Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
This basic recipe for homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing can be customized to make a variety of different flavors combinations and salads!

Everyone is getting ready for swimsuit season and I’m over here shoving pizza in my mouth…
I started getting serious about it this past Monday, which is about 3 years later than I should have. My New Year’s resolution (actually last 3 year’s resolutions) fell by the wayside as soon as I woke up on January 1st, which I am regretting now.
As I have mentioned in my previous post, I have started a 30 day Paleo challenge and cutting out sugar has been the hardest part of the regimen.
Sigh…I miss my sweet tea in the morning!
Salads have become the go-to meal but finding a delicious dressing is the biggest obstacle because every bottled dressing has sugar in it!!
More Homemade Dressings
- Red Wine Vinaigrette – bold tangy vinaigrette with rich red wine flavor
- Greek Vinaigrette – bright herby dressing with lemon and oregano
- Italian Dressing – classic zesty Italian herb vinaigrette
- Caesar Salad Dressing – rich creamy Caesar with anchovy depth
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How To Make Balsamic Vinaigrette From Scratch
Luckily, my mother-in-law, Judy, taught me how to make homemade dressing. She makes the most delicious Caesar salad dressing I have ever tasted.
To my amazement, she made it in the bowl with the salad already in there. I don’t think she ever uses the same amount of ingredients twice, but it always tastes great.
Under her tutelage, I have started making homemade dressings for my salads and sandwiches like my red wine vinaigrette on my Mini Italian Subs. I no longer have to buy store bought!
For more insider tips, tricks, and a behind the scenes look, follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, & X.
A must-have for making homemade salad dressings is a storage container. I love this one because it has measurements on the side and is dishwasher safe. ou can also use a mason jar:)
Here is my recipe for basic balsamic vinaigrette dressing that doesn’t contain sugar so it’s Paleo friendly. This dressing contains the basic ingredients that I use and leaves room to add a variety of items.
Sometimes I use a sweet/hot mustard or a maple mustard, and I usually add honey.
You can also use sesame and make this sesame dressing!
Replacing some of the mustard with other things like feta cheese, chimichurri, or horseradish sauce can be fun twists as well!
I hope you enjoy this recipe for homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing! Use it as a starting off point to customizing your own salad dressings.

Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic minced (or jarred equivalent)
- 6 tablespoons stone ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- dash of Tabasco
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients, excluding the olive oil in a mixing bowl or storage container.
- I use a mason jar because it is compact and has a tight-fitting lid or a salad dressing container!
- Once mixed, taste and make sure that the seasonings are to your liking, and adjust accordingly. It will taste strong at this point, but the oil balances that out.
- Add the olive oil and shake well to combine.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Nutrition
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Balsamic Vinaigrette is my favorite dressing and marinade. I am getting a salad dressing shaker ASAP so I can make my own. Less sugar is always good.
Balsamic Vinaigrette is my favorite dressing and marinade. I am getting a salad dressing shaker ASAP so I can make my own. Less sugar is always good.