A flavorful and slightly sweet vinaigrette recipe that combines the rich taste of maple syrup with the tanginess of Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar. A great choice any time you want a balanced, slightly sweet, and savory vinaigrette that is healthy too.
Table of Contents
- Why you will love this vinaigrette
- Vinaigrette dressing recipe basics
- Emulsifying a vinaigrette
- How to use Maple Dijon vinaigrette
Why you will love this vinaigrette.
A great salad begins and ends with a great dressing. This stuff, seriously. I could drink it!
What I love about this vinaigrette recipe is it has just a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, fresh garlic.
The sweetness of the maple syrup and the mustard’s tanginess complement each other well, making this dressing perfect for drizzling over mixed greens, roasted vegetables, or salads with nuts and fruit.
A homemade salad dressing or vinaigrette just tastes better, with less of the ingredients you do not want like salt, preservatives, and sugar.
The vinaigrette can be shaken in a glass jar or whisked together in a deep bowl until it emulsifies, creating a smooth consistency. A blender will work best to fully emulsify the oil and vinegar with the rest of the ingredients.
Maple Syrup: Adds a natural sweetness, which balances the sharpness of the mustard and the acidity of vinegar. Maple syrup also acts to bind the ingredients together.
Dijon Mustard: Offers a smooth, tangy flavor with a subtle heat, providing depth and complexity to the dressing. It is key to emulsifying the vinaigrette (see below).
Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar adds acidity and brightens the overall taste.
Olive Oil: Forms the base of the dressing, giving it a smooth, velvety texture. Please use a good quality EVOO.
Garlic: Provides depth and complexity to the dressing, balancing out sweetness and acidity.
Seasoning: A pinch of cracked pepper, dried thyme, and granulated onion enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
Vinaigrette Recipe Basics
Typically made with oil and vinegar, a vinaigrette often includes flavorings like herbs, garlic, and spices. If you like vinaigrette, try Easy Italian Red Wine Vinaigrette.
Because vinaigrette recipes normally do not contain ingredients like mayonnaise, they are typically lighter and healthier than creamy salad dressings.
The basic ratio for homemade vinaigrette recipes is three parts oil to one part vinegar. So, when making two servings of vinaigrette, you would use 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 3 tablespoons of oil. Though vinaigrette can be made to taste!
A good quality extra virgin olive oil is recommended for homemade vinaigrette recipes due to its grassy flavor and potential health benefits. Other oils can be used such as avocado, walnut, or pumpkin seed, etc.
Emulsifying your vinaigrette recipe
When making vinaigrette, oil and vinegar (or other acidic ingredients like lemon juice) naturally separate, but by emulsifying them, you create a smooth and creamy dressing.
For emulsifying a homemade vinaigrette, a good quality Dijon mustard works wonders and adds so much flavor. Other emulsifiers include mayonnaise, honey, and maple syrup.
To successfully emulsify, it helps to start with room temperature ingredients. A blender works best, but a good whisking or shake in a jar works fine too.
How to use Maple Dijon Vinaigrette?
Salads: It’s perfect for green salads with ingredients like roasted vegetables, apples, or nuts.
Roasted Vegetables: Drizzle over roasted vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, carrots, sweet potatoes, and, my favorite, roasted squash.
Grilled and Baked Meats: Use it as a marinade for chicken, pork, or salmon. So yummy on Crispy Walnut Parmesan Chicken.
Grain Bowls: Pour over quinoa, farro, or rice bowls, adding a layer of flavor to the grains.
Sandwiches: Drizzle the vinaigrette on wraps or sandwiches, especially in combinations with greens, chicken, or turkey.
Easy Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
A flavorful and slightly sweet vinaigrette that combines the rich taste of maple syrup with the tanginess of Dijon mustard. Perfect on salads, roasted vegetables, or proteins.
4
servings5
minutes0
minutes5
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
6 Tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 Tablespoons real maple syrup (room temperature)
2-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (room temperature)
1 small clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
A pinch of pepper, granulated onion, and thyme to taste
Directions
- In a large bowl, add the vinegar, mustard, garlic, maple syrup and whisk until combined. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until completely combined. Add seasoning to taste. If using a blender, do the same as above.
- If using a jar, add the ingredients in to the jar and vigorously shake the jar until thoroughly combined.
- Enjoy! Try it on Crispy Walnut Parmesan Baked Chicken.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 1/2 cup of dressing. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week. You may need to remove the dressing from the refrigerator about ten minutes before using to loosen it up. Remember to shake it!
- Substitutions: If need be, honey can be used in place of maple syrup and white balsamic or red wine vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar. The flavor of this recipe will change with substitutions.
- When tasting your dressing for flavor, dip a salad green into the dressing. Often dressing will taste over seasoned on its own, but perfectly seasoned on lettuce.
- Always dress your salad right before enjoying it to avoid soggy greens.
- I really enjoy this vinaigrette on Crispy Walnut Parmesan Chicken. Or, on a salad with arugula or mixed greens, sliced apples, red onion, walnuts, and goat cheese.
Looking for more vinaigrettes, salad dressings, or sauces?
Berry Salad. This gorgeous summer berry salad with avocado, fresh berries, bacon, and feta recipe comes with a beautiful lemon and honey vinaigrette.
Easy Italian Red Wine Vinaigrette. This super simple Italian red wine vinaigrette is packed with flavor and made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, honey, and a good sprinkle of Italian seasoning.
Greek Yogurt Sauce. My favorite sauce ever because there are so many ways to use this recipe.
