The best apple cider vinegar salad dressing! This is a fast and easy homemade vinaigrette with rosemary, shallot and olive oil. This recipe was originally published on September 3, 2013 and updated on October 16, 2021.
The key to making a good salad at home is all in the dressing. I’ve shared quite a few homemade salad dressings over the years and this apple cider vinaigrette has become a staple. I thought it was due for an update with new photos like I did with my white balsamic vinaigrette.
What ingredients are in this recipe?
There are a few important ingredients that make this vinaigrette extra special. The first is obviously apple cider vinegar. You can use your favourite brand, or whatever you have on hand.
The second are minced shallots–I love to let the shallots pickle a little bit in the vinegar, so that’s always the first thing I do. I’ll let the shallot sit in the vinegar while I prep the other ingredients.
Finally fresh rosemary is my go-to herb in dressings right now. I always have some on hand; either in the garden during the summer or in my kitchen in the winter. Having fresh herbs to use in dishes is one of the secrets to making your dishes pop.
The rest of the ingredients here are your usual dressing ingredients; Dijon mustard helps to emulsify, good quality extra virgin olive oil and a little maple syrup for sweetness (you could also use honey).
This will absolutely become one of your go-to dressings no matter what kind of salad you’re making.
What’s the best way to make homemade salad dressing?
Honestly my favourite way is to toss all of the ingredients into a mason jar and shake it up. It’s super easy and you’ll end up with a perfect dressing every time. Plus you can store the dressing in the mason jar in the fridge.
This dressing will last about a week in the fridge, make sure that you shake it up before serving. I also find that sometimes the oil may congeal a bit in the fridge, so you may need to leave it out at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
What salad does this vinaigrette work for?
This salad dressing recipe works well with all kinds of salads but my go-to salad for this is a fall salad with arugula, apples and walnuts. I’ll also add some kind of cheese, either a blue cheese or shards of parmesan cheese. I’d also use this on an autumn chopped salad.
Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon rosemary, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a mason jar and shake well to emulsify.
lisa
I love fresh apple juice bought from the farmers market stands. Last year I got my hands on a juicer (thanks Dad!) and ever since then I’ve been livin la vida juicing! When we went apple picking last year I spent hours making cider over the stove, simmering it and adding spices, and yes it was delicious – but it was a long process.
Louisa Clements
Me too, Lisa! I bet that apple cider was perfect for this dressing! Happy cooking! :)
Maureen
Lovely dressing! – but what kind of salads works with it?
Thanks for dressing recipe – I love salads! ;)
Maureen, Sask, Canada ?
Lou
Thanks Maureen! This dressing would work on all kinds of salads–I love to make one with lettuce, chickpeas, walnuts, cranberries and apples with a little goats cheese and green onion!
Amanda
I must say I was a little skeptical when I first started mixing the ingredients, since it seemed unlikely that maple syrup and dijon mustard would pair nicely in the same concoction. However I am very glad I tried your vinaigrette Lou–it was amazing! To say I am obsessed with it may just be an understatement… Thanks for the great idea :)
Lou
I know, it seems like such a random combination, but I’m so glad you enjoyed this, Amanda! :)
FitBritt@MyOwnBalance
Ohhh this dressing looks so good! I love apples and sometimes I feel like we skip over apple season and go straight to pumpkin but apples are so good! I never considered putting them in a salad dressing before! Thanks for sharing.
Lou
Pumpkin definitely takes over but I’m making an effort to do lots with apples this season. They are so good at this time of year!
Amy @ Long Drive Journey
Sweet salads are the only kind I really like, so this dressing is perfect! I have all of the ingredients except the apple cider vinegar, but I’ve been meaning to get some anyway because apparently it cures basically all diseases haha.
Lou
Sweet salads are new to me, but I’m obsessed! It really adds a nice layer to the salad.
veganmiam.com
Your post makes me think of autumn already… and I love apple cider! I’ve never thought about using it as a dressing, and I love salad dressings from shallot-lemon to tahini-based creamy ones. What a fabulous idea for using cinnamon, this is a perfect dressing for sweeter salads filled with spices!
Lou
It makes a great dressing! I’ve yet to try a tahini based creamy dressing but it’s on my list!