Apricot Vinaigrette Dressing (easy recipe!)

Apricot preserves sweetly flavor this bright apricot vinaigrette. It may become your favorite dressing!

A simple salad dressing that you can whisk up in just a couple of minutes, this apricot vinaigrette is full of happy flavors and goes perfectly with so many salads.

I like it on a simple green salad with cucumbers, sliced dried apricots, candied pepitas, and a sprinkling of cheese, as pictured. It’s equally at home on a spinach salad with fresh apricots, or a grain salad (quinoa, couscous, or bulgar) with roasted butternut squash and kale. Top your salad with air fryer chicken breasts or shrimp, and you’ll find apricot vinaigrette complements those as well.

I guess you could say it’s a multipurpose dressing. Apricot vinaigrette has elements of sweet fruitiness and tang, with just a hint of Dijon. I think you’re going to love it!

Trivia Time

The Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn has a book of short stories titled Apricot Jam and Other Stories? I haven’t read it, have you? I wonder if he ever used apricot jam to make delicious apricot vinaigrette. I’m guessing probably not, considering his other works.

About this salad dressing

Really, you can whip this dressing up in about 3 minutes. Simply microwave the preserves a few seconds to liquify it, add the rest of the ingredients, and either shake them up or whisk them together. Just a bit of Dijon mustard helps emulsify the dressing. Don’t be tempted to add more; the mustard can easily overpower the dressing.

What you need

• Apricot Preserves: I like to find a variety without high fructose corn syrup, but use what you like best!
• White Wine Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar would also work in this recipe.
• Olive Oil: We love the flavor of extra virgin olive oil, but a lighter one will work if that’s all you have. Other decent choices are grape seed oil or avocado oil.
• Dijon Mustard: Just a touch of mustard ties it all together and helps the dressing emulsify (so it doesn’t separate).
• Seasonings: All you need is salt and pepper! Taste the dressing and add as much as you like.

How to make this recipe your own

Like any homemade salad dressing, you can easily substitute ingredients, add some of your own, or leave one out. That’s the beauty of homemade! Here’s a few ideas:

• Substitute white balsamic vinegar, champagne vinegar, or sherry vinegar for the white wine vinegar. Each type of vinegar will change the flavor profile of this dressing so use the one you like best.
• Like sweet dressing? The preserves are quite sweet but add honey or agave if you have a sweet tooth.
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor.
• Enhance with chopped herbs such as rosemary, sage, or thyme.
• Try a different fruit preserve, such as cherry, blackberry, or orange marmalade.
• Looking for an apricot glaze for grilling? Try these Grilled Pork Kabobs with Apples. The lemony apricot glaze is so, so good!

Make-Ahead Ideas

You can easily make this dressing ahead. If you’re using it within a day, just keep it on the counter in a covered jar or bowl until you’re ready. If you’re planning on using it tomorrow, refrigerate the dressing. Let it set out at room temperature for an hour or so because olive oil has a tendency to solidify when refrigerated. Give the dressing a good shake before using.

Dress your salad – more dressing recipes

Make your own dressing: it’s easy, economical, and always fresh! Try:

• Healthy Ranch Dressing Recipe
• Catalina Dressing Recipe
• Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
• Homemade Italian Dressing Recipe
• White Wine Vinaigrette or Red Wine Vinaigrette Recipe
• Lemon Basil Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe — I love this one!
• Sweet and Tangy Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
• Healthy Caesar Dressing Recipe
• Healthy Green Goddess Dressing