Are you ready to leave store-bought salad dressings behind?! This quick and easy white balsamic herb vinaigrette salad dressing is perfect for any salad in any season because you can adjust the herbs to what you can find at your local market (or in your garden 😌)!
Salad dressings were one of the first things that got me creative in the kitchen because they are so easy to make in a matter of minutes. I like to call them “gateway recipes,” because once you see how easy it is to create flavorful fresh dressings at home, you’ll start wondering what else you can make from scratch!
This dressing is packed with fresh seasonal herbs and bursting with flavor. Whether you dress up a casual side salad, a big and hearty main salad, or an appetizer salad like this burrata and tomato salad, this dressing will take your salad to the next level. It’s also perfect to use on a pasta salad or even as a marinade for your favorite proteins!
👀 the secret sauce…
✨ the flavor: Fresh, bright, and herbaceous. Full focus is on The Pop in this recipe thanks to a zingy hit of lemon and vinegar. Fresh herbs bring a bright green color that stuns on any salad for The Wow Mom moment!
🎯 the method: A quick chop of your herbs followed by blending everything together in one container means you’ve got fresh dressing in a matter of minutes!
🏆 the win: This flavorful dressing is incredibly versatile! Use it as a dressing, sauce, spread, or marinade. Drizzle on salads and sandwiches, dunk chicken tenders, or marinate meat and tofu!
🛒 ingredients needed
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 step-by-step process for making an herb vinaigrette
Rinse your herbs and destem the herbs that have woody stems, like the oregano. If you aren’t using a high-powered blender, you may need to give your herbs a rough chop. Set them aside for now.
Step 1: Add your lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper into a mixing jar or bowl.
Step 2: Using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor, blend your ingredients until they are thoroughly combined.
Step 3: Slowly drizzle in your olive oil, allowing the mixture to emulsify. This means that the fat molecules from the oil attach to the liquids in the lemon juice vinegar mixture, binding together. Isn’t science fun?!
Step 4: Add the herbs to the liquid mixture, and blend until combined. Your salad dressing will turn a bright green color! Store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- chop herbs before blending – give your herbs a rough chopping to help things blend together well. This is especially helpful if your blender isn’t super high-powered.
- slooooowly stream the oil – Be sure to slowly pour in the olive oil while you are blending the mixture instead of just adding in the oil all at once, then blending. This helps the mix come together without breaking apart later. If you’ve ever seen oil and water separate, you know the look of a separated salad dressing!
🍽️ how to use your homemade herb dressing
- versatile dressing – use this dressing on anything from a simple side salad, like a house salad of iceberg lettuce and shredded carrots, to a main dish salad, like a spring Tuscan kale salad.
- sandwich sauce – I love using salad dressings as sauces or spreads on sandwiches, too! Slather some homemade bread with a generous dollop of this dressing for a burst of flavor, or use it to dress lettuce for your sandwiches, too!
- marinade – a lesser known trick for salad dressings is using them as marinades! The vinegar from this dressing adds a pop of flavor while also helping to tenderize meat like chicken or steak before grilling or baking!
⚖️ scaling tips
You can easily double or triple your vinaigrettes, just make sure you’re using a large enough jar or container for blending!
Start with less oil than you think you’ll need, and add more to get the perfect texture.
🔆 top tip
You can customize this dressing to your liking, changing up the herbs and flavors as you like! Basil, chives, parsley, and oregano play well together, but you can also try to mix in herbs like thyme, sage, and rosemary.
♻️ customize your herbal vinaigrette
- switch out the herbs– If you are missing one of the herbs, try swapping it out for an herb you have on hand, or just leave it out altogether! Thyme or rosemary would also work well in this recipe!
- swap your vinegar – no white balsamic vinegar? No problem! You can use white wine vinegar and champagne vinegar, too. You can even use regular balsamic vinegar, but it will make the mix slightly darker.
- garlicky– Are you a garlic girl? Me too! Add in a few cloves of garlic to take this dressing to the next level.
- creamy – add up to 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt or sour cream for a cool and creamy twist on this dressing.
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 how to store homemade vinaigrette
Your finished simple green herb salad dressing will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can also freeze it for longer-term storage, but because of the high-fat content, it may not freeze completely solid.
💬 q+a
Do I need to use fresh herbs?
For this recipe, yes. The quantity of dried herbs would be completely different because the flavor of dried herbs is much more potent. If you’re interested in a dried herb variation, let me know in the comments below and I’ll help you troubleshoot!
What kinds of herbs can I use in this salad dressing?
While this recipe features a blend of classic Italian-forward flavors with basil, oregano, chives, and parsley, you can use whatever herbs you have on hand. Some herbs that would work nicely together are rosemary and oregano, or parsley and dill.
What is the difference between a vinaigrette and a salad dressing?
A vinaigrette is a type of salad dressing! It is typically described as a salad dressing that has a mix of vinegar, herbs and seasonings, and olive oil.
Sometimes there is another ingredient like mustard or fruit juice, and honey helps to balance out the acidity. A salad dressing that is not considered a vinaigrette would be a creamy mayonnaise, egg, or dairy-based dressing like Caesar, ranch, or blue cheese.
Do I have to use olive oil in this herb vinaigrette recipe?
You can use another oil you have on hand, as long as it is lighter in flavor, like avocado oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil. Olive oil plays nicely with the herbs, but I wouldn’t opt for a stronger finishing olive oil, instead stick to something light in flavor like extra virgin oil.
If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Simple Herb Vinaigrette (with White Balsamic Vinegar)
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Equipment
- 1 measuring or mixing glass
- 1 knife and cutting board optional, for rough chopping herbs
- 1 airtight storage container
Ingredients
- ¼ cup basil 1 package of basil from the market, or about 8 – 10 large whole leaves, stems removed.
- ¼ cup parsley 1/2 a bunch of parsley from the grocery store or market, stems removed (optional)
- ¼ cup chives 1 package of chives from the market
- 2 tbsp oregano 1 package of oregano from the grocery store, woody stems removed.
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar substitute white wine or champagne vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Combine base ingredients. Combine the 3 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of honey, and salt and pepper to taste in a mixing bowl or jar.3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp honey, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
- Blend well. Blend well with an immersion blender.
- Stream in oil. While the mix is blending, slowly stream in 3/4 cup of olive oil.3/4 cup olive oil
- Add herbs. Add in 1 cup of your mixed fresh herbs. If you are not using a high-powered blender, give the herbs a rough chop.1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, 1/4 cup chives, 2 tbsp oregano
- Store. Store your salad dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.
