In just 10 minutes you can prepare this refreshing, yet simple herbed balsamic honey vinaigrette to enjoy on savory or fruity salads.
This dressing is extra-good with the fresh basil and rosemary in my garden right now. To use dried basil and rosemary, make the dressing at least a half hour in advance so that the herbs have a chance to hydrate.
I like to use this intensely-flavored dressing to marinate pecans, which I then bake into a flavorful salad topper.
Tips for making the dressing
For this batch of the dressing, I prepared the ingredients for anyone who doesn't have a food processor. I grated the shallot, pressed the garlic, and chopped the herbs very fine. If you use a food processor, just slice the garlic and shallot and let the food processor do the rest.
Also in this batch I added some cumin for extra flavor. You will see that cumin isn't in the ingredients - we decided the dressing was better without it.
What is balsamic vinegar?
Balsamic vinegar is traditionally made from grape "must", or the grape skins and seeds - this is why it typically has some sediment at the bottom and is a deep brownish color. It can contain probiotics and have some other health benefits. The less expensive the balsamic vinegar, though, the more likely it is to be red wine vinegar with caramel coloring.
According to GourmetSleuth, White Balsamic Vinegar is made from white wine vinegar made from Trebbiano grapes grown in the Modena region of Italy combined with concentrated, uncooked grape must.
White balsamic works well in salad dressings and in any sauce where a red vinegar is undesirable. White balsamic is less sweet than the traditional and I like to use it in my lemony-garlic mustard vinaigrette.
How can I keep my balsamic vinaigrette from separating?
Often an olive-oil dressing will separate, especially when refrigerated, when the olive oil tends to form a semi-solid layer on top.
Adding an emulsifier can help keep it from separating. This dressing contains honey and aquafaba as emulsifiers. The honey also adds a bit of sweetness, though the balsamic vinegar can be sweet also.
If you have used fresh herbs, the dressing will be ready to use as soon as you have whisked it together.
I hope you will enjoy this simple salad dressing as much as we do, and leave me a comment so that I know how it went!
Enjoy,
Beth
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Herbed Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot grated, about 2 tablespoonfuls
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1-2 teaspoons aquafaba or extra honey see note
- ⅓ cup of balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup of olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
- ½ tablespoonful chopped rosemary
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 cranks of fresh cracked pepper or to taste about ½ teaspoonful
Instructions
- Once the dressing is emulsified, stir in the basil and rosemary.
- Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a small immersion-blender type food processor and blend until smooth.
Notes
Please Pin for Later!
Ai
Mmmm I love a honey vinaigrette! I love balsamic vinegar too! Looks so delicious, Beth!
Beth
Oh, me too - and my husband likes this balsamic version better than store-bought vinaigrettes, and that's a win!
Nart at Cooking with Nart
Looks great Beth! And only 10 minutes to make - OH YES!!
Beth
Salad dressings should be quick, if not instant, I think. 🙂
LaRena Fry
Adore balsamic salad recipes. Mustard and honey pair so well with balsamic too. Yum!
Beth
Thanks, Nart. My husband says it's his favorite now, and I agree with you about the mustard and honey.
Nisha
So wonderful to learn about how easy it is to whisk up a homemade dressing . Saving this for my next salad. 🙂
Beth
Hi Nisha, I am so trying to steer my family away from store-bought dressings. Thanks so much for your comment.
Nisha
I'm not sure if my earlier comment went through. So trying again. This recipe is perfect for salads and I love how easy it is to make a tasty and healthy dressing at home.
Beth
Hi, Nisha, I have received both comments from you and will prioritize this one. My husband says this is the only salad dressing he needs now, bless him!
Angela
This is so good with simply fresh sliced tomatoes from my garden.
Beth
Angela, I so agree - if I had fresh garden or heirloom tomatoes, that's how I'd enjoy this dressing too.
Jacqueline Debono
This is a delicious vinaigrette. I love using Balsamic in salad dressing. We actually go to Modena every year or so to buy our Balsamic from an acetaia (Balsamic vinegar producer). I buy the less expensive one for salads and the aged one for using on fruit, meat or with cheese! So good!
Beth
Jacqui, what a privilege to be able to buy a rich product like balsamic from the source! I'd love to do that.
Alpa
Looks like an easy vinaigrette recipe. I am always looking for egg free dressing and would love to try this on my salads.
Beth
Hi Alpa, it's really easy and you can add extra garlic (like my son does) to really make it pop. I like egg-free dressings too - more guests can enjoy them.
Lathiya
Wow, this herbed balsamic honey vinaigrette sounds interesting and so flavorful.
Beth
Thank you, Lathi, if you like balsamic vinegar this dressing is super-smooth and tasty.
Kalyon Munnaluru
Have always been looking for an good vinaigrette for our salad. Will try this for sure and I am sure it will suit our requirements I am looking for.
Beth
Thanks, Kalyon. Our family says this balsamic vinaigrette is the best they've tasted, so I hope you like it too.