Jan

Honey Balsamic Salad Dressing

I took a roast pumpkin and feta salad dressed with a honey balsamic dressing to our family Christmas lunch. The dressing is probably one of the best that I’ve made (even if I do say so myself), and it got a lot of compliments.

As I’m not a fan of salads, so I take my salad making pretty seriously as I want to ensure that I actually enjoy it. A good dressing is vital to making a good salad.

I’ve tried to give quantities here, but making a salad dressing isn’t an exact science, so taste it and adjust it to how you like it. Years ago someone gave me the secret to making a great salad dressing: it takes a rich man to add the oil, a miser to add the vinegar, a wise man to season it, and a mad man to shake it. That’s the way to make a dressing – no need to measure: more oil, less vinegar or acid, season to taste and mix well!

Ingredients

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1-2 tsp honey

3-6 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/8 – 1/4 cup of good olive oil

Method

Mix the honey and Dijon in a jar until combined. Stir in the vinegar combining well. Add the oil and give it a good shake until well combined (or whisk it all in a bowl). Taste and adjust to suit.
You may want to make it slightly more acidic than seems right as the flavour will be balanced out by the other ingredients in the salad.
Dress your salad just before serving, otherwise it will go soggy sitting in dressing for ages.
Go light on the dressing – don’t drown your salad, you still want to taste the rest of the ingredients. Taste and add more as appropriate. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out if you over do it.

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5 Responses to “Honey Balsamic Salad Dressing”

Kaye B Says:
January 11th, 2010 at 8:13 am

Hello Melissa,

We also make a honey balsamic dressing here. It is the only dressing my youngest daughter likes with her “greens” If we have home-made pizza or quiche we also drizzle a little dressing on it as well! I also add whole-grain mustard instead of dijon and a sprinkle of herbs to the dressing. Do you keep yours in a jar in the fridge or at room temp.? I find the oil will solidify at fridge temp but a good shake usually mixes it well enough as long as I let it stand half hour before use.

Kind regards,
Kaye
Melissa Says:
January 11th, 2010 at 9:05 am

Hi Kaye,
This is the first time I’ve made dressing with honey, it just hit me to add honey – not exactly an original idea, but it was new to me. I like the idea of drizzling it over pizza – yum.
I put our dressing in the fridge and it went kind of hard – I don’t know why it went into the fridge as oil and vinegar are both natural preservatives and don’t exactly go off. I had to let it stand for a while. What herbs do you use – fresh or dried? I’ll have to try that next time.
Kaye B Says:
January 11th, 2010 at 3:49 pm

Hello again Melissa,

I use dried. Last time I bought some herbes de provence and I use them. I have used italian or a pizza topping dried herb before too! I think the honey gives it a real lift. I have used lemon juice too. It is one you just keep adjusting until it gives you the “yum” factor. The herbs need to sit a while if they are dried to give a good flavour. I’m thinking of leaving my dressing out of the fridge there really isn’t anything in it that would go bad. Nearly forgot, I actually add garlic to it too Melissa. Either fresh minced or minced from the jar. Around one clove.

Kaye
Melissa Says:
January 11th, 2010 at 8:36 pm

Thanks, I’ll have to try it with the herbs and garlic.
Roast pumpkin and Feta Salad | frugalandthriving.com.au Says:
January 18th, 2010 at 12:04 am

[...] The salad dressing was a honey balsamic dressing. [...]