Simple Spinach Salad Dressing (Easy 5-Minute Vinaigrette)

For a great spinach salad, balance is a must, and this can present a challenge since raw spinach has a mild, earthy, slightly mineral flavor that can taste flat on its own. That means a good spinach salad dressing has a lot of work to do. A good spinach salad dressing needs enough acidity to brighten the flavor of the spinach leaves, and enough oil to carry flavor and give the salad a silky finish, but just as importantly, it also needs sweetness to round out the edges of the palate. Get those three things in balance, and I promise you that even the simplest bowl of spinach greens will taste delicious.

That balance is precisely what this simple spinach salad dressing delivers. The balsamic vinegar and fresh lemon juice bring bright acidity and tang, and the extra virgin olive oil adds much-needed richness, while the honey and a pinch of sugar offer up the necessary sweetness. Dijon mustard, garlic, and red onion bring depth of flavor and a little bite to help add complexity to the spinach to keep the leaves from tasting flat.

The bright acidity cuts through the spinach's earthy, slightly mineral notes, while the honey helps to soften any hints of bitterness that are fairly common in baby spinach. Additionally, the dressing is blended until smooth and creamy, and clings to the spinach's broad, flat leaves in a nice, even coating, rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl or weighing down the leaves. This is, in my opinion, the best dressing for spinach salads. And, like most homemade dressings, it is also fresher, brighter, and far more flexible than anything you can get from a bottle. Additionally, you can adjust the sweetness, tang, and texture to suit your palate.

However, the best part of this salad dressing is just how simple it is despite achieving the perfect balance necessary for your favorite spinach salad. All of the ingredients are going right into a small blender, and the entire process takes no more than five minutes.

Jump to:

• Ingredients You'll Need for Spinach Salad Dressing
• How to Make Spinach Salad Dressing Step by Step
• The Best Spinach Salad Pairings and Variations
• Storing Homemade Salad Dressing:
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Simple Spinach Salad Dressing

Ingredients You'll Need for Spinach Salad Dressing

This salad dressing only uses simple pantry ingredients, and each one of them has a well-defined, specific role. Below is everything you'll need. Exact measurements, as always, are in the recipe card.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is the base of the dressing, and works to give the dressing body and a smooth, rich finish, while carrying the other flavors, and lending a subtle hint of its own olive oil essence to the mix. As such, I do recommend using a decent olive oil, as the taste and texture of the olive oil does come through. I recommend using an olive oil that you would consume on its own, such as for dipping or drizzling plain.
• Balsamic Vinegar: This is a key ingredient and a big part of the flavor profile, so use a decent balsamic. I say this because the balsamic vinegar brings sweet-tart depth to the salad dressing, and also helps coax the other flavors to the forefront. Additionally, it brings a lovely dark hue to the dressing. Cheaper versions can taste harsh and thin.
• Fresh Lemon Juice: Brings a bright, clean acidity to the dressing that helps lift the richer balsamic vinegar. Freshly squeezed is a must for the recipe, as bottled juice risks tasting flat or bitter in this recipe.
• Dijon Mustard (Or the mustard of your choice): The mustard works as an emulsifier in this recipe. Compounds in the mustard work to bind the oil and the vinegar together. This means that the dressing remains creamy on the salad, as opposed to separating right away. I'm using Dijon because I think its sharp, tangy bite really works nicely in this particular recipe.
• Honey: The honey is an important part of the mix, as it does important work balancing the acidity and rounds out the other flavors.
• Sugar: We're using a little extra sugar, apart from the honey, to bring added sweetness. The sugar dissolves in the dressing and helps to smooth out the tang. Again, it's all about balance.
• Garlic: For savory depth, the garlic is essential. Crush the cloves with the flat of your knife and then chop them up to release more of their juices, as the juices mean flavor, and we want those juices releasing into the dressing.
• Red Onion: The diced red onion brings a pleasant, gentle sharpness to the dressing, as well as subtle sweetness. Bear in mind that when blended, the onions almost vanish into the dressing, flavoring it throughout.
• Water: For loosening the dressing to a pourable consistency, though we do not want to use so much water that we dilute the flavor. Cold water works best, and I advise only pouring in small amounts at a time, mixing in between, until you find your desired consistency.
• Salt and coarse ground black pepper: Both the salt and pepper are essential for bringing all of the other flavors into focus. I recommend freshly ground black pepper as it has better aromatics. Bonus points if using a mortar and pestle to grind the pepper.

Simple Substitutions

• Vinegar: Which vinegar you use is purely preference. I find red wine vinegar makes a sharper, lighter dressing. Apple cider vinegar will make a milder, fruity dressing. White wine vinegar will linger in the background, creating a cleaner-tasting, more delicate dressing.
• Sweetener: If you don't have honey on hand, you can use maple syrup or agave nectar, which would also serve to make the dressing vegan.
• Onion: Shallots can be swapped in for the red onion, as can sweet onions.
• Oil: If swapping out the olive oil, opt for a flavor-neutral alternative such as avocado oil. Canola oil and other similar neutral oils also work, but will change the dressing's intended flavor, as they lack olive oil's fruity, peppery character.
• Citrus: Lime juice or a splash of orange juice can stand in for the lemon juice, but I really do recommend using fresh lemon juice for this recipe if you have lemons on hand.

How to Make Spinach Salad Dressing Step by Step

This recipe was formulated with a blender in mind, particularly one with a bullet attachment. We're using the blender to achieve the smoothest, creamiest dressing possible with no chopping beyond a rough dice. If you do not have a blender, a jar or a bowl can work too, and I'll explain how below.

Here is how to prepare this recipe if using a blender, as well as directions for using a bowl or jar:

The Blender Method (Our Favorite)

Combine all of the ingredients into a small, single-serve blender, such as a bullet-style blender or a blender with a bullet attachment. A mini-food processor also works just fine. Blend until the garlic and onion are completely pureed, and the dressing is smooth and creamy. Optionally, you can stop blending a little sooner if you prefer a bit of texture or chunkiness.

Whisking or Shaking (Mason Jar vs Bowl Method)

Without a blender, the garlic and the onion need to be minced as finely as you can manage. Honestly, I would say mince them until you've almost got a paste so that they and their juices distribute evenly throughout the dressing rather than sitting in chunks. As a pro-tip, you can sprinkle the minced garlic with a pinch of salt and then crush it with the flat of a knife to help it break down. From there, it's a matter of choosing either the mason jar method or the bowl method.

• Mason Jar Method: Add all of the ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Close it tightly, and then shake it. This is the easiest option, and the jar also doubles as a storage container.
• Bowl method: In a medium bowl, whisk everything together except for the olive oil. That means whisk together the vinegar, the lemon juice, the mustard, honey, sugar, water, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Then add in the oil a little at a time while whisking as described below.

Emulsification Tip

For starters, an emulsion is simply a combination of two liquids that normally do not combine. In the case of this recipe, that means the oil and vinegar. The key to a creamy, cohesive dressing is to break the oil into tiny droplets and then keep them suspended in the vinegar.

• In a Bowl: Pour the olive oil in a slow, thin stream while whisking constantly. Adding the olive oil gradually allows for the mustard and honey to coat each droplet of oil as it forms, producing a thicker, more stable dressing. Letting the oil all flow in at once, by contrast, makes it much harder to emulsify.
• In a Jar: Shake the entire mixture vigorously for a solid 30 seconds, until the dressing looks cloudy, uniform, and slightly thickened. A quick shake will not achieve the desired results; you need to really put some energy into it.

Season to Taste

Always taste before you dress the salad so that you can adjust the dressing to your preference. However, I recommend doing this using a spinach leaf rather than a spoon, as the spinach mellows the taste of the dressing. Here is how to adjust:

• Too Tangy? Add a little more honey, about a half a teaspoon at a time.
• Too Sweet? Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of vinegar.
• Too Thick? Thin it with a teaspoon or two of cold water.
• Tastes Flat? Add a pinch of salt to brighten the other flavors.

The Best Spinach Salad Pairings and Variations

Classic Pairings

This dressing loves contrasting flavors and texture, but the key is balance, as I mentioned in the intro. When assembling a spinach salad, here are some of my favorite combinations, ones that I think really work well with this dressing:

• Strawberries: For balsamic vinegar, sweet, juicy berries are a natural match. Blueberries, raspberries, and cherries are all great matches.
• Fruit: Sliced pears, apples, and figs are all great pairings for this dressing.
• Goat Cheese: A classic match for spinach salad. Feta or blue cheese are my go-to cheeses for this dressing, and for spinach salads in general.
• Candied Pecans: These would taste great with this dressing, as would candied walnuts.
• Red Onion: If the salad has thinly sliced red onion, then this dressing will be right at home.
• Hard-Boiled Eggs: Sliced or chopped eggs are a typical feature of spinach salads, and so this dressing will be right at home with hard-boiled eggs.

The Classic Spinach Salad with Bacon and Mushrooms

A traditional spinach salad, the kind you might get at a steakhouse, features baby spinach tossed with bacon, thin-sliced white or cremini mushrooms, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and red onion. The bacon and raw mushrooms are delicious set against this dressing.

Warm Bacon Variation

For a cozy twist on cooler days, try a warmed version of the classic spinach salad. Crisp a few slices of bacon in a skillet, and then remove them, reserving about 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Reduce the burner to low heat, add a tablespoon of finely minced red onion, and cook gently for a minute until the onion has softened. Pour in the prepared dressing and stir just until warm, keeping the heat low so the honey does not scorch and the vinegar does not reduce too much. Pour the warm dressing over the spinach salad, toss, and top with the crumbled bacon. The heat wilts the leaves ever so slightly, and the end result is pure comfort food.

Protein Add-Ins

If you're looking to turn your next spinach salad into a complete meal while using this dressing, here are my top choices that pair deliciously with this dressing:

• Grilled Chicken: To make a grilled chicken spinach salad, simply slice warm grilled chicken over the top of the dressed salad. Grilled chicken is a natural pairing with this salad dressing.
• Steak: And here we have the reason spinach salads are such a mainstay of steakhouses - because steak and spinach salads, and therefore the dressings used on those salads, are a delicious combination, and this salad dressing is no exception to that rule.
• Salmon: Whether roasted or grilled, salmon is a natural pairing both for spinach salads and for this dressing recipe, as the richness of the salmon pairs perfectly with the dressing's acidity.
• Other Add-Ins: Shrimp, chickpeas, and white beans are also great options

More Ways to Use This Dressing

This dressing is not just for salad. It can be drizzled as a sauce over grilled chicken, pork, or fish, or over roasted vegetables such as Brussels sprouts or asparagus. It can also work as a quick marinade for chicken (marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to a few hours).

How Much Dressing to Use

Spinach is a tender veggie and will quickly drench through if you use too much dressing. As such, I recommend starting light with perhaps 1 to 2 tablespoons of dressing per 2 cups of loosely packed spinach. Add it on just before serving, then toss and add a little more if needed. Conversely, allow your guests to dress their own salad. This recipe makes about a cup of dressing, which is enough for several large salads.

Storing Homemade Salad Dressing:

• Refrigerator: Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored in the fridge in an airtight container, the dressing will keep for about 5 to 7 days.
• Sealed Container: Ensure the container is tightly sealed to prevent air from entering, which can cause oxidation and negatively impact the taste.
• Use Within a Week: Generally speaking, salad dressings you make at home will remain fresh-tasting for about a week, and that's true of this dressing as well.
• Shake Before Use: Before each use, give the dressing a good shake or stir to re-emulsify the oil and vinegar.
• Flavor Intensification: Note that the flavors may intensify as the dressing sits. This is expected and perfectly normal.

Frequently Asked Questions

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And that's our Simple Spinach Salad Dressing, which can be made in just 5 minutes. If you have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you!

Happy Cooking!