Greek Yogurt Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

5/29/18

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing is just as rich and delicious as what you get in restaurants or from a bottle. But this healthy salad dressing recipe is lightened-up with Greek yogurt and can be made in a couple of minutes with only five ingredients.

This easy gluten-free salad dressing definitely proves that homemade salad dressing can be easy, and it will definitely become a new favorite.

This post was originally published on November 7, 2013. Updated with new photos on May 1, 2017 and video added on May 29, 2018. The little Baby Smiles is now a big boy and The Bug is an even bigger boy!

I was finally getting back on track.  After starting that year with gestational diabetes and fairly painful pregnancy, once Baby Smiles was born, all I wanted to do was sit on my butt and eat all the sweets that I had to give up due to my very strict diet for the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy.  

I had been giving myself all sorts of excuses – Baby Smiles still wasn’t sleeping through the night and I needed my energy; I didn’t have time to exercise because I really really needed to keep up with all of my blog stuff. That sort of thing.

But I started to get back on the bandwagon again. I was getting myself out of bed to exercise a few times a week, or going out for walks when I could. And I was trying to cut down the nighttime sugar binges by shifting my chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie habit to the evening instead of having it midday and then having dessert at night.

And while I was at a healthy weight despite a few post-pregnancy pounds that I still hadn’t dropped, I needed to do this to have more energy, to be healthier inside, and to be a good example for my boys. These simple changes made me less lethargic, more productive, and just generally in a better mood. All good things.

The last habit to get back to was my daily salad habit at lunch. This easy gluten-free yogurt salad dressing was a help…

How to Make Healthy Salad Dressing

The Greek yogurt and just a bit of olive oil give this healthy homemade salad dressing the rich smoothness of those heavier creamy dressings you get in restaurants or in the grocery store. But it has no preservatives or other funky ingredients, and fewer calories. So it’s definitely good for you, especially if it gets you to eat more fresh vegetables!

What is balsamic vinaigrette dressing made of?

You only need five ingredients:

• Plain Greek yogurt
• Dijon mustard
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Honey

Just combine them all, season with salt and pepper, and shake it up. This creamy balsamic dressing will become a kitchen staple.

Enjoy it on a simple side salad, for an entree salad with romaine, shrimp, roasted red peppers, olives and feta, or with mixed baby greens, apples, and blue cheese. You can even drizzle it on an Italian-Style Wedge Salad or to make a glammed up BLT known as the “PAT” or Prosciutto, Arugula and Tomato Sandwich.

You know what will also become a kitchen staple? This salad dressing shaker! It’s one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. I make a batch of homemade salad dressing at least once a week.

Wait, but is there egg in balsamic vinaigrette?

A basic balsamic vinaigrette is made with oil, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings, so there is no egg in it. However, to make a creamy balsamic dressing, many recipes do contain an egg or egg yolk. This can be a concern for people with an egg allergy or who are concerned about eating raw eggs due to salmonella. So this recipe uses Greek yogurt for that creamy texture instead of egg. Therefore, it does not contain any eggs.

Do you have to refrigerate balsamic vinaigrette dressing?

Because this recipe contains dairy, you do have to store it in the refrigerator. So while you can whisk it together in a bowl, I recommend using the shaker I mentioned or a mason jar. Shake up that dressing and keep it in the fridge to use for several days.

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What else can you make with balsamic vinegar?

• Honey Balsamic Marinated Grilled Flat Iron Steak
• Balsamic Roasted Mixed Veggies
• Balsamic Ketchup
• Grilled Balsamic Strawberries

Looking for some more healthy homemade salad dressing recipes?

• Pantry Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip or Dressing is made from ingredients you probably always have on hand.
• Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing or Dip is a healthier way to enjoy this cheesy favorite.
• Creamy Greek Yogurt Maple Dijon Dressing is deliciously sweet and tangy.
• Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing adds the natural sweetness of figs for a fruity twist.
• Maybe you want a cheesier option. Try Creamy Parmesan Salad Dressing from Noble Pig.
• And summertime salads would be delicious with Creamy Poppy Seed Salad Dressing from Spend with Pennies.

Greek Yogurt Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe

Shake it up in seconds and get ready to pour this healthy salad dressing over all your favorite salads. It even makes a delicious dip for veggies. It’s rich and creamy, with the tangy sweetness of balsamic vinegar, making it the perfect complement for Mediterranean salads, salad with fruit, or a simple spinach salad. I hope you’ll leave a comment and give it a FIVE STAR rating and share a photo on this pin on Pinterest!

Print Recipe

4.88 from 8 votes

Creamy Greek Yogurt Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Just five ingredients and a few seconds to have a tasty and creamy homemade salad dressing to drizzle over your favorite greens.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time0 mins

Course: Dressing

Keyword: balsamic vinaigrette dressing, creamy balsamic viniagrette, healthy salad dressing

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 57

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar and shake or whisk until combined and smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 57kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 8mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Original Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette photos: