Vinaigrettes belong in all our recipe arsenals. Our Apple Cider Vinaigrette recipe is ideal for salads, vegetables and even as a marinade.
This is one of those recipes where you knock yourself on the head and say, “Why on earth haven’t I been making this before?!” It’s easy, versatile and inexpensive to boot.
By making your own homemade salad dressings, you eliminate the thousands of salad dressing bottles that sit in your refrigerator door just waiting to expire and be tossed. With this apple cider vinaigrette recipe you can make a large quantity and keep it for several weeks or just make the exact amount you need. It’s really that easy.
We all need several versions of salad dressings, my most basic and used the most often is our apple cider vinaigrette recipe. Quick, easy and so versatile.
Vinaigrettes come in all fashions, from the down home apple cider version to classic white wine vinegar to the popular balsamic vinaigrette. For this recipe we use apple cider vinegar, but use your favorite vinegar, they all have their own special flavor.
Apple cider vinegar will give a bit more bite than a rice vinegar or a white wine vinegar base. Personally that’s what I like about it, but if you want a milder flavor then opt for the others.
How To Make Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe
Just dice the shallots, add all ingredients to a lidded jar or cruet and shake away!
If you don’t have a lidded jar you can mix the shallots, mustard, water, salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar in a large bowl, whisk vigorously. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil while whisking.
How Long Does Apple Cider Vinaigrette Last?
The Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe will last a few weeks in the refrigerator. Because of the shallots you can’t leave out at room temperature.
So it’s a great recipe to make on the weekend and use throughout the week.
What Can I Use Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe For?
Of course a green salad is obvious. The vinaigrette is great over cooked vegetables or for a meat marinade. Beef, pork or chicken all will get enhanced with the dressing.
Ingredient Substitutions
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – you can use any mild oil like canola. I like the flavor of olive oil and also the nutritional value it brings.
Shallots – that’s optional. I love the mild onion flavor shallots add but completely optional. You can add another kind of onion but it will be more pungent in flavor.
Dijon mustard – It’s the emulsifier for your apple cider vinaigrette recipe. Without the Dijon mustard the oil and vinegar will keep separating. Even with the mustard you’ll have to shake the bottle each time you use the vinaigrette, but it stays together a lot better than without mustard.
If you’re not a mustard fan, then use honey. Honey will act as an emulsifier as well and will add a sweetness to the vinaigrette. Don’t add the sugar called for in the apple cider vinaigrette recipe if using honey.
Honey is great, but it works best as an addition for sweetness with another emulsifier like Dijon mustard or mayonnaise rather than as the only surfactant.
Sugar – again, optional. Sugar adds just a hint of sweetness and cuts the tartness of the vinegar.
Help, The Oil & Vinegar Keep Separating!
If you aren’t getting a beautiful golden color that looks creamy then you may need additional emulsifier. But added Dijon may make the apple cider vinaigrette too mustardy (is that a word?).
Add a teaspoon or two of mayonnaise. The mayo is milder in flavor than the mustard and won’t overpower the dressing.
Make Ahead Tips
Make the whole apple cider vinaigrette recipe up to three weeks ahead………. that’s probably one of the best “make-ahead” tips you’ve gotten in a long time!
The Magic Ratio For Vinaigrettes
OK, the classic ratio for vinaigrettes is 3 parts oil to 1 part acid (typically vinegar). I like a little stronger zing to my dressing so you’ll see the ratio is closer to 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, it’s also nicer to the waistline.
Testing To See If Your Vinaigrette Recipe Is Just Right
Dipping a spoon and tasting the vinaigrette is hard to determine the flavor. The best thing to do is take one of your cleaned pieces of lettuce, dunk it in and taste away.
You May Also Like These Other Salad Dressings:
Caesar Salad Recipe Without Egg
Caesar Salad Dressing Without Anchovies
Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe
This homemade apple cider vinaigrette is part of our Basics series. It's a good,easy salad dressing that can also be used on vegetables and as a marinade
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspooon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 2 pinches sugar optional
- 3 Tablespoons shallots chopped
Instructions
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Chop the shallots finely. Add all ingredients to a lidded jar or cruet and shake away.
Once the liquid comes together and you have a nice golden color the dressing is ready!
Recipe Notes
If you want to use a bowl instead of a jar, add all ingredients except the olive oil. Whisk. Then slowly add the olive oil while you whisk. If you add the oil too quickly the dressing will not emulsify or it will take a lot longer.
The jar makes sense because then you can just pop it in the refrigerator to store
Ingredient substitutions are in the post above. Keep in mind that you can use whatever vinegar is your favorite and the olive oil can be substituted with any neutral flavored oil.
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