.
- Light-Tasting Olive Oil or Avocado Oil: This is the second most important ingredient. Your extra virgin olive oil doesn't have to be expensive, but you want it to taste GOOD and not too overpowering since it's a supporting ingredient. (For today's recipe, I used the Kirkland brand of extra virgin olive oil from Costco.) Avoid super strong olive oils (especially ones with bitter flavors). Avocado oil is another good option because it's neutral tasting and contains healthy fats.
- Real Maple Syrup: This balances out the tangy & acidic flavors of the vinegar and mustard. If you're not into sweet things, start by adding a teaspoon at a time to and see what tastes good to you. As I mentioned above, raw honey or granulated sweetener works perfectly fine if you don't like maple syrup or don't have any on hand. You could also use a natural sugar-free sweetener like stevia, monk fruit, or erythritol to make this low-carb or keto-friendly. Lots of options!
- Spicy Brown Mustard: This is one of my favorite mustards to use for smoked sausage sheet pan dinners, sandwiches, and boiled brats. I love that it has an extra kick, so I often use it in homemade vinaigrettes. You can also use dijon mustard, yellow mustard, or whole grain mustard; however, you may want to start with a few teaspoons at a time, since some mustards are much stronger than others.
- Green Onion: Many folks use fresh pressed garlic in vinaigrettes, but I'm a fan of finely chopped fresh green onion instead (chives or scallions work, too). I almost always have a bundle sitting in a glass of water in my fridge (it's an easy kitchen hack to stretch the shelf life of fresh herbs), so it's a no-brainer for me!
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper: Salt enhances the other ingredients and cracked black pepper adds a mild spiciness. PSA: One of the secret ingredients in MANY bottled commercial salad dressings (from restaurants and grocery stores) is actually MSG (monosodium glutamate). Trust me - I've checked!! That's why those dressings are so dang tasty & addicting. Cheaters. Ahem. To achieve this at home, be sure to add a good pinch of sea salt. :)
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: I don't always add this (I didn't in my photographs), but it's a good way to add extra heat, which pairs nicely with the sweetness of the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar.
TIP: Did you know many vegetables like leafy greens contain fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K) which need to be paired with a bit of healthy fat so your body can absorb them better? So make sure your leafy salads or even green smoothies have a bit of fat from ingredients like healthy oils, cheese, yogurt, or avocado.
How to Make Balsamic Vinaigrette
My go-to method is to measure all of the ingredients (oil, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, green onion, salt & pepper) into a glass jar, screw on a lid, and shake it several times.Easy peasy, little mess & you can serve it right out of the jar. Also, the lid's super convenient for re-shaking the dressing right before serving since oil & vinegar naturally separate when dressings haven't been emulsified.
Some of my favorite glass jars for this are:
- wide-mouth or regular mason jars (like Ball or Kerr)
- hermetically sealed jars - pictured (like Le Parfait or Anchor)
- clip top jars (like Weck jelly jars or juice jars)
- swing top bottles (like Bormioli Rocco) - These are great for homemade cold-brew coffee, too!
But here comes the important part: once you've mixed up the dressing, you MUST taste the vinaigrette.
Too tangy? Add more oil or sweetener.
Not tangy enough? Add more vinegar or mustard.
Too bland? Add more vinegar, mustard, or salt & pepper.
Use my recipe as a template, but adjust the ingredients so it tastes just how you like it.
Want a thick & creamy balsamic vinaigrette? The best way to do that without adding any extra ingredients is to emulsify the oil. Do this by blending the vinaigrette ingredients using a stick immersion blender or a regular electric blender.
Yield: 3/4 cup (approximately)
Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
A sweet & tangy balsamic vinaigrette you can fix in minutes using simple pantry ingredients like olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, spicy brown mustard, and maple syrup. Use this versatile vinaigrette as a quick & easy salad dressing, dip or marinade. Once you go homemade, you'll never want to use the bottled store brands again!
prep time: 5 Mcook time: total time: 5 M
ingredients:
- 1/3 cup of good-quality aged balsamic vinegar (this is my favorite balsamic vinegar)
- 1/4 cup of light-tasting extra virgin olive oil OR avocado oil (I get this brand from Costco)
- 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoons of spicy brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons of real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon of thinly sliced fresh green onion (a.k.a. scallions - chives also work)
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper, to taste (I love Celtic sea salt & Himalayan pink salt)
- 1-2 pinches of crushed red pepper flakes (optional - I only add this sometimes)
instructions:
How to cook Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, measuring cup, or glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir the ingredients together with a whisk or fork (or shake well if you're using a jar with a lid) until the olive oil has combined with the vinegar.
- Taste the vinaigrette dressing. The quality of ingredients (mostly vinegar & oil) has a big impact on how the dressing tastes so yours might not turn out exactly like mine. Too tangy? Add more oil or sweetener. Not tangy enough? Add more vinegar or mustard. Too bland? Add more vinegar, mustard, or salt & pepper.
- Serve immediately (re-whisking or shaking the vinaigrette as needed to combine the oil + vinegar) and store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator covered with a tight-fitting lid. The vinaigrette will keep for 3-5 days. (It has a shorter shelf-life since it uses fresh green onion.)
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