Homemade Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

This simple Homemade Maple Dijon Vinaigrette is the best dressing recipe made with basic pantry staples. It's one of the most versatile dressings and it takes less than 5 minutes to whip up without a sweat.

I rarely go back to store-bought dressings when I have a batch of this maple dijon vinaigrette available throughout the week. Why go out of your way to spend money, when it's easier, healthier, and tastier than most store-bought dressings. Also, it keeps me dedicated and looking more forward to eating fresh greens everyday.

The secret to a delicious salad is a tasteful dressing. Aside from various types of salads, maple dijon vinaigrette rocks the flavors in sandwiches and roasted vegetables too.

Warm salads or salads tossed with dried fruits are quite popular during the Fall. The sweet, tangy, and savory flavors of maple dijon vinaigrette pair well with all kinds of greens during the harvest seasons.

If you are making this maple dijon vinaigrette during the Fall season, then check out this Fall Harvest Salad recipe.

Vinaigrette Ingredients

It only takes 7 basic pantry ingredients to change the game on your salad intake.

• Dijon Mustard - The one used for this recipe is from Trader Joe's. But go for your preferred brand.
• Maple Syrup - High quality maple syrup makes a difference. Always check the label to be sure that you are getting a single-ingredient real maple syrup. The general rule of thumb is the darker the maple syrup, the stronger the taste and the deeper the flavors. Lighter (and sweeter) maple syrups are usually marked as Grade A while darker varieties are Grade B.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - Always try to stick with an organic apple cider vinegar.
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - As long as it is organic and cold pressed.
• Garlic Powder
• Salt
• Pepper

How to make Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

This Maple Dijon Vinaigrette is no exception. It takes about 5 minutes max to create. Make a big batch and store it in the fridge for later use.

Simply place all ingredients into a personal blender and combine until you get a creamy dressing.

Equipment

• Personal Blender

If you don't have a blender, then find a mason jar (with a tight-fitting lid!). Close the lid tightly and shake vigorously for a minute. Or you can bust out that good ol' whisk! Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk till it's completely emulsified.

Substitution

• Dijon Mustard - If you want to experiment, then you can swap for grainy mustard at the most.
• Apple Cider Vinegar - Don't hesitate to use red wine or white wine vinegar instead. Balsamic will be okay too, but it will alter the the flavor profile.
• Maple Syrup - Another plant-based option is agave syrup.

Honey vs. Maple Syrup

Honey Dijon dressing is also one of the most popular salad dressings for the Fall season because there is just something warm and cozy with the way the flavors come together. But before you wonder if you can substitute maple syrup with honey, let's first compare the 2...

• Diet Tye: Maple Syrup is plant-based, while honey is not.
• Flavor: It's true that the two are incomparable in terms of flavor: while both honey and maple syrup have complex flavors, the former has more floral tones and the latter is closer to caramel with smoky, woody profiles.
• Nutrition: Honey and maple syrup have about the same Glycemic Index with the maple syrup being slightly lower (honey's GI is 58 and maple syrup is 54). However, maple syrup is more minerally dense, boasting 95 grams of manganese, 7 grams of magnesium, 6 grams of zinc for every 8 grams and that's just for starters. Maple syrup also has fewer calories.

How to store

Use an airtight container (mason jar) and store inside a refrigerator. Dressing will last for a good 2 weeks.

How to use Maple Dijon Vinaigrette?

Here are a few of many examples you can drizzle Maple Dijon Vinaigrette on to and rock your world:

• Roasted Veggies (Brussel Sprouts are a hit with this dressing)
• Pasta Salads
• Kale, Arugula, Spring Mixed Salads
• Cobb Salads
• Classic Cole Slaw (My fave!)
• Sandwiches

Recipes that can use Maple Dijon Vinaigrette:

• Warm Balsamic Kale Salad
• Fall Harvest Salad
• Roasted Beets and Fennel Salad
• Roasted Vegetables