It’s so easy to raise any dish with this honey balsamic French dressing. With 5 scrumptious variations, this flavorful dressing is unquestionably going to be an everyday addition to your desk.
This dressing is a breeze to make and provides the right quantity of tangy taste to salads, roasted veggies, meats, and extra.

This recipe is an actual keeper as a result of it’s scrumptious, but it surely’s additionally a fantastic selfmade salad dressing for these with meals allergy symptoms as properly. It’s dairy-free plus it has straightforward substitutions that ought to make this recipe work for anybody.
I really like having selfmade seasonings and dressings on the desk to decorate up even essentially the most bland easy meal.
I really like selfmade dressings a lot, however what I really like most about this French dressing is how versatile it’s. It solely takes minutes to make, but it feels connoisseur. The flavour of contemporary basil paired with the wealthy depth of balsamic vinegar is one thing particular. Each time I make this, I’m reminded of how one can make one thing actually pretty from easy elements.
Plus, this basil balsamic French dressing is for a lot greater than salads. It’s implausible as a marinade for rooster, drizzled over roasted veggies, on pasta salad, or paired with crusty bread. We find it irresistible and I believe you’ll love this recipe too—it’s the right method to spruce up your meals with no additional fuss.
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The Origin of This Honey Balsamic French dressing
Some time in the past I believed I’d attempt to shake issues up a bit with a brand new dressing to grace our desk and I searched by way of my cookbooks and even put a shout-out to readers on my Fb web page asking for one of the best salad dressing recipes.
One of many cookbooks that I turned to is an previous favourite of mine, Cybele Pascal’s The Entire Meals Allergy Cookbook.
Cybele’s e-book is likely one of the first cookbooks I purchased after we knew we had been coping with meals allergy symptoms in our family. Our son had meals allergy-induced eczema that began us on this entire path.
I learn Cybele’s description of My Favourite Dressing and I simply needed to make it.
This salad dressing by no means wears out its welcome. I’ve been making it for 15 years and each single time I’ve dinner visitors they are saying, “Yum! What’s on this dressing?!” My husband refuses to eat his salad with anything.

I modified issues up just a bit bit but it surely’s nonetheless simply an incredible dressing.
Elements
- Olive Oil: be certain to make use of solely high-quality olive oil since there are plenty of fakes on the market. Some sources say that Kirkland’s olive oil has been verified to be a stable model.
- Balsamic Vinegar: some say {that a} balsamic that’s been aged at the very least 10 years. Nevertheless, since balsamic is made out of grapes which are sometimes sprayed with plenty of pesticides, I might prioritize an natural balsamic vinegar over needing to abide by the 10-year “rule”.
- Herbs
- Honey: use this or any various sweetener you want together with maple syrup or a low-carb sweetener. See extra notes beneath.-
- Dijon Mustard: provides one of the best tang to this recipe. See the recipe card for an alternate.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: additionally provides some zing. Be sure that to purchase natural apple cider vinegar to keep away from toxins.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
- Balsamic Vinegar Different: Substitute 1/4 cup apple cider or crimson wine vinegar plus 2 teaspoons xylitol or a touch of stevia for the balsamic vinegar for low carb/Trim Wholesome Mama (S).
- Recent Herbs Options: Recent herbs are finest, however you possibly can substitute 1/4 to 1/3 of the quantity of dried herbs if most popular.
- Sweetener Options: Use xylitol, vegetable glycerine, or a 1/32 teaspoon/sprint of stevia as a substitute of honey for a low-carb/keto possibility.
Variations
- Dill Dressing – Substitute 1/4 cup chopped contemporary dill (or 1 tablespoon dried) for the basil.
- Oregano Dressing – Substitute 4 teaspoons contemporary (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano) for the basil.
- Parsley Dressing – Substitute 1/4 cup chopped contemporary parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried) for the basil.
- Shallot Dressing – Substitute 1 small shallot, minced, for the garlic and omit the basil.
How you can Retailer
You must retailer this dressing within the fridge in a container with a tight-fitting lid. If utilizing uncooked garlic, technically it must be used inside two to 3 days. If utilizing dried garlic, it ought to maintain for at the very least every week.
The explanation for this warning is that uncooked garlic can produce botulism toxins. Nevertheless, a pH of 4.6 or decrease will inhibit the expansion of this micro organism. That, mixed with the refrigeration reduces the chance fairly a bit.
How you can Use Dried Herbs As a substitute of Recent for This Dressing
Whereas contemporary herbs style one of the best, they aren’t all the time available they usually’re expensive to purchase. Dried herbs extra concentrated so that you’ll need to use much less.
Utilizing one-fourth to one-third the quantity of dried herbs is the equal of the identical contemporary herb.
Serving Solutions
There are such a lot of methods to make use of this basil balsamic French dressing. It’s good for dressing up a traditional inexperienced salad. Toss it with combined greens, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers for a contemporary and vibrant dish that’s nice as a facet or add some protein (rooster, meat, beans, or cheese) for a light-weight lunch.
This dressing additionally makes an incredible marinade for proteins like rooster, shrimp, or tofu. The tangy, herby flavors soak in fantastically, making your grilled or baked dishes extra flavorful and tender.
Don’t cease at salads! Drizzle it over roasted veggies, use it as a of entirety for grain bowls, or serve it alongside crusty bread as a dip. The probabilities are infinite!
Extra Do-it-yourself Dressing Recipes
Listed here are some extra selfmade dressings that you just may like as properly.

- 3 small garlic cloves (minced very wonderful, or 3/8 teaspoon dried minced garlic)
- 20 contemporary basil leaves (chopped or torn)
- 2 tablespoons honey (see Recipe Notes for alternate options)
- 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard (see beneath for substitutions)
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (see Recipe Notes for low carb various)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 pinches black pepper
Ready Mustard Substitute
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Mix garlic, basil, honey, and mustard right into a paste.
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Add apple cider vinegar and balsamic and blend fully.
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Add the olive oil slowly, mixing whereas including.
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Serve.
- Substitute 1/4 cup apple cider or crimson wine vinegar plus 2 teaspoons xylitol or a touch of stevia for the balsamic vinegar for a low carb/keto/THM:S dressing
- The unique recipe referred to as for unseasoned rice vinegar however I take advantage of apple cider vinegar as a substitute for its additional well being advantages.
- You possibly can use about 2 tablespoons dried basil as a substitute of contemporary basil.
- I take advantage of xylitol, vegetable glycerine, or a 1/32 teaspoon/sprint stevia as a substitute of honey for a low-carb/keto possibility.
Energy: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fats: 27g | Saturated Fats: 4g | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 31mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg | Internet Carbs: 5g
Dietary data is offered as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Elective elements should not included and when there may be an alternate, the first ingredient is often used. We can not assure the accuracy of the dietary data given for any recipe on this website. Erythritol carbs should not included in carb counts since they’ve been proven to not influence blood sugar. Internet carbs are the overall carbs minus fiber.
Observe: This recipe was initially revealed right here in September of 2012. The put up was fully rewritten with a barely tailored recipe.
I sit up for listening to what you consider this dressing!
Do you could have a favourite salad dressing to share?