Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing is the meal prep trick you need for all your green salads. This easy dressing is perfect for pairing with greens and veggies, bringing a bright and herbal pop of flavor.

Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe

We have to eat salads, yes. But they don’t have to be boring — that’s why we have salad dressing!

Making a delicious homemade dressing is the best way to brighten up any salad. It can add creaminess, tanginess and loads of flavor to the greens and veggies on your plate.

This red wine vinaigrette recipe has all the tanginess and herbal flavor you could desire in a dressing. Not only does it work well in salads, but it’s delicious in Greek-inspired greens and whole grain bowls topped with a scoop of hummus, olives and lots of fresh veggies. You could drizzle it onto pasta salad. And it can even be a marinade, too!

Why I love this recipe:

This Red Wine Vinaigrette has a LOT of herbs/spices and adds awesome flavor to any salad bowl.

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If you like pungent, flavorful salad dressings, this recipe is for you. Also, it calls for really easy-to-find ingredients that you already might have on hand, which always feels like a win.

Here are some things to love about this homemade salad dressing:

• This salad dressing is SO easy to put together.
• You can store it in the fridge to use in your salads every day.
• The flavors play nicely with any salad you might want to make.

More dressing recipes to try: Hot Bacon Vinaigrette | Strawberry Vinaigrette | Creamy Honey Mustard Vinaigrette | Blueberry Salad Dressing

What you need to make this recipe:

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• Larger mason jar with a tight-fitting lid
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Salad dressing storage container

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Garlic powder — this is a staple in most kitchens. You could use some fresh garlic if you want a stronger flavor, but the garlic powder keeps it simple.
• Onion powder — we like to add onion powder too, as it adds a punch of onion flavor. Finely chopped onion or shallot would work, too. This is your dressing.
• Dried oregano — always check your dried herbs for freshness. If you like, you can finely chopped fresh oregano. You’ll need about ½ tablespoon of fresh chopped oregano.
• Dried basil — it’s the same deal with the basil. You’ll need about ½ tablespoon of fresh chopped basil.
• Red pepper flakes — omit this or use less if you’re sensitive to spice.
• Black pepper — using freshly-cracked black pepper in your cooking will take it to a new level.
• Kosher salt — sea salt or another medium-grain salt will work well here.
• Extra virgin olive oil — you can substitute any neutral-tasting oil such as avocado oil or vegetable oil. I like the robust flavor of olive oil for vinaigrettes.
• Red wine vinegar — in a pinch, you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, but it won’t have that red wine flavor or pink color.
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice — bottled concentrate can work in a pinch, but fresh tastes best.
• Grainy mustard — I like to use dijon mustard but any grainy mustard will work.

Customizations and substitutions

You can use fresh herbs instead of dried. Finely chop them, then measure out 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.

If you’re sensitive to spice, use fewer or omit red pepper flakes.

You can make white wine vinaigrette with white wine vinegar. I do not recommend using balsamic vinegar in this recipe.

How to make Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Here’s how to make this easy dressing recipe:

First, get out a larger mason jar. Measure in the dry ingredients first: garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt. We are essentially making a homemade Italian seasoning with these.

Shake the jar until it’s combined.

Pour in the liquid ingredients next: the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and dijon mustard.

Cap with the mason jar top, and shake until well-combined. Shake really, really well to emulsify the oil and vinegar.

Once you set it down and leave it alone for a moment, if it doesn’t separate, it’s all set. If not, shake some more. You can also do this in a blender if you prefer.

It’s ready to use right away or you can refrigerate it for later.

How to store:

You have to refrigerate the dressing because it contains fresh lemon juice. Use it up within a week.

It keeps really well in the fridge, though. If it separates, let it come to room temperature and shake well.

Erin’s Easy Entertaining Tips

This salad dressing is a great thing to have on hand for any time, and it does wonders for casual entertaining, too.

Here are some things I like to do with it:

• Keep it in the fridge for whenever you have a salad craving. It’s great to drizzle over a salad lunch you’re sharing with friends.
• Store it in a salad dressing jar with a spout for easy storage.
• For an outdoor event like a picnic or barbecue, pour it into individual condiment containers for everyone to dress their own salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

Uses for Red Wine Vinaigrette dressing

We love this simple red wine vinaigrette on shawarma salad. It’s bright and flavorful, and works especially well with Mediterranean and Italian flavors.

But you could put it on all kinds of salads, including:

• House salads
• Cucumber and Feta Salad
• Greek salads
• Italian salads
• Grilled Peach Salad
• Apple Salad

You can also use this dressing as a marinade. Try it on chicken, fish or steak for a truly flavorful and juicy protein.

You could also drizzle it onto the greens of sandwiches to add a saucy kick to any lunch.

It also works as a dipping sauce. Warm bread to dip in it or drizzle it over olives for a flavorful appetizer.

Quick tips and tricks to making the best Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

• Make a big batch and use it throughout the week for meal prep.
• Be sure to shake super well. You need the vinegar and oil to emulsify, meaning that they will combine and stay combined without separating.
• Use it up within a week for the freshest flavor.

More condiment recipes

• Tzatziki Sauce
• Avocado Cream Sauce
• Tahini Sauce

Here’s how you make this one…