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This honey French dressing recipe is an inspired take on a classic American steakhouse salad dressing that normally includes ketchup as an ingredient. While I am a fan of dipping fries in ketchup, I don’t use it a ton as an ingredient; instead, I opt for the richer taste of tomato paste in this recipe. Fresh shallot and honey add to the bold flavor, which complements a range of salads, from appetizers to main dishes!

A small jar is filled with honey French dressing with honey and shallot to the side of the jar and a side salad in the background.

The key to a good homemade salad dressing is blending it well. While most people will use a whisk and call it a day, I prefer the true emulsion you get from using an immersion blender. The high-speed blades mix everything well to ensure that they stay mixed together, even when refrigerated! Plus, homemade salad dressings are pretty much the gateway recipes to cooking from scratch at home. 😏

I’ve been making my own since way before I went to culinary school, and they’re so easy to make that I continue to mix them up weekly. This dressing goes perfectly with a crispy chicken Cobb salad, but it works beautifully on a simple side salad, too! If you’re looking for more vinaigrette style dressings, check out my balsamic herb vinaigrette or my lemon pepper vinaigrette!

why this revamped french dressing recipe works:

🍅 updated classic. Ketchup is swapped for richer and more robust tomato paste, which deepens the flavor of this dressing!

🍯 bold & balanced. Ingredients like bold tomato paste and dijon mustard mingle with sweet and delicate honey to being a balanced taste to this classic salad dressing.

🤌 easy & effortless. In a matter of minutes, you can have a week’s worth of salad dressing prepped for meals or a dinner party! Scratch made food doesn’t get easier than that!

🛒 ingredients

A labeled ingredient shot shows the ingredients used to make a honey French salad dressing.
  • fresh shallot – shallots are basically like the lovechild of garlic and onions, with a more delicate flavor than both on their own. You’ll need about one half of a small shallot for a batch of this dressing.
  • honey – honey brings a depth of flavor while adding some sweetness to this dressing, which helps to cut the acidity of the tomato paste and sharp flavor of the mustard. Choose a mild honey-like clover for the best taste.
  • tomato paste – many other French dressing recipes out there use ketchup, but I find that using pure tomato paste is the best way to get a concentrated punch of flavor without adding a bunch of other unwanted ingredients.
  • dijon mustard – choose a high-quality dijon mustard, the way the French really do! The mustard contains a bit of vinegar as well, which helps add sharpness and tanginess to the dressing.
  • red wine vinegar – this vinegar helps to add a bit of zing to the dressing, which brightens the flavor.
  • olive oil – I like to use a good quality oil, but it doesn’t need to be extra virgin olive oil. A blended olive oil will be milder in taste, which allows the other ingredients to shine.
  • salt & pepper – always necessary for seasoning! Choose high-quality kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
  • water – a lesser-known ingredient in many salad dressings is water! It helps to thin out the dressing while also balancing out all the intense flavors of the other ingredients.

See the recipe card for the exact quantities.

🍳 instructions

Chopping shallot for a salad dressing.

1: Peel and roughly chop your shallot.

Adding honey to ingredients used to make a honey shallot salad dressing.

2: Combine all ingredients but the oil.

Blending ingredients for a honey shallot salad dressing.

3: Blend well until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Slowly streaming in olive oil for a honey shallot salad dressing.

4: Slowly stream in the olive oil.

Pouring a finished honey French shallot dressing into a storage container.

5: Store your finished dressing in an airtight storage container.

A hand from out of frame is drizzling a honey shallot salad dressing onto a freshly made side salad.

6: Use your dressing on salads, or as a marinade for meats!

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💡tips & tricks for getting it right

🍽️ serving tips

  • Cobb salads –  I like to make Cobb salads at home with turkey or chicken, and you can even use your favorite brand of store-bought chicken tenders for ultimate ease!
  • simple side salads – this dressing even elevates classic greens like spinach, romaine, or iceberg lettuce. Add in some grated carrots and sliced tomatoes and you’ve got a great side salad for any meal!
  • marinade – one of my favorite “hacks” for homemade salad dressings is using them as marinades for the protein of your choice.

ℹ️ troubleshooting tips

  • too acidic – if your dressing is too tart or acidic, you can add more honey or salt to help balance things out.
  • too thick – this dressing is on the thicker side, especially compared to a classic vinaigrette. If it’s too thick to squeeze or pour out of a bottle, you can blend in more water to thin things out.

🔆 top tip

Store your dressing in a squeeze bottle for easy portioning throughout the week, and opt for a glass bottle or jar with a spoon if you’re serving it at a dinner party.

♻️ customize your French dressing

Missing an ingredient? No problem. Check out these tried-and-true substitutions, or comment below with your question. I’m here to help you troubleshoot!

  • oil of choice – you can substitute any other neutral oil, like avocado oil, canola oil, or sunflower seed oil.
  • ketchup – no tomato paste on hand? Okay, you can use ketchup if you must. You may find you need a bit more ketchup since it’s not as bold in flavor as tomato paste.

🧰 equipment needed & storage tips

  • immersion blender – my immersion blender is probably my most used kitchen appliance. I use it multiple times a week for making salad dressings and sauces!
  • mixing jar – a clear glass blending jar helps make sure everything is going smoothly!
  • storage container – even though I photograph my dressings in fancy glass containers, I prefer to store them in squeeze bottles from OXO for perfect portioning!
  • kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons – I love cooking with my kitchen scale because I can measure everything right into the mixing bowl which = less cleanup! If you don’t have a scale (WHY don’t you have a scale?!?!) you can use measuring cups and spoons.

🫙 how to store your homemade dressing

Store your finished dressing in the fridge for up to 14 days. You can also portion and freeze for longer-term storage!

If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
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A small jar is filled with honey French dressing with honey and shallot to the side of the jar and a side salad in the background.

Honey French Dressing (Easy Shallot Salad Dressing)

This honey French dressing recipe is an inspired take on a classic American steakhouse salad dressing. The rich taste of tomato paste complements fresh shallot and honey. A zingy dijon mustard adds to the bold flavor, which complements a range of salads, from appetizers to main dishes!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Condiment, Dressing
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: salad dressing, shallot, tomato
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 12 ounces
Calories: 91kcal
Author: Lindsey Neumayer

Equipment

  • 1 immersion blender
  • 1 kitchen scale or measuring cups & spoons
  • 1 knife & cutting board
  • 1 airtight storage container

Ingredients

  • 25 g tomato paste 1.5 TBSP
  • 14 g shallot from one small shallot, 1 heaping TBSP, chopped
  • 55 g honey 2.5 TBSP
  • 30 g red wine vinegar 1 ounce
  • 10 g dijon mustard 1.5 tsp
  • 100 g olive oil 4 ounces, or 1/2 cup
  • 2 g salt 1/2 tsp
  • fresh ground pepper pinch
  • 57 g water 2 ounces

Instructions

  • Prep shallot. Peel and roughly chop your shallot.
  • Combine everything but the oil. Combine shallot, tomato paste, honey, mustard, red vine vinegar, salt, pepper, and water in a blending cup.
  • Blend. Blend well until all ingredients are combined.
  • Stream in oil. Slowly stream in olive oil to emulsify the ingredients. The mixture will thicken as it mixes. If it’s too thick, add more water until it is the desired consistency.
  • Store. Store your finished dressing in an airtight storage container for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

For the best taste, allow the dressing to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
The dressing will become thicker as it chills in the fridge. Set it out for 15 – 30 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature for easier pouring. You can also run the container under hot water to warm it up quicker.

Substitutions & Variations

  • oil of choice – you can substitute any other neutral oil, like avocado oil, canola oil, or sunflower seed oil.
  • ketchup – no tomato paste on hand? Okay, you can use ketchup if you must. You may find you need a bit more ketchup since it’s not as bold in flavor as tomato paste.

Nutrition Information

Servings: 12 ounces
Calories: 91mg
Total Fat: 91mg
Saturated Fat: 91mg
Trans Fat: 91mg
Cholesterol: 91mg
Sodium: 91mg
Carbohydrates: 91mg
Fiber: 91mg
Sugar: 91mg
Protein: 91mg

The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.

Lindsey Neumayer is a culinary content creator at A Recipe For Fun based in Central Florida. She is a classically trained baking and pastry student from Valencia College who also has over 14 years of experience in the fields of education, training, & development. She uses her expertise in education and the culinary arts to share easy-to-follow recipes that you can recreate with confidence at home!

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