Simple Oil & Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe [Video]

Watch this video to learn how to make an easy oil and vinaigrette salad dressing at home from simple ingredients in under 5 minutes. 

This dressing goes great on salads and there are endless variations you can create from simple ingredients you most likely already have at home. 

Ingredients

• an oil (we'll use extra virgin olive oil in this example)
• a vinegar (such as red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar)
• a sweetener (a natural sweetener such as maple syrup, honey, agave)
• a citrus (lemon, lime)
• fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, basil)
• salt and pepper

When making an oil and vinegar dressing, it's a 3:1 ratio; three parts oil to one part vinegar. 

In this example we will use:

• 3/4 C extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• 1/4 C lemon juice
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp oregano

Instructions

1. Build your base: Start by mixing the lemon juice and vinegar. We'll use 1/4 C lemon juice (about 1 lemon) and 1/4 C red wine vinegar. Next, add 3/4 C oil. Whisk together.  

2. Add sweetness and saltiness: Add 1 tsp agave nectar, and whisk some more. Then add salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Create flavor profile with herbs: If you have access to fresh herbs that is wonderful, but no worries if not, dry will work as well. For this example we will use 1 T each of fresh parsley, basil, and oregano to create an Italian inspired flavor profile. Chop your herbs then whisk into the dressing. 

That's it!

If the dressing tastes flat, continue to add ingredients until you like the taste. Try adding more citrus and salt to start. 

Other variations or ingredients you could try

• cilantro lime
• avocado (you'll likely need a food processor)
• raspberry vinegar 

This dressing will last for a couple weeks in the fridge and is super convenient to have on hand. It's great when you're entertaining guests or just for yourself, especially if you love having a fresh salad with dinner.

In addition to this easy dressing, we also love to keep salad ingredients on hand. You can very easily throw a salad together with chopped lettuce (such as romaine, spinach, kale) thrown in bowl. Add shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber, then toss with your deliciously simple salad dressing! This makes for a very quick and easy way to get your veggies in. 

What other variations of this simple oil and vinaigrette dressing do you think would taste good? Let us know in the comments!