Red Wine Vinegar Dressing
Simple and classic, this Red Wine Vinaigrette recipe is tasty and versatile. It’s as easy as measuring your ingredients and giving them a shake. Then you have a homemade red wine vinegar salad dressing with fresh and tangy flavors to use for salads, marinades, and more.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: French
- Primary Cooking Method: No-cook
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
From the classic Cobb Salad to an Italian Antipasto Salad, red wine vinaigrette is one of the most common types of salad dressing. It’s the perfect combination of tangy and sweet that truly enhances pretty much any salad, whether you are going super savory with meats and cheeses on your lettuce, fresh and fruity with strawberries or watermelon over your greens, light and veggie-packed for a simple garden salad.
It may not have quite the popularity of Ranch dressing, but it is still a good staple to know how to whip up. And you can literally whip it up. All it takes is a few ingredients and a jar with a lid.
Red Wine Vinaigrette – A Must-Make Homemade Salad Dressing
Once you have this recipe in your back pocket, the sky is the limit. Here’s why you’ll love it…
- Simple and fresh. First things first, homemade salad dressing just tastes better! You can use the freshest ingredients, and it doesn’t have any preservatives or thickeners that can affect all of the other flavors. And by making it yourself, you can even adjust the seasonings to suit your taste.
- Incredibly versatile. You don’t have to stick to just leafy greens. It’s great on grilled or roasted veggies, submarine sandwiches, or as a marinade for chicken, steak, or shrimp. You can even use it to make other types of salads, like pasta salads, slaws, and even a classic Three Bean Salad.
- Allergy-friendly. When you know the ingredients going in there, you don’t have to worry about sneaky gluten. And it’s naturally free of dairy and eggs!
Recipe Ingredients
You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this tangy and sweet red wine vinegar dressing. Here’s a quick rundown, and just below are some variations and substitutions. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full amounts and detailed instructions.
- Olive oil: The start of any good vinaigrette recipe.
- Red wine vinegar: We’ll go with equal parts of oil and vinegar in this dressing.
- Light brown sugar: Just enough to give it some sweetness to balance that sharp and tangy vinegar. If you find it too sweet, you can cut down a bit, but then you might want to reduce the amount of vinegar so it isn’t too tangy.
- Dijon mustard: This adds a bit of zippy flavor and helps emulsify the oil and vinegar.
- Italian seasoning: Gives it that Mediterranean flair.
- Fresh rosemary: Make sure to mince it small.
- Salt and pepper: Just to taste.
- Prefer it creamy? Swap out half the olive oil for plain Greek yogurt.
- Avoiding refined sugar? Make it with coconut sugar or honey.
- Need it low carb? I like to use Swerve Brown Sugar Substitute.
- Want a different flavor? Use balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, or another flavored vinegar.
- Don’t like rosemary? Try any of your favorite fresh herbs, like parsley, basil, or oregano.
How to Make Red Wine Vinaigrette
It really doesn’t get any easier. Here’s all you have to do…
- Combine the ingredients. Add combine everything in a glass jar with a lid, or in a bowl.
- Mix it up. Cover the jar and shake vigorously until well combined. Or, if you use a bowl, stir with a whisk or blend with an immersion blender.
Proper Storage
For the freshest flavor, you’ll want to use it right away. So if you don’t need it all, you can easily cut the recipe in half. However, in a sealed bottle or jar, you can keep it in the refrigerator for at least a week. Be sure to shake it well before using.
Make it a Meal
Red wine vinaigrette livens up almost any salad. Try it on one of these:
- Grilled Steak Salad with Asparagus and Corn
- Italian-Style Wedge Salad
- Cobb Salad with Lobster
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
But here are some other ideas:
- Make a pasta salad. Pour it on top of cooked and cooled rotini or penne and add chopped veggies, salami, and mozzarella.
- Use it on sandwiches or wraps. Use it to dip Ham and Turkey Lettuce Wraps, or dress on a roast beef sandwich or Italian sub.
- Flavor up veggies. Swap the dressing on this tomato cucumber salad for a fresh summer salad, or drizzle it over grilled asparagus, grilled zucchini, or other grilled or roasted vegetables.
- Use it as a marinade. Marinate steak or chicken before grilling, then grill using the same basic methods as these black and blue steaks or Asian grilled chicken.
More Salad Dressing Recipes
Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar (you can use a bit less or substitute with Swerve brown or honey, if desired)
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary to a jar that has a tight-fitting lid. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, to taste.
- Secure lid and shake vigorously. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Use immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Did you make this?
Leave a star rating to help others know that they should make this recipe.
Share a photo and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram!
This seems like a great base recipe and I always adjust the sweetness to taste anyway, but is it 1/2 a teaspoon or tablespoon on the sugar. Thx (maybe I’m missing it)
It is actually 1/2 cup. Surprisingly with the vinegar, it isn’t as sweet as you’d expect. You could cut it down to 2-4 Tablespoons, but you wold likely want toa adjust the amount of vinegar.