Citrus vinaigrette is bright, flavorful, and simple to make.

Even though bottled salad dressing is convenient, it’s expensive and often full of chemical additives, sugar, and salt. By making your own dressing, you know exactly what’s in it. And no preservatives here!

With citrus season in full swing, what a great time for a citrus vinaigrette…

Emulsification is Key

Oil and water don’t naturally mix. Forcing oil and vinegar to combine is called an emulsion, and we can do this in one of three ways.

1. Using a blender is an effective way of mixing oil and vinegar (emulsifying). Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for about 5 seconds.
2. Add all the ingredients to a mason jar, screw on the lid, and shake. The mason jar is perfect for storing any leftover dressing in the fridge.
3. Below, we combined fresh orange juice, zest, olive oil, parsley, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, mustard, and sea salt in a small bowl. While whisking, the oil was drizzled in slowly.

Ingredients

Mustard is an emulsifier and will help the process of mixing the oil with the orange juice and vinegar. Honey is also an emulsifier and can be substituted for the pure maple syrup, if desired.

You can use different vinegars. Balsamic and white wine vinegar are other good choices.

Cilantro makes a great substitution for the Italian parsley.

The Ratio

Most vinaigrettes call for 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil. This is said to be the perfect ratio.

While that may be true, we try to cut back on oil whenever we can. Our formula includes fresh orange juice along with vinegar. Our ratio is about 1-1/2 parts vinegar & orange juice to 1 part oil. We find it healthier and just as delicious!

If you don’t use the dressing right away and the oil separates from the liquids, simply whisk or shake to recombine the vinaigrette before using.

How about dressing up your salad with Bistro Croutons?

Make It A Meal

• Top your salad with shredded chicken or allergy-friendly chicken tenders.
• For a delicious veggie option, top your salad with avocado and roasted beets.

If you like making your own dressings, try our Creamy Ranch Dressing.

Print

Citrus Vinaigrette

Author Your Allergy Chefs

Yield 6 Servings

Free of: gluten and top 8 allergens.

A bright, flavorful, and simple vinaigrette!

Ingredients

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or honey)

1 tbsp minced Italian parsley

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon style mustard

1 tsp orange zest

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup high quality olive oil

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange juice, maple syrup, parsley, vinegar, mustard, zest, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in while whisking constantly. Pour into a mason jar or other container and store in the refrigerator. This makes a heaping 3/4 cup of dressing.

Courses Soups & Salads

plant-based and free of gluten and the top 8 allergens

Mellow acorn squash is roasted and pureed with onions, carrots, and an apple to create a smooth and delicious soup. And we love the combination of spices that highlight the sweet flavor of the squash.

Acorn squash two weeks in a row…Yes, it’s that good!…

Read More