This creamy Balsamic dressing combines Balsamic vinegar with olive oil and a few other ingredients to make a delicious vinaigrette salad dressing to add flavor to your favorite greens.
Balsamic vinegar based vinaigrettes have always been my favorite way of dressing up lettuce and other green leaves. Now that we have a greenhouse that produced the most abundant arugula (rocket) harvest this winter, I was looking for a creamy salad dressing to balance the peppery taste of the arugula leaves.
This creamy Balsamic vinaigrette does just that and is perfect in this bright Arugula Beet salad with pickled beets. It also pairs well with cherry tomatoes and spinach salads.
Ingredients
Like most salad dressings, this one is quite flexible. Here are the basic ingredients needed
- Good quality Balsamic vinegar
- Dijon mustard (or brown mustard)
- Greek yogurt/Mayo
- Honey/Maple syrup
- Extra virgin olive oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Add all of the ingredients into a small glass jar
Tightly close the lid on the jar
Shake vigorously for 1-2 minutes to mix up all the dressing. Alternatively use a whisk or blender to emulsify the ingredients
Afterwards all the ingredients will have combined into a creamy and smooth dressing. Drizzle over individual salad portions or dress a full bowl of arugula or spinach leaves
Hint: If using thick/crystalized honey it helps to warm/melt it first so it combines easier with the other ingredients.
Substitutions and Variations
I've already mentioned a few options above, but here are some more ideas to make this recipe with ingredients you may already have on hand or to make it suitable for your dietary needs
- Greek Yogurt - this is what makes the dressing creamy and lighter in color. Sour cream or mayonnaise (for dairy-free option) work just as well
- Dijon Mustard - or brown mustard. In a pinch yellow mustard will work
- Maple Syrup - it easily combines with the other ingredients. Honey or sugar work too but may require more shaking to smoothly emulsify into the dressing
- Olive Oil - avocado oil also makes a nice tasting healthy salad dressing
- Additional seasoning - I don't think its needed, but if desired finish the dressing with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried herbs, etc. to taste
Storage
Because of the dairy component in this recipe, any leftover creamy Balsamic salad dressing should be stored in the fridge. It will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Top tip
If the olive oil solidifies while being stored in the fridge, you can liquify it again by placing the jar in a cup of warm water. Or leave the dressing out on the counter at room temperature for half an hour. Then shake vigorously to combine all the ingredients again.
FAQ
The key ingredients are Balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I also add Dijon mustard and maple syrup. The creamy component can be Greek yogurt, sour cream, or mayo
Balsamic vinegar is made from grape must (pressed grape juice) that is fermented and aged to turn into delicious vinegar.
Balsamic dressing is a vinaigrette made from olive oil and balsamic vinegar as the acidic component to season lettuce and salads.
In this dressing recipe Balsamic vinegar is emulsified with olive oil, mustard, maple syrup, and Greek yogurt to make a thick dressing with creamy texture.
If you are looking for the more viscous Balsamic glaze reduction, check out this recipe.
Related
Looking for other recipes with Balsamic vinegar? Try these:
Recipe
Creamy Balsamic Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise, sour cream
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup or honey; optional
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- To a small glass jar add all the ingredients for the creamy balsamic dressing: balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, olive oil. Close the jar and shake vigorously until well combined.
- Drizzle over arugula, lettuce, or other green leaves.
- Makes about ½ cup of dressing. Store leftovers refrigerated (because of the creamy yogurt/sour cream/mayonnaise part). The dressing might solidify in the fridge. In that case, place in a cup of warm water or leave out at room temperature for ½ an hour, then shake again to re-emulsify all the dressing ingredients.
Nutrition
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Roberta R Anderson
Greek yogurt makes this dressing so smooth, and takes down the bite of the vinegar. It's my new favorite! I didn't have any honey, so I substituted agave syrup. And I added garlic, because I'm a garlicoholic! It was so yummy and not too sweet or spicy. Thank you for sharing
Jennifer @ Leelalicious
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! The addition of garlic and agave sounds perfect.