Every salad deserves a beautiful homemade dressing. This White Wine Vinaigrette is sunrise yellow and provides just the right amount of tanginess and sweetness.
Some people paint masterpieces that hang in museums; others build beautiful furniture with their bare hands. My art form? I like to wow my house guests with incredible salads.
I argue that people don’t think of salads the right way, and I will die on this hill. Since you’re reading a blog that often features healthy recipes, I hope you feel the same way I do. Salads aren’t just the obligatory roughage we’re compelled to stuff in our mouths before we eat a rich meal. Far from it! Salads can be dazzling and impressive. But to make such a salad, we need a few things. Fresh mixed greens, grated root veggies, a little bite of something pickled, maybe some chopped nuts and/or fruit, and, of course, a homemade vinaigrette.
This white wine vinaigrette recipe is a perfect mix of sweet, savory, and zingy. It has a balanced flavor profile thanks to the white wine vinegar, which provides a mild, tangy base. The garlic and Dijon mustard give it a bit of sharpness, and the honey adds a touch of sweetness. It’s so easy to make that you’d think everyone would have a jar of it in the fridge!
Is This White Wine Vinaigrette Healthy?
Yes, it is! In general, homemade dressings are healthier than store-bought versions because they don’t contain preservatives, stabilizers, thickeners, and artificial additives. Additionally, making your vinaigrette at home allows you to have control over the quality and quantity of ingredients, which can contribute to a healthier diet. You get some healthy fats from the olive oil, too. Plus, this dressing is so rich in flavor, you might find you don’t need that much of it compared to store-bought dressings.
It’s vegetarian-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free as written, but you can make it vegan by simply swapping the honey for a vegan sweetener, like maple syrup or agave nectar.
More About White Wine Vinegar
If you’ve never used white wine vinegar, you might have a few questions about it. First, let’s discuss how it’s made. White wine vinegar is made by fermenting white wine, which turns the alcohol into acetic acid, resulting in a tangy vinegar with a lightly, fruity, and crisp taste. While white wine vinegar does contain a small amount of residual alcohol, it’s less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, so it’s considered a non-alcoholic product. It’s a great addition to salad dressings like this one, but it’s also tasty in marinades and can be incorporated into stews and other cooked dishes for a bright pop of flavor.
Vinegars are so fun to cook with, and I like to keep a variety on hand at all times in my kitchen. Some staple vinegars are apple cider, balsamic, red wine, and rice wine, just to name a few. They each have slightly different tastes. For example, apple cider and rice wine vinegar are milder, while red wine and balsamic vinegar have a bolder, more robust flavor. For this recipe, apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar would work best if you don’t have any white wine vinegar on hand.
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Store your dressing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in a well-sealed glass jar or bottle. When you want to use it again, take it out of the fridge and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, as the olive oil will likely solidify under refrigeration. Make sure you shake it well before drizzling it on your next salad!
Serving Suggestions
There are so many great salad recipes that pair well with this dressing. You’re welcome to keep it simple and drizzle this dressing over a Spinach Salad. Or, you can go all-out like I do. Grate up some root veggies like carrots and daikon radish, dice up some red onion, slice grape tomatoes, pull out the feta cheese, crack the fresh black pepper, pull out the pickled okra, and make a big salad pile with this vinaigrette on top!
It also pairs well with this Eggplant Salad or over grilled vegetables of all kinds, and it’s an excellent dipping sauce for breads, like toasted slices of sourdough. Serve a side of vinaigrette on your next party platter alongside fresh veggies, or drizzle some on this Cucumber-Avocado Salad.
If you’re interested in the wide world of homemade salad dressings, we have more for you to try! Start with this Mediterranean Salad Dressing or this Carrot-Ginger Dressing, which is bursting with color and flavor.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until well combined. Alternatively, use a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, like a mason jar.
- Gradually add the olive oil to the mixture, whisking continuously until the dressing is emulsified and smooth. If you're using a sealable jar, simply add the olive oil to the mixture, close the jar, and shake it vigorously until emulsified.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Store the vinaigrette in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Shake well before each use.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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