Sweet and Tangy Honey Mustard Vinaigrette | with video
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Sweet and tangy honey mustard vinaigrette has become my go-to salad dressing. It comes together quickly with household staples and is a major crowd-pleaser!
Salads are my go-to lunch. I often have lunch with my neighbor, Julie. She’s a stay-at-home mom too and since we moved into our house just under a year ago, Julie and I have hit it off. The kids love playing with each other and Julie and I are grateful for the adult interaction.
Lunch is usually a joint effort. I’ll text her and say, I have salad and dressing. She comes over armed with feta and pita chips to top the salad. It’s a pretty awesome arrangement if you think about it. Sometimes we’ll splurge and get carry-out which means one of us gets quiet time in the car while the other one plays with the kids.
I always tell her I hit the neighbor jackpot, and I did.
I made this salad dressing once and she practically begged me to blog about it. Problem is, I didn’t measure anything or write down the recipe. I’ve made this more times than I can count since the first time she tried it, and I think this recipe is pretty close to what we had the first time.
In fact, I have a jar of it in my fridge right now (I pretty much always do). My friends tease me because my fridge is bare of dressings such as Ranch, Italian, Thousand Island. Staples in many fridges, I’ve come to learn.
It’s just so simple to make your own salad dressing – I find myself throwing away pre-made dressings when I buy them because I never finish the bottle. I usually keep one or two (usually a raspberry vinaigrette and a fattoush dressing), just so I don’t have an excuse to not eat a salad, but other than that, I reach for my olive oil and dressing jar to shake up my own.
About this Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
This honey mustard vinaigrette salad dressing goes great with a vegetable based salad and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. It’s very simple – olive oil, white balsamic vinegar (one of my faves!), Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Easy peasy.
I always shake my dressings up in a jar but you can also whisk them briskly with a fork or whisk while you pour in the oil. This will help the dressing emulsify so that it doesn’t quickly separate before you have a chance to pour it over your salad. Because what’s worse than pouring out dressing and only getting oil?
Once you start making homemade salad dressing, you’ll never go back to store bought. Start with this honey mustard vinaigrette! You won’t be sorry.
More homemade dressings:
Ready to venture into making your own homemade dressings? Try:
- Reduced Fat Ranch Dressing
- Creamy Maple Dressing with Black Pepper
- Sweet BBQ Salad Dressing with lime
- Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Poppy Seed Dressing
- Clementine Dressing
- Lemon Basil Vinaigrette (I love love love this one)
- Carrot Vinaigrette with Chili Powder and Cumin
- Homemade Catalina Dressing
- Southwestern Avocado Salad Dressing from Buns In My Oven
- Hummus Salsa Dressing from The Roasted Root.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper to a small jar or container with tightly fitting lid. Shake well to combine.
- Alternate method: Measure the vinegar, honey, mustard, salt and pepper into a small bowl or measuring cup. Add olive oil slowly while whisking until dressing emulsifies.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. If the olive oil congeals because of the cold temperature, allow the vinaigrette to come to room temperature (15 minutes), and shake well. Another method is to remove the lid, microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, replace the lid, and shake well.
- Makes a bit more than a cup of dressing.
- Recipe card revised 10/13/2022.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
REENA MUKHERJEE says
Loved the Recipe. I was looking for a sweet & tangy dressing for my Kale & apple Salad. I made this and OMG!! super duper. Thanks Rachel.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked this recipe, Reena! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Elizabeth says
This dressing is like liquid gold! It was so quick and easy to make. Looking forward to healthy lunches this week!
Rachel Gurk says
So happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! Happy lunching!
Jamie says
It was a really nice recipe but I added around 1/4 cup more balsamic vinegar because the family prefers a more acidic flavour rather than too sweet! This way, it matched more with the flavours in the salad x
Rachel Gurk says
Glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Roxy says
Love it!!!!!!
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, Roxy!
Jasmine says
Could I use regular balsamic vinegar in this?
Rachel Gurk says
For sure! It will change the color and flavor slightly, but it will still taste great!
Armandas says
This is by far my favorite salad dressing! The only thing I do differently is the white wine or apple cider vinegar instead if white balsamic because I usually don’t have it on hand. And a few cloves of garlic tastes really good in this dressing! I also used half wholegrain and half Dijon the other day and it was fantastic too!
Rachel Gurk says
It’s my favorite too! Love the addition of garlic!
Linda McCalpin says
YOU CAN BUY THOSE LITTLE JARS AT WALL MART ARE WHERE THEY SELL CANNING JARS
Rachel Gurk says
Awesome, thanks for sharing!
Athena says
I LOVE that little jar you have. Where could I find something similar? I’ve tried a different type of jar for making dressings and it leaked everywhere. :(
Rachel Gurk says
Oh man, I don’t remember where I got that one. I did a Amazon search and these look similar. Hope that helps!
SW says
I bought a salad dressing shaker by oxo on Amazon and it is fabulous. It has measurements on the side and a pour spout that when closed does not leak anywhere. Totally work the money
Rachel Gurk says
Awesome! I haven’t found one of those that I like…I’ll have to check out OXO’s version.
Albert Bevia says
I also enjoy eating salads for lunch, they are healthy and light, I have been looking for the perfect honey mustard vinaigrette…and this is it!!! I just made it (just swapped out the honey for agave syrup) and it is so amazingly good! thanks for the recipe :)
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Alice says
How long will it keep in frig?
Rachel Gurk says
It should keep about a week to a week and a half. Enjoy!
Amy says
Is there a substitute for the vinegar?
Rachel Gurk says
In this vinaigrette, the vinegar really plays an important role in the flavor and result. If you were going to substitute something, I would suggest fresh lemon juice but it will change the taste significantly.
Jenny says
I made this for dinner last night, wow crazy good!
Rachel Gurk says
So happy to hear that you liked it! It’s my go-to salad dressing.
lisa carpenter says
I don’t see the calorie count.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi! I’m going through the very long and slow process of adding nutritional information to my recipes. I just calculated this one and added a label. 169 calories for 2 tablespoons of dressing but please remember numbers may vary depending on brands of products used, etc.
Natalie | Paper & Birch says
One of my favorite combos. Definitely trying this – sounds delish!
Katie Cavuto says
This looks so simple yet delicious! That tiny mason jar is too cute!
Christina says
Once you start making your own salad dressing, you can’t go back. Even my husband, the Hidden Valley ranch addict doesn’t like the store-bought stuff anymore. My “go-to” is very similar to yours- it doesn’t take much for a really gorgeous salad dressing!