Red Wine Vinaigrette

You spend all of this time choosing, rinsing, and chopping vibrantly colorful fresh vegetables for a glorious salad. Do you really want to smother it with a clumpy store-bought dressing? Goodness no! This Red Wine Vinaigrette using fresh herbs, good quality olive oil, and zesty red wine vinegar is the real ticket.

This Red Wine Vinaigrette is a deliciously easy homemade salad dressing recipe, taking only a fraction of the time it takes for you to chop up a salad! #vinaigretterecipe #redwinevinaigrette #vinaigrettedressing www.savoryexperiments.com


 

There is nothing better than making your own salad dressing at home. This Red Wine Vinaigrette is fresher than any dressing you can buy from the store, only takes 10 minutes to make, and only requires a handful of ingredients.

Why Our Red Wine Vinaigrette is Different

There are thousands of homemade salad dressings out there, but here are a few reasons ours is the best.

  • Uses fresh herbs – Of course you can always use dried herbs, but fresh herbs make for an over the top flavorful dressing.
  • Great on more than just salads – Think beyond the traditional salad! Use this dressing as a marinade or bread dip too.
  • Simple ingredients – A lot of times, ingredient lists for dressing are quite long. That’s not the case with this recipe, and you might even have some on hand already.

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this red wine vinaigrette dressing is short and simple, allowing for a quick trip to the grocery store.

  • Extra virgin olive oil – I like using olive oil, but you can certainly use an alternative like avocado oil. The oil gives it body and allows the dressing to fully coat the greens.
  • Red wine vinegar – Every good dressing needs an acidic element. The flavor is great for rounding out the rest of the ingredients and bringing a little acidity to the mix.
  • Fresh herbs – I prefer to use fresh herbs when making dressings like this. Minced dill and minced basil bring an element of herbaceousness to this dressing that is out of this world.
  • Garlic – Fresh garlic adds a pungent and slightly sweet flavor to the dressing, which enhances the other flavors and adds depth overall.
  • Fine sea salt – Sprinkle salt into this dressing to add a crunchy texture — it also brings out the natural flavors of the other ingredients.
This Red Wine Vinaigrette is a deliciously easy homemade salad dressing recipe, taking only a fraction of the time it takes for you to chop up a salad! #vinaigretterecipe #redwinevinaigrette #vinaigrettedressing www.savoryexperiments.com

Fresh Herbs vs Dried Herbs

I know some people don’t like buying fresh herbs and prefer to use dried ones from the spice aisle. I think there is a time and a place for both, but in a homemade salad dressing, fresh herbs are the way to go!

Here’s why. Fresh herbs have a brighter, fresher flavor. Herbs get a lot of the flavor they carry from the oils in their leaves. By using a fresh herb, those oils are bright and concentrated. Result: over the top flavorful dressing.

I don’t necessarily buy herbs just for the dressing though. Often purchased for other recipes, the remainder of my herbs often find their way into a salad dressing.

I use whatever I have on hand or leftover. Sometimes, if the stems are tender (think thyme or oregano) I even use the stems that were discarded from other recipes.

If not in the dressing, these little odd and end pieces can be tossed right into the salad.

If you don’t have or want to buy both the dry and fresh version of herbs, use one or the other or mix things up using what you have. If you don’t have everything listed, substitute with things like parsley, thyme, or oregano.

How to Serve Red Wine Vinaigrette

The obvious answer would be to put it on a salad loaded with veggies. And while that’s what we we most of the time, there are also lots of other ways you can use this red wine vinegar dressing.

If using on a salad, I like to use salad greens like spinach or arugula. Top that with any number of veggies from cucumbers to tomatoes. I also like to top my salads with a little cheese; feta cheese or even mozzarella are perfect.

You can also use this dressing as a marinade for grilled chicken or steak. And last but not least, I like to drizzle this dressing on my pasta salad.

Variations

There are plenty of ways for you to make this red wine vinaigrette your own. Here are a few options.

  • Vinegar – You can always swap out the red wine vinegar for a different type. Apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar work great. Just keep the ratio of oil the same.
  • Herbs – While I think fresh herbs pack the most punch for this homemade dressing, it’s not always practical to have them on hand. You can use italian seasoning or dried oregano in place of the fresh herbs.
  • Sweetness – Some people like a sweet element to their dressings. Whisk in some maple syrup, honey or agave to amp of the sweetness.
  • Spicy – You can spice things up a bit by adding a pinch of red pepper flakes or a teaspoon of black pepper.
  • Acidity – If you’d like to add another depth of flavor with a little more acidity, try adding some dijon mustard or fresh lemon juice to your dressing.
This Red Wine Vinaigrette is a deliciously easy homemade salad dressing recipe, taking only a fraction of the time it takes for you to chop up a salad! #vinaigretterecipe #redwinevinaigrette #vinaigrettedressing www.savoryexperiments.com

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Red Wine Vinaigrette

You can store this dressing in an airtight container. Make sure to use something with a tight-fitting lid like a mason jar. This makes it easier to shake up when ready to use.

Can I Freeze Red Wine Vinaigrette?

It is not recommended to freeze salad dressings like this. Due to the oil content, it won’t freeze completely solid.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is red wine vinaigrette made of?

While all recipes will vary slightly, this one contains red wine vinegar, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, fresh dill, fresh basil, a little sea salt and some water.

Is there any alcohol in red wine vinegar?

Although there may be very VERY slight traces of alcohol left, the process of turning wine to vinegar is the act of bacteria eating the alcohol. So generally speaking, no, red wine vinegar does not contain alcohol.

Is red wine vinegar dressing healthy?

It’s been stated that red wine vinegar can actually help with weight loss. And compared to a fatty dressing like ranch, I’d say red wine vinaigrette is a healthier option.

This Red Wine Vinaigrette is a deliciously easy homemade salad dressing recipe, taking only a fraction of the time it takes for you to chop up a salad! #vinaigretterecipe #redwinevinaigrette #vinaigrettedressing www.savoryexperiments.com

More Homemade Salad Dressings

Homemade dressings are the way to go when making fresh salads. Make sure you check out my 7 tips for more interesting salads before you starting chopping!

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This Red Wine Vinaigrette is a deliciously easy homemade salad dressing recipe, taking only a fraction of the time it takes for you to chop up a salad! #vinaigretterecipe #redwinevinaigrette #vinaigrettedressing www.savoryexperiments.com

Red Wine Vinaigrette Recipe

3.79 from 32 votes
Freshly shaken dressing for fresh greens and veggies.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in an airtight container and shake, shake, shake!
  • Pour over your favorite, fresh salad!
  • If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was! 

Nutrition

Calories: 65 kcal, Fat: 7 g, Sodium: 146 mg, Vitamin A: 70 IU, Vitamin C: 0.5 mg, Calcium: 3 mg
Author: Jessica Formicola
Calories: 65
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Red Wine Vinaigrette, salad dressing
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
This Red Wine Vinaigrette is a deliciously easy homemade salad dressing recipe, taking only a fraction of the time it takes for you to chop up a salad! #vinaigretterecipe #redwinevinaigrette #vinaigrettedressing www.savoryexperiments.com
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Jessica Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and food lover behind Savory Experiments. She is obsessed with butter, salt and bacon and spends all her time in the kitchen and behind a camera. Jessica is a contributor to PopKitchen by Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal Food + Travel and more!

Read More About Jessica

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Recipe Rating




Questions and Reviews

  1. Love the sound of this : ) Always looking for new salad dressing that I can make at home and not have to buy the over processed store bought ones.

  2. Oh this dressing just screams spring. How light and herby it is. I can’t wait to make it!

  3. G’day! Love making my own dressings from scratch and using up herbs from my garden!
    Cheers! Joanne

    1. I’m so jealous… still too cold for herbs and I can’t grow them indoors because my cat likes to nibble 🙂

    1. Lydia, I have a few fun servers, however they don’t shake well, so unless the dressing is perfectly emulsified, you can’t re-mix. I do like the separated and colorful look for pictures though. 🙂

  4. This recipe sounds fantastic. I don’t like covering up a fresh salad with a heavy dressing. The fresh herbs would be a great burst of flavor this spring. Thanks for sharing

  5. This is just what I needed! We started an Advocare challenge and salad dressing is a no no, so this will work just perfectly! I can’t stand dill, so I won’t put that in, but the rest sounds delish!