Spinach Salad Dressing

Making a tangy and flavorful spinach salad dressing recipe doesn’t have to be complicated. So many spinach salad recipes can feel overwhelming, but this dressing keeps a salad simple. Combine cider vinegar and sugar for a just-right sweet-tart base, add canola oil to smooth out the texture, and increase the depth and complexity with minced onion and mustard.

Toss the dressing with fresh spinach leaves to create a vibrant and delicious salad experience. But don’t stop at one type of green! Use this zesty dressing to spruce up any side salads, leafy green salads, and roasted or grilled vegetable recipes.

Ingredients for Spinach Salad Dressing

• Cider vinegar: Apple cider vinegar’s tart acidity wakes up the taste buds and prevents this dressing from tasting too sweet (it’s pretty good for you too!). Red wine, white wine or sherry vinegar work as well.
• Sugar: Sugar offsets the vinegar and matches the faint sweetness of the spinach leaves, which is why this dressing is so addictive.
• Canola oil: A neutral oil like canola is always a good choice for a velvety texture without adding extra flavors.
• Onion: The slightly bitter tang of a finely minced onion adds flavor and texture to this dressing. White or yellow are the best types of onions for this recipe.
• Mustard: The bite of a great mustard gives this dressing for spinach salad the right amount of zip. If you like it spicier, try Dijon mustard instead of yellow.
• Salt and pepper: Seasoning the dressing with salt and pepper enhances the overall flavor profile.
• Spinach: Clean, crisp and versatile, spinach comes in many forms, from the sweetest small leaves of baby spinach to the hearty wrinkled coarse leaves of more mature greens. (And there are so many things you can make with spinach!) Any of spinach’s many incarnations will work with this dressing. I like using a mix of different leaves.

Directions

Step 1: Combine the ingredients

Combine the sugar, cider vinegar, canola oil, onion, mustard, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor; cover and process until smooth.

Step 2: Serve and store

Serve over fresh spinach. Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator.

Taste Recipes

Recipe Variations

• Try a different vinegar: Looking for some different tangy flavors? We share our tips for when each type of vinegar works best.
• Use applesauce for sweetness: Replace some of the sugar with unsweetened applesauce. It adds just enough sweetness without going overboard.
• Add fresh herbs: A few fresh tarragon, parsley or thyme leaves add lovely herbal notes to this dressing for spinach salad.

How to Store Spinach Salad Dressing

Store dressing for spinach salad in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Shake it well before using it again. Once dressed, a salad will wilt, so if you think you will have leftovers, use the salad dressing only on the portion you serve.

Spinach Salad Dressing Tips

Taste Recipes

How do you use spinach salad dressing?

Beyond salads, use this spinach salad dressing recipe for marinated grilled chicken or drizzled on your favorite roasted veggies, like roasted asparagus or butternut squash. Feel free to try it with salads that don’t feature spinach, like this kale salad with dried fruits and nuts.

What are the most important elements in salad dressing?

A classic salad dressing recipe involves acid (like vinegar or lemon juice), oil, and an emulsifier like mustard or honey to hold the ingredients together. When making a vinaigrette, the basic ratio is three parts oil to one part acid to achieve the best balanced flavors.