This beautiful white balsamic vinaigrette is a lovely dressing for your summer salad. It adds a delightful sweet and tangy topping while letting the vibrant colors of your greens shine. It is made with white balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and a dash of both salt and pepper.
As summer approaches and the girls are out of school, I am not only making lunches for myself but big serving bowls for the entire family. I am not complaining though. I love watching this nourishing side dish disappear knowing that my family is enjoying healthful salads!
One way I keep them coming back is switching up the salad dressings.
This recipe is so easy and tasty you won’t have anyone asking for store bought dressing. White balsamic vinaigrette is made with extra virgin olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and a dash of salt and pepper.
It is a great dressing, quick and easy and has a longer shelf life than the average vinaigrette recipe.
I love to have quick and healthy packable lunches for day trips too. That is why I turn to this homemade salad dressing. The ingredients themselves do not have to be refrigerated and I can make up a jar and be ready for any last minute event.
Table of Contents
What Is White Balsamic Vinegar?
White balsamic vinegar is similar to the regular balsamic vinegar. It does not have that deep dark color and is not as sweet or syrupy.
Made from the trebbiano grapes, white balsamic vinegar uses the grape must and instead of being caramelized, it is cooked slowly under pressure to avoid a dark coloring.
It usually is aged in uncharred wooden barrels anywhere from 1-12 years. The longer the vinegar is aged, the higher the price tag.
Why White Balsamic Vinegar
White balsamic is sweet and tangy. It is used in recipes when the main ingredients are bright and colorful. The white balsamic will not cover up those colors like traditional balsamic with its rich brown coloring.
I love it with summer salads. The greens, bright tomatoes, and even cheeses can shine through with the dressing being the perfect aftertaste.
Not only for salads, this white balsamic vinegar dressing makes a delightful marinade for chicken and fish.
White Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients
One of the most amazing things about making your own fresh, preservative free White Balsamic Dressing is that it’s made with just a few simple ingredients!
- Olive Oil – a quality extra virgin olive oil will always yield the best results
- White Vinegar – sweet and tangy, a little bit goes a long way
- Salt and Pepper – to taste
How to Make White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Combine all ingredients in a small jar and shake vigorously.
- Pour over your favorite salad greens and enjoy.
What to Serve With
This light tangy but slightly sweet dressing goes with just about anything! I love to make it for potlucks because it keeps so well even in warm temperatures.
It pairs well with a salad of red headed romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sesame seeds, and a sharp cheese. I like to add a small amount of dried fruit as well to give it a sweet element. Right before serving, I remember to sprinkle some crispy croutons over the top of the bowl.
This recipe is always a crowd pleaser. It’s perfect for potlucks and travels well in a jar.
I feel so much better when I eat a daily salad, and with homemade dressings, I know exactly what is in it. No added ingredients!
Switch up your salad dressing with this vegan and vegetarian vinaigrette. It is also on plan for paleo and whole30. It is sometimes allowed on keto in very small amounts.
Variations and Additions
The beauty of vinaigrettes, is that the vinegars can easily be substituted for your favorites, or what you have on hand on your pantry. You can also add herbs, or a creamy element to make the dressing thicker.
More Vinegars To Try
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Wine Vinegar
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
Fresh Herbs To Try
- Minced fresh garlic
- Thyme
- Basil
- Dill
- Parsley
Make it Creamy
- Dijon Mustard
- Regular Mustard
- Greek Yogurt
I hope you enjoy this vinaigrette! Please leave a comment below with your thoughts if you make this recipe! You can also pin on pinterest for later!
How to Store
This basic white balsamic vinaigrette has a longer shelf life than your average dressing. The ingredients do not need to be refrigerated on their own or when mixed together.
It can be stored in a covered container for about 1 month in a cool, dark place. If you decide to add any fresh herbs, or dijon mustard, then refrigerating would be required.
More Vinaigrette and Dressing Recipes
- Easy Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing
- Chipotle Dressing (Apple Chipotle Vinaigrette)
- White Wine Vinaigrette
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a jar.
- Shake vigourously.
Notes
To Make It Creamy Add:
- Dijon Mustard
- Regular Mustard
- Greek Yogurt
Optional Herbs to Add:
- Minced fresh garlic
- Thyme
- Basil
- Dill
- Parsley
This dressing has a perfect flavor! My husband is not a big salad person, but this morning he was already thinking ahead to lunch and asked me if we still have this dressing. This is a keeper! Thanks
That makes me so happy! I hope you try more of my easy dressing recipes!
We tried this over a cobb salad and it was delicious!
Such an easy dressing and love that I don’t have to rely on the bottled stuff from the store. I can whip this up in seconds.
I’ve always found that the simplest dressing recipes are the best like this one. I love that you also don’t have to store it in the fridge!
This is my favorite summer dressing! It’s so easy to make. I can’t get enough of it!
I’ve never heard of white balsamic vinaigrette before but wow! This turned out great and was so delicious on our salad tonight!
This is great on salad. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
I loved how easy this is to make! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Love white balsamic vinegar, it’s a bit sweeter then regular dark balsamic and has such a cool flavor. This vinaigrette is awesome on salads!
What a tangy and robust recipe! Looking forward to enjoying this on my salad for lunch tomorrow! Yum!
Thank you so much for this easy go-to dressing. I’m sure we’ll be using it all summer long. Pinning!
Made this last night. My word, so tasty. And so many options to add flavor to it!
There are so many great uses for this vinaigrette!
What an easy recipe to follow, personally love homemade dressing!
We tried this dressing on our salads tonight and it was so flavorful! We loved it, thank you!