Learn how to make a sweet-tart white balsamic vinaigrette in just 5 minutes. This versatile, restaurant-worthy dressing will elevate any salad!
All you will need is a mason jar, quality ingredients, and five minutes of your time.
The restaurant, North Italia, was the inspiration for this recipe. After eating their Seasonal Vegetable Salad from their fall and winter menu, I fell in love with it. And so the hunt began searching for white balsamic vinegar to recreate their salad dressing at home.
We're skipping the emulsifiers like mustard, mayonnaise, or egg yolks in this recipe. Instead of whisking or blending, we're using the time-honored mason jar method - just add your ingredients, seal tightly, and shake vigorously.
Keep a jar in your fridge, and you'll always be ready to elevate a salad like spinach with berries, goat cheese, and quick pickled red onions or drizzle over roast vegetables like crispy oven-roasted brussel sprouts.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fewer dirty dishes! No blender or whisking.
- This recipe is weeknight-friendly yet elegant enough for a dinner party.
- It's so fresh and easy with only 5 ingredients!
Ingredients
Only five ingredients are needed to make this white balsamic vinaigrette.
- White Balsamic Vinegar: Preferred if you want to avoid the dark brown color of the regular stuff. It's mild and tastes similar to a quality white wine vinegar, but it's not as sharp and more sweet. My favorite brand is Seggiano sold at Whole Foods.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: A good quality olive oil is best for this vinaigrette. Smell and taste your oil to make sure you find it appealing.
- Honey: A liquid, natural sweetener with floral notes that enhance the vinaigrette.
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper: Grinding your peppercorns the day of cooking is best.
- Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: I prefer the brand Diamond Crystal because its shape is lighter and flakey, and it dissolves faster, which helps prevent over-seasoning. If using Morton kosher or table salt, reduce the salt measurements by half.
See the recipe card below for ingredient measurements.
What Is White Balsamic Vinegar?
While performing some research to uncover the answer to this question, I was left with very little information. So, I went to the label and searched the brand's website.
The Seggiano brand contains: Grape must, wine vinegar, organic ingredient. So, it appears that it is a blend of smashed grapes, skins, seeds, stems and all mixed with white wine vinegar.
Probably, the best description comparing white balsamic and traditional balsamic vinegar was an article from Bon Appétit... if you are interested in learning more.
Substitutions & Variations
- Omit the honey - If you prefer to lower the sugar, either reduce or remove the honey in the vinaigrette. It will still have some sweetness with less sugar.
- Sesame Seeds- Add 1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds to this recipe to add some texture. It's fabulous with baby spinach and strawberries.
If you prepare any variations, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Step 1: Add the olive oil to a mason jar. Don't clean the tablespoon from measuring the oil.
Step 2: Add the honey to the mason jar. The residual oil will help release the sticky honey.
Step 3: Add the white balsamic vinegar, kosher salt, and pepper.
Step 4: Tighten the mason jar lid and shake it for 2 minutes or until the ingredients are combined. Reshake the mason jar if starting to separate before serving
Storage Instructions
The white balsamic vinaigrette can rest on the counter for up to 2 hours before serving. Reshake to combine ingredients.
You can store the mason jar of vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
This dressing naturally separates over time. Simply shake the dressing vigorously before each use to recombine the ingredients.
If you can't find white balsamic vinegar, you can substitute champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar. Check the flavor of the vinaigrette as you might need to add more honey to achieve a similar sweet-tart balance.
This versatile dressing works beautifully on mixed green salads, grain bowls, or roasted vegetables. It's especially lovely with salads featuring fresh fruit, nuts, or goat cheese.
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this vinaigrette will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks. When the oil solidifies, simply let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and shake well before using.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment and ⭐️ rating below to let us know how it turned out! Thanks for visiting!
📖 Recipe
White Balsamic Vinaigrette Recipe
Equipment
- 8 oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (4 ounces or ½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons honey (1 ounce)
- 4 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (2 ounces or ¼ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (a 4 finger pinch)
- cracked black pepper (5 grinds from your pepper mill)
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a mason jar.
- Don't clean the tablespoon from measuring the oil because you can use the same tablespoon to measure the honey next. The residual oil will help release the sticky honey.
- Add the honey to the mason jar followed by the white balsamic vinegar.
- Season with kosher salt and pepper. Tighten the mason jar lid and shake it for 2 minutes or until the ingredients are combined.
- Serve right away. Reshake the mason jar if starting to separate before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Comments
No Comments