Salads are an excellent way to eat those veggies, but sometimes people forget how to jazz those veggies up! One way to jazz up salads is with a fantastic homemade salad dressing such as a fantastic balsamic vinaigrette recipe.
I promise salads don’t have to be boring! This dressing alongside some leafy greens, a bit of crunch, and some protein, will become a salad worth making again and again.
So, let’s make a salad dressing! In this article, I’ll guide you through the ingredients and steps of making this amazing salad dressing. I’ll also talk about why a homemade salad dressing can make a mediocre salad stand out as a five-star recipe.
Why I Love This Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette
Versatile: In my variation of a Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette, I use ingredients like Olive oil and Dijon Mustard. However, one could use a bit of mayo to provide a creamier salad dressing or use avocado oil for a more neutral flavor. Swap the Maple syrup for honey, or omit the sweet component entirely. You could even swap the fresh basil for dried, or add a bit of minced fresh garlic, the possibilities are seemingly endless.
Quick/Easy: This recipe is ready in a matter of minutes, including the recipe prep time! Moreover, all you need is a mason jar to shake up the ingredients!
The Ingredients in Balsamic Basil Dressing
Balsamic Vinegar: Feel free to get extra fancy with a flavored or sweet balsamic vinegar like Fig or Cherry!
Fresh Basil Leaves – dried basil works too, it’s just not as good as fresh
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – or other super flavorful olive oil
Dijon Mustard
Maple Syrup
Salt & Pepper
Yup, this dressing is 100% plant-based.
How to make this Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette: The Jar Method
My favorite method in making salad dressings, grain bowl sauces, and vinaigrettes is by using the jar method.
For the jar method, throw everything in that jar, pop a SECURE lid on it, and shake! Pour the sauce directly from the jar onto your salad. Then, when finished, store the leftover dressing for later use!
It’s that simple and easy!
Option to use an immersion blender or a whisk and a bowl.
How to Pair This Dressing
Because there is fresh basil in here, I recommend using this dressing within 2-3 days.
Some suggestions for the use of this dressing.
A dressing for salads
A sauce in grain bowls
Spooned over grilled meat, fish, or tofu
Drizzled over a bowl of cottage cheese
Sharper Nutrition Fix: Why is Salad dressing so important?!
One way to jazz up a salad is with a bangin’ salad dressing. I don’t know about you, but with salad, I dislike most store-bought bottled dressings. I think they are okay as a marinade or even a dipping sauce for pizza (aka ranch), but I just don’t like them with my salads and grain bowls!
This is why I love to make all sorts of salad dressings to bring variety, flavor, and excitement to my salads. Whether it’s blended in a food processor like my Creamy Vegan Apple Walnut Dressing, or a more simple approach, shaken up in a jar like this Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette, I’m always whipping something up. Trust me, making your dressing is key to a satisfying salad with loads of flavor.
5 reasons Why a Salad Dressing improves salads (& your diet)
A dressing enhances flavors.
A flavorful dressing can add depth and complexity to a salad. The dressing can provide a balance of sweet, salty, sour, tangy, and savory flavors.
It binds ingredients with moisture.
Salad dressings help bind and moisten the ingredients of the salad, thus making them more enjoyable to eat. The dressing coats each ingredient with flavor.
They are Nutritious.
Salad dressings can be made with olive oil, avocado oil, nuts & seeds, citrus juice, zest, vinegar (like apple cider vinegar), herbs, and spices. All of those ingredients bring nutritional value to the salad. They can provide healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds.
The dressing brings versatility to your diet.
Different dressings can completely change the flavor of a salad. A big bowl of spinach, shredded carrots, and sunflower seeds can be vibrant and tart with a lemon vinaigrette, or creamy and savory with a Creamy Cashew Caesar Dressing.
Last, those dressings encourage healthy eating!
That delicious dressing is covering other nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and proteins. Eating salads regularly can help increase your overall consumption of healthy foods that are not processed and loaded with nutrition. By having numerous salad dressings in your recipe queue, you can stay excited and enthusiastic about the salads you prepare and eat!
Salad Dressings are Love
I love salad dressings so much that I keep adding more and more recipes to The Addy Bean. They are an easy way to make a salad exciting! Below are some other excellent salad dressing recipes.
This Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette has 5 main ingredients and is easy to throw together. This Vinaigrette is tangy, herby, and slightly sweet making it a wonderful dressing for a salad or grain bowl.
Screw on the lid of the jar and shake. If using a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together.
Taste
Taste and adjust the flavors as needed. I.e. add more salt, pepper, honey etc.
Notes
Typically, guidelines for classic vinaigrette are 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. However, my personal preference is for more acidity, tartness, and bite!I prefer a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar or citrus.
This Creamy and Vegan Apple Walnut Dressing can be used as a salad dressing for salad recipes, a protein marinade, or even as a dip for crackers and veggies. Recently, I paired it with my Kale Apple Walnut Salad.
The inspiration for this dressing came from my desire to pair apples in a salad for Thanksgiving and a continuing education event from fall, 2022 through the Culinary Nutrition Collaborative. Kristy Del Coro’s Apple Cider Walnut Vinaigrette was so good, that it inspired me to create a similar dressing to pair with my Kale Apple Walnut Salad.
Below you will find more information about the ingredients, how I make this dressing, how to use this dressing beyond just salads, and some nutrition information about Apple Cider Vinegar, a key ingredient in this dressing.
The Ingredients in Creamy Vegan Apple Walnut Dressing
Walnuts: This is how I keep this dressing creamy yet mayo-free! Blending nuts into a salad dressing is a delightful way to create a creamy and 100% plant-based dressing.
Don’t have Walnuts or a blender to turn freshly roasted Walnuts into a creamy dressing? No problem, you can use tahini or creamy almond butter instead. You will love either of these alternatives for your massaged kale recipes.
Walnut oil: Walnut oil has a distinctively nutty flavor. Walnut oil is extracted from walnut meats and can be rather pricey. Therefore, you can use a neutral-tasting oil instead, such as avocado or canola. However, Walnut oil is a great way to keep that Walnut flavor and keep the “healthy Walnut fat” theme for this dressing.
Apple Cider: You could use apple juice or apple cider in this dressing. This apple addition gives the dressing a lovely flavor and some subtle sweetness.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV): ACV This pairs so well with the apple cider and gives the dressing a lovely tang. Plus, ACV has health benefits. Two health benefits include improved cholesterol levels and blood sugar management.
Maple Syrup: You can omit this ingredient or swap it for some local honey (note, honey is not vegan). I like to use it to add a touch more sweetness and flavor complexity to the dressing.
Other Seasonings: Other flavors I include are red pepper flakes, cracked black pepper, and kosher salt.
How to Make this Creamy and Vegan Apple Walnut Dressing
Most salad dressings are super simple to make. This dressing is no exception all you need is a blender.
First, add all your ingredients to your blender.
Next, blend the ingredients until everything is evenly incorporated.
Last, give your dressing a taste and adjust flavors as needed. (i.e. add more sweetness, salt, pepper, etc.)
How to use this Creamy Vegan Apple Walnut Dressing
This dressing is so good that I do not want you to limit it to the suggestions I have listed below. If you have other uses for this dressing I would love to hear about them in the comments!
Salad: This dressing is featured in another recipe listed on The Addy Bean, in my Apple Walnut Salad. Some other salad ideas include a cabbage and kale apple slaw, butternut squash salad, spinach, walnuts, hard-boiled eggs, and red onion salad (not vegan).
Dip: This creamy dressing is so thick that it makes for a great dip. Try creating a board with roasted walnuts, sliced apples, celery, carrots, and some crackers, then feature this dip as an accompaniment. Some non-vegan options for your board include prosciutto and cheese.
Another idea for dippers includes roasted potatoes and root vegetables.
Spread: This Apple Walnut Dressing is marvelous as a spread for sandwiches and wraps. Perhaps, try the combination of deli-sliced tofurkey, thinly sliced apples, spinach, and red onion. For a non-vegan alternative, try swapping the tofurkey for roast turkey.
Additionally, this spread wrapped up in a tortilla complimented with massaged kale, beans, and whatever veggies you have lying around the house makes for a delightful veggie wrap.
Marinade/Sauce: I have used this dressing in marinade for tempeh. Other non-vegan marinade options include an apple walnut marinade for roasted chicken or a sauce slathered over some salmon before baking. Another sauce idea is over-roasted pork.
Sharper Nutrition Fix: Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
ACV is made from fermented apple cider and has a sweet apple flavor.
Origins: Apples originated in central Asia and were brought to the Americas by colonists. ACV is made from apples, also used to make apple juice, apple sauce, and cider. It quickly became popular among early American settlers. This is because the fermented ACV could be used year-round as a natural medicine, condiment, and cleaning solution. The word Vinegar comes from the Latin word for “sour wine”.
How to Use: ACV can be incorporated in salad dressings, marinades, sauces, pickling, and even beverages!
ACV in beverages?! Yes, ever heard of drinking vinegar? Drinking vinegar is also known as a shrub and we have been drinking shrubs for centuries. You can add a few tablespoons to water or sparkling water.
Nutrition: As mentioned earlier, research has shown ACV aids in improving cholesterol levels and in blood sugar management. ACV also contains some Vitamin B complex and Vitamin C. Unpasteurized AVC with a loving mother in the bottle includes thriving probiotics that can aid in gut health.
This Creamy Vegan Apple Walnut Dressing has apple cider, apple cider vinegar, walnut oil, and walnuts to a sweet and creamy dressing that is perfect for those autumn and winter time salads.
You will love the variety of flavors in this Greens and Ancient Grain Bowl. In this recipe, we have yummy kale, cucumber, and a green cashew sauce served over your favorite ancient grain such as quinoa, or farro, topped with your protein of choice such as Easy Baked Tofu, beans, or baked tempeh. This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and totally delicious.
Why I Made This Recipe
I love to make grain bowls. So I frequently make a variety of grain bowls. It is so easy to whip up a big batch of farro, kamut, rice, or quinoa and save it for easy meals throughout the week.
Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Assemble the greens and ancient grains bowl. In a large bowl combine the mixed greens and grains. Add in the remaining ingredients.
Dress the grain bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the grain bowl. Toss until the ingredients are gently coated.
Serve and Enjoy! You can garnish the bowls with toasted nuts, seeds, crunchy lentils, herbs, or freshly squeezed citrus!
Feel free to customize this recipe based on your taste preferences, what ingredients are in season, or what you have on hand. Be inspired!
Other Variations of This Recipe
You can personalize this recipe to your liking. Below are some examples of how you could change up this recipe.
Change up the grain! You can use a mixture of brown rice with an ancient grain like quinoa or kamut.
Pick your Veg. Include sweet potatoes, olives, or keep the vegan protein but swap it for tempeh or beans.
Change the dressing. Swap the cilantro cashew dressing for a Miso Soy Sauce Dressing or cilantro olive oil pesto.
FAQ (Ask a Dietitian!)
What is an ancient grain bowl?
An ancient grain bowl is a dish that features a combination of ancient grains such as quinoa, kamut, or farro, veggies, and often a protein source. The grain bowl is usually topped with a dressing or vinaigrette.
Which ancient grain is best for you?
The best ancient grain for you depends on your individual dietary needs, food preferences, and health goals. Each ancient grain has its own unique nutritional profile. Ancient grains like Quinoa, Farro, Bulgur, Barley, Amaranth, Freekeh, Millet, and Teff all have their own benefits, and may be an excellent addition to a healthy diet.
What is the best-tasting ancient grain?
Taste preference depends from person to person and is widely subjective. Some ancient grains have distinct flavors and textures that some people might find more appealing based on their unique food preferences.
