This Honey Vinaigrette Is The Only Salad Dressing You'll Need All Summer
I keep a bottle in the fridge all summer long
Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry
It’s Honey Vinaigrette season! Once the weather warms up and produce makes a major comeback at the farmers market, I start craving my go-to salad dressing. If you’re picturing a big bowl of leafy greens, that’s just the beginning.
The main reason I love this sweet-tangy vinaigrette is that it is ridiculously versatile. Made with canola oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, minced red onion or shallot, and a pinch of salt and black pepper, it’s the kind of dressing that naturally enhances almost anything you pair it with. Here are just a few of my favorite ways to use it.
Strawberry Salad With Honey Vinaigrette
Something magical happens when you use Honey Vinaigrette in a salad with strawberries in it. Whether it’s a spinach salad with blue cheese and candied pecans; mixed greens with berries, tomatoes, and bacon; or arugula and herbs with crispy prosciutto, you can’t go wrong. (In all of these recipes, just substitute the Honey Vinaigrette recipe for the suggested dressing.) Not a fan of strawberries? Citrus is another great option. Try it in a sunny mixed citrus salad or grapefruit-avocado salad.
Chicken Salads With Honey Vinaigrette
You might think this dressing is too sweet to pair with poultry, but you’re mistaken. The white balsamic vinegar and sharp red onion balance out the honey, making it a perfect match for chicken salads of all sorts. Two of my favorites are this bright and crunchy Breaded Chicken Salad with Grapes, Almonds and Broccoli and a Grilled Chicken Salad with Blueberries, Goat Cheese, and Pickled Red Onion. Any chicken salad that is made with a vinegar-based dressing (rather than may) will probably taste great with Honey Vinaigrette.
Tomato Salads With Honey Vinaigrette
Like strawberries, tomatoes love white balsamic vinegar and honey. Not a summer goes by without at least one Tomato, Peach, and Corn Salad, which is actually made with my favorite dressing. You can also use it in this easy chicken salad-tomato salad mashup made with tons of heirlooms and shredded rotisserie chicken. And for something really out of the ordinary, try it with our Grilled Green Tomatoes with Jalapeño-Honey Vinaigrette—just add in the chiles.
And yes, you can definitely pour it over a regular old box of mixed greens from the grocery store and you’ll still have a salad that sparkles.
Related: 67 Easy Summer Salads For Hot Days
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