Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette

This Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette is an easy, 5 minute vinaigrette salad dressing recipe that is just the right balance of sweet and tangy citrus flavor.

A classic balsamic vinaigrette is made with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. 

But there are lots of variations that add in other flavors, such as this Balsamic Date Vinaigrette which has dates blended into it.

This Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette is made with orange juice for a dash of citrus flavor, but it is balanced out with maple syrup so it is not too tangy. 

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Make Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Expert Tips & Variations
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Summery — The citrus flavor in the vinaigrette makes it the perfect dressing for summer salads that have fruit in them or use light, leafy greens. 
• 5 minutes — This is a really quick dressing to make in just a few minutes. Just add everything to a mason jar and shake it all together.
• Sweet & Tangy — This dressing is just the right balance between the sweet maple syrup and tangy orange citrus.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Balsamic Vinegar: Use your favorite type of balsamic vinegar. If you want a lighter dressing and more mild flavor, you can use white balsamic vinegar. 
• Orange Juice: Use freshly squeezed orange for the best flavor. For a stronger citrus flavor, you can use lemon juice instead, but you may need to add a bit of extra maple syrup to adjust the sweetness.
• Olive Oil: Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil. 
• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup balances out the citrus tang. You can replace this with another sweetener such as honey or agave syrup for example.

How To Make Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette

Step 1: Add the balsamic vinegar, orange juice, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper to a mason jar. 

Step 2: Put the lid on the mason jar and shake the dressing vigorously for 10 to 20 seconds until the mixture is well emulsified. Pour over the salad immediately.

Expert Tips & Variations

• Shake the dressing before serving. This vinaigrette separates easily. Always shake it well immediately before pouring over the salad. 
• Add more citrus flavors. You can add in other citrus flavors besides orange juice, such as lemon juice, grapefruit juice or lime juice depending on the type of salad you plan to use it on. A lime citrus balsamic vinaigrette would work really well on a Mexican quinoa salad for example.
• Store in the fridge. Store this dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. Let it sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes and shake very well before serving.

Serving Suggestions

This Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette is delicious on light, leafy green salads. 

Since this is a citrus dressing, it pairs well with fruit, such as a salad with strawberries or mandarin slices.

One of my favorite salads to make with this dressing is a simple salad with kale, spinach, shredded carrots, roasted chickpeas and feta. 

Here are some other ingredients that would pair well with this dressing to help you build your own salad:

• kale
• spinach
• arugula
• roasted chickpeas 
• feta
• strawberries
• cranberries
• mandarins
• blueberries
• grapefruit
• almonds
• apples
• avocado
• peaches
• basil
• mint

Recipe FAQs

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