Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing

Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing requires just 5 ingredients, and can be made in minutes. Delicious on all types of salads or as a marinade!

Homemade salad dressing is almost always in my refrigerator. Not because I am snooty about store-bought dressings (though maybe a little?), but because making your own salad dressings is so easy to do. I can easily whip up a delicious vinaigrette on a moment's notice—and one without the preservatives and hard-to-pronounce ingredients you find in most store-bought dressings. I have a few go-to recipes, and this Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing recipe is one of my favorites.

Jump to:

• Why Make This Recipe
• 🥗 Ingredients
• 🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
• 🧐 Recipe FAQs
• 👩‍🍳 Expert Tips
• What should I serve with this Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing?
• Other Delicious Salad Dressings
• 📖 Recipe
• More About Molly

Why Make This Recipe

• Perfect for fall: This dressing pairs beautifully with salads packed with apples, pears, or fall vegetables.
• So easy: Just 5 ingredients whisked together, then seasoned with salt and pepper. You can make this in 5 minutes!
• Apple cider vinegar is good for you!: Like other fermented foods, apple cider vinegar includes healthy bacteria (probiotics) that help promote gut health and build a healthy immune system.

🥗 Ingredients

• Olive Oil: Since olive oil is a big part of this recipe, it's great to use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil if you have it. If not, feel free to substitute another oil like grapeseed oil or walnut oil.
• Maple Syrup: You can substitute honey or even a teaspoon of granulated sugar for the maple syrup.
• Shallot: I love the mild kick of the chopped shallot in this dressing, but you can leave it out entirely or replace it with a tablespoon of a chopped mild onion like a Vidalia or a white onion.

🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions

For this recipe, whisk together 1 T. chopped shallots, 2 T. cider vinegar, 1 t. dijon mustard, and 1 t. maple syrup in a small bowl. The dijon mustard adds flavor but also helps emulsify the vinegar and oil together.

Once those are combined, drizzle the 6 T. olive oil slowly into the bowl while whisking. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and whisk again.

Now dressing is ready to serve, though it will separate quite quickly as it sits. Just whisk again right before serving. 

🧐 Recipe FAQs

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

Making salad dressing is very easy—the key is to first whisk together all ingredients except for the oil. Then, slowly whisk in the oil. This gives you the best chance for an emulsified dressing.

Quick note on making your perfect vinaigrette. The classic ratio for a vinaigrette is 1 part vinegar (or lemon/lime juice) to 3 parts oil. But some people prefer anywhere from a 1:2 to a 1:5 ratio, in part depending on taste, and in part depending on the rest of the ingredients in the dressing and salad itself. So when you add the oil in this apple cider vinaigrette, taste as you go. That way you can control exactly how tart the dressing is. You might prefer yours silky rather than sharp. Or you might find that one or the other is a better fit for the salad you are making that day.

What should I serve with this Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing?

This dressing goes with all sorts of salads. Try it with a fall salad with apples or pears, walnuts, and blue cheese. Use it with this Hearts of Palm Salad with Avocado or this Arugula Salad with Apples and Quinoa. Or an arugula salad with roasted butternut squash. It’s also delicious when tossed with cooked quinoa, farro, or barley along with roasted vegetables.

This dressing also goes wonderfully with crunchy salads like this Cucumber Carrot Salad.

Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing also makes a great marinade for fish and chicken. Grill them along with bell peppers, and drizzle remaining vinaigrette on top to serve. This dressing is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian, so it's a great recipe for almost any diet.

Other Delicious Salad Dressings

If you're looking for other great salad dressings, I've got some great ones here! Don't miss these:

If you try this Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below—I read them all, and your feedback is invaluable to me.

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Instagram Users: Now that you've made this recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I'd love to see your results!