Make this tangy, creamy red wine vinaigrette when you need a punchy, easy-to-make, and versatile 5-ingredient salad dressing that’s ready in just 5 minutes! It’s creamy without any dairy (just extra dijon for the tang!).
Red Wine Vinaigrette is so versatile and it’s a classic combination with its tangy flavor. It’s one of my go-to homemade dressings for when I need to serve an easy green salad side dish with dinner or am looking to flavor veggies.
This version is made with extra Dijon mustard for a creamy texture and tangy flavor. Of course, you can easily reduce the amount of mustard for a more traditional red wine vinaigrette. It’s a great base to start with.
And there’s nothing better than whipping up a simple homemade dressing for an impressive cooking solution. It’s so easy to do, and recipes like this one require so few ingredients there’s no excuse not to!
Even better is that you can easily double the dressing to have on hand throughout the week for easy lunches. That’s what I call a must-have recipe!
What is Red Wine Vinegar?
Red wine vinegar is made from fermenting red wine. It has a distinct tangy flavor, that’s ever so slightly sweet. It’s often used in Mediterranean dishes. It makes a wonderful dressing for salads of all sorts (pasta salads, Panzanella salads, potato salads!).
Use it as a garnish on soups, and marinades. You can even splash a little on your favorite sandwiches for a tangy addition.
It’s also excellent when used to add a punch of acidity to dishes that need a little brightening, like caramelized onions or sauteed mushrooms.
What is a Vinaigrette?
A vinaigrette is a salad dressing, made with oil and an acid, usually vinegar or lemon juice. It can have added spices and herbs for a variety of flavors. It’s usually made with a 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar so that the result is a stable emulsion (i.e. it doesn’t separate), but a variety of ratios can be used.
Simple Ingredients
This recipe is another one of our simple ingredients, simple steps to homemade dressings for when you need a quick, easy fix!
- Red Wine Vinegar: the star of the show! I recommend checking out a specialty vinegar and oil shop to find a vinegar with the BEST flavor, or at your grocery store go with a more moderately priced one, not the cheapest if you can help it. It will last basically forever (until it’s used up) so don’t worry about it going to waste.
- Garlic: minced or pressed finely to incorporate throughout the dressing. You can also use a pinch of garlic powder if you prefer a less pungent garlic taste.
- Dijon Mustard: the perfect emulsifier for vinaigrettes! Use more (2 tablespoons) for a creamier, more tangy vinaigrette, or stick to 1T for a more traditional vinaigrette.
- Mustard Seed: this is optional, and not quite traditional, but I love adding some mustard seeds to my vinaigrette for texture. Similar to if you would use whole grain mustard.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: again, try to use the best olive oil you can find when making homemade dressings, because there are so few ingredients, the flavor really shines through.
- Salt and Pepper: to taste, a must for enhancing flavor.
Variations & Ways to Customize It
There are so many ways to customize this simple recipe for added flavor.
- add dried Italian herbs or oregano
- add a little Greek yogurt or tahini to make it extra creamy
- add grated parmesan cheese to make it cheese (excellent with those dried herbs for an Italian twist!)
- add freshly chopped parsley for brightness, or other fresh herbs
- add finely chopped shallot for even more flavor
- add a teaspoon of honey to make it a little sweeter
- reduce the Dijon mustard to make more traditional vinaigrette (as noted)
How to Make Red Wine Vinaigrette
Making homemade dressing is so easy because there isn’t a huge step-by-step process. It takes just minutes to make.
If you want to get technical with it, whisk together all the ingredients except for the olive oil, then slowly drizzle in the oil while continuing to whisk. This process helps ensure the oil is fully incorporated into the vinaigrette.
But you’ll often find me taking an even quicker shortcut and adding all the ingredients to a jar and shaking until they’re combined. Such an easy method that doesn’t get any extra dishes dirty – plus, you can store it in the jar!
Ways to Use Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing
- Serve it on nearly any kind of green salad recipe – like a chopped romaine salad, spinach salad, or salad lyonnaise
- On pasta salads like this Mediterranean pasta salad or in place of the Italian dressing on this pasta salad
- Toss it over roasted root veggies or broccolini for a tangy sauce
- Perfect for Panzanella salads
- Use it as a marinade for proteins like chicken, shrimp, or steak
More Easy Vinaigrette & Dressing Recipes
- White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Dairy-Free Dijon Vinaigrette
- Creamy Chipotle Cilantro Dressing
- Peanut Sauce Dressing
- Honey Lime Dressing
- Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Tangy & Creamy Red Wine Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard see note
- 1 ½ teaspoons mustard seed optional
- 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk together all ingredients except for the oil; then, while whisking, drizzle in the oil until combined. Alternatively, add all the ingredients to a jar and shake really well until emulsified. Be sure to taste test for salt levels, and enjoy!
- Toss on a salad immediately before serving. Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Use less dijon mustard (1 tablespoon) for a more traditional red wine vinaigrette.
- Optional Add-ins (see more in post):
- Honey, to sweeten, if desired
- Dried Italian herbs or oregano
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Finely chopped shallot
- This recipe makes just about 1 cup of dressing. Serving size will depend on how much dressing you use for a salad.
Nutrition
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