This maple balsamic dressing lifts any salad. It’s a great combination of sweet and sticky, but with richness and a hint of bite from the vinegar. One of our favourites on regular rotation!
Maple balsamic dressing
Classic vinaigrette is quick and easy, but sometimes it’s nice to dress your salad with something different. This maple balsamic dressing; a twist on a classic is rich & complex, sweet & sticky and completely delicious.
After being made for a day this dressing thickens making a rich dressing that really coats the salad leaves and doesn’t really separate!
See also
- Mediterranean dressing is infused with summery flavours and is perfect to dress a green or tomato salad
- Creamy, with flavours of lemon, maple syrup and nutty sesame makes this tahini lemon dressing irresistible
- Asian dressing is packed with umami flavour from sesame and soy
- Love salad – ring the changes with all my homemade salad dressings recipes
As we don’t have a garden I have to buy my salad. Little bags of mixed leaves can quickly get expensive (and they quickly go off) so I tend to buy whole lettuces that will last a week in the salad drawer.
One great way to ring the changes is with a “wardrobe” of dressings for your salad – I’ve now got enough dressing recipes that we never get bored. I make a bottle at that lasts us about a week, then we move onto the next dressing.
Most homemade dressings will quite happily last on the countertop for a week – ready to use as soon as you want salad.
Why make maple balsamic vinegar dressing
- Delicious dressing with a lovely mix of sweetness, richness and bite of vinegar.
- A delicious twist on a classic.
- Ideal for batching – I usually make a week’s worth at the time as it keeps well, and gets thicker the next day!
- Really easy to make – measure, shake and serve!
- This homemade dressing is UPF free (depending on the mustard) far better for you then store bought!
Maple balsamic vinaigrette ingredients
- Balsamic vinegar – There’s no need for a super expensive vinegar, but you also don’t want the cheapest, which I tend to find to be too thin and too acidic, lacking that delicious balsamic sweetness. Something towards the upper end of the range in a supermarket is perfect.
Choosing a Balsamic Vinegar
Choose something that tastes sweet and complex, that still has some bite, but is not overly sharp, that is slightly viscous and has some body. A good rule of thumb is that when you shake the bottle, it takes 5 seconds of so to run down the inside.For a good dressing,you want the mid to upper end of the Balsamic in a regular supermarket. It is going to cost more than regular vinegar but not so much you wince. About £12 / $15.
- Maple syrup – make sure you use 100% pure maple syrup, and not a blend or flavoured sugar syrup
- Olive oil – a good extra virgin with plenty of flavour, but again there’s no need for an ultra premium oil.
- Dijon mustard – to emulsify the dressing – this will not make the dressing taste of mustard.
- Ground black pepper and salt
How to make maple balsamic dressing – step by step
Before you start, read my step-by-step instructions, with photos, hints and tips so you can make this maple balsamic vinegar salad dressing recipe perfectly every time.
Scroll down for the recipe card with quantities and more tips at the bottom of the page.
Step One – Put all the ingredients together in a jar with a lid that screws on tight. Seal the jar and shake well.
Step Two – The dressing should be dark in colour and well emulsified. Check the flavour and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Step Three – When you are happy with your dressing, you can transfer it to a suitable bottle for serving or storage. I like to use a simple kitchen funnel to do this to avoid a spillage.
Serving suggestion
Enjoy your maple balsamic vinaigrette on all your favourite salads. It is great on simple green leaves or drizzled over fresh tomatoes.
Variations
- Add a little chilli flake for a touch of heat.
Storage
Fridge – Like most dressings (unless you use fresh herbs), this balsamic vinegar salad dressing will keep for several weeks in the fridge, or a week on the counter top.
You just need to remember to let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before you use them as the oil can solidify in the fridge.
Hints and tips
- Choose a jar with a wide neck and a lid that screws on securely to shake the dressing. Use a funnel to transfer to a storage jar or bottle.
- Serve at room temperature. The olive oil will thicken and even start to solidify when chilled.
- If you buy a balsamic vinegar that proves disappointing, add up to a tablespoon of runny honey to compensate.
FAQs
White balsamic vinegar is developed in a sort of industrial pressure cooker to avoid it turning dark in the maturation process, and is milder in flavour. You want the original dark balsamic for this recipe, though.
There are many claims made for balsamic vinegar from lowering cholesterol to antimicrobial effects, though none of them seem to have been demonstrated absolutely (and antimicrobial vinegar in a dressing is not a substitute for washing your salad vegetables properly!).
What you can be sure of is that a simple balsamic vinaigrette such as this recipe is better for you than most commercial salad dressings, which are often either very high in fats and sugar or filled with heavily processed chemical ingredients.
If stored correctly, it will keep safely for at least a week in the fridge.
More salad dressing recipes
- Lemon dressing – light, fresh, Mediterranean flavours
- Greek dressing – herby and zesty
- Italian dressing – robust and full of flavour
- Explore all my favourite salad dressing recipes
Maple Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 120 ml (0.50 cups) olive oil (1)
- 60 ml (0.25 cups) balsamic vinegar (2)
- 4 tsp maple syrup (3)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (4)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- pinch garlic granules
- pinch oregano
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients in a jar. Screw the lid on tight and shake well.120 ml olive oil, 60 ml balsamic vinegar, 4 tsp maple syrup, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, pinch garlic granules, pinch oregano
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. I find that you need to add a pinch more salt before playing with the amounts of oil and vinegar.
- If desired transfer to a dressing bottle using a funnel. When freshly made he dressing will separate so shake before serving. After a day it will dramatically thicken up.
Notes
- Olive oil – a good extra virgin olive oil
- Balsamic vinegar – a mid priced vinegar – a good rule is that when you shake it the vinegar will take about 5 seconds to run down the inside of the bottle
- Maple Syrup – the real thing – not a flavoured syrup
Storage Like most dressings (unless you use fresh herbs), this balsamic vinegar salad dressing will keep for several weeks in the fridge, or a week on the counter top. You just need to remember to let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes before you use them as the oil can solidify in the fridge. Hints and tips
- The dressing will separate when freshly made, but after a day it will dramatically thicken and stay emulsified.
- Choose a jar with a wide neck and a lid that screws on securely to shake the dressing. Use a funnel to transfer to a storage jar or bottle.
- Serve at room temperature. The olive oil will thicken and even start to solidify when chilled.
- If you buy a balsamic vinegar that proves disappointing, add some more maple syrup to compensate
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