Healthy 5-Minute Champagne Vinaigrette

posted by Alex Aldeborgh, RD on Mar 2, 2023 (last updated 5/30/23) 0 comments »

Looking for a simple salad dressing that goes with everything? Try this healthy champagne vinaigrette recipe! It’s a versatile homemade vinaigrette that pairs perfectly with green salads, grain salads, roasted vegetables, and more. Make a batch today to use all week – it only takes five minutes and six ingredients!

small jar of champagne vinaigrette on a marble and wooden coaster surrounded by arugula leaves

As a Registered Dietitian, my best advice for making vegetables taste better is to pair them with healthy homemade dressings, sauces, and dips. When it comes to salads, a simple homemade vinaigrette or salad dressing can take your salad from boring to delicious!

This homemade champagne vinegar salad dressing is the latest addition to my collection of healthy homemade salad dressings. Some of my favorites include my white balsamic vinaigrette, fig balsamic dressing, sesame ginger miso dressing, Greek yogurt salad dressing, honey balsamic vinaigrette, and tahini goddess dressing.

Champagne vinaigrette is a light, zesty, and simple salad dressing that pairs perfectly with all kinds of salads, vegetables – it’s especially delicious with my red quinoa salad! Made with extra virgin olive oil, it is packed with heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids. It’s so easy to make and takes just five minutes!

Step-by-step video

Ingredients in champagne vinaigrette

You need just six ingredients to make this recipe! Everything you need to make it, below:

Champagne vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Dijon mustard
Honey
Shallot
Salt

This vinaigrette is gluten free, nut free, dairy free, and can be easily made vegan but swapping honey for maple syrup.

Kitchen tools needed

You’ll need a small bowl and a small whisk or fork to make this salad dressing.

champagne vinaigrette ingredients measured out on a light grey backdrop

What is champagne vinegar?

Champagne vinegar is simply vinegar made from champagne wine! Since it is made from sparkling champagne, you can expect a light & bright flavor from champagne vinegar. It has a pale gold hue, similar to white balsamic vinegar.

Champagne vinegar is lighter and milder than other wine vinegars (like white wine vinegar). Therefore, it is an excellent vinegar to use when you want to highlight the ingredients in your dish without overpowering the flavors with the taste of vinegar.

How to make champagne vinaigrette

A vinaigrette in its most basic form is simply an oil and vinegar salad dressing. To make champagne vinaigrette, add champagne vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, minced shallot, salt, Dijon mustard, and honey to a small bowl.

Whisk together the ingredients until emulsified.

champagne vinaigrette ingredients in a small speckled bowl before mixing — Add vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl

hands whisking a small bowl of salad dressing — Add vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl

Alternatively, add the vinaigrette ingredients to a small jar, close it, and vigorously shake!

How long does homemade vinaigrette last?

Homemade dressings do not contain preservatives, so they won’t last quite as long as store-bought ones. Vinaigrette will stay fresh for up to two weeks, when stored in the fridge.

Keep your homemade vinaigrette in a small jar or airtight container to keep it fresh for as long as possible.

Serving suggestions

Champagne vinaigrette is incredibly versatile due to it’s light & bright flavor. You can pair it with pretty much any green salad or grain salad! I’ve linked some favorites of mine that would pair well, below:

small bowl of vinaigrette on a light grey backdrop with a salad and olive oil decanter in the background

Extra virgin olive oil nutrition & health benefits

Extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest oils to consume because it is rich in heart-healthy fatty acids. One tablespoon of olive oil provides 14 grams of fat, but only 1 gram is from saturated fat.

The majority of the fat in olive oil comes from heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Eating monounsaturated fat can help lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol in your blood, thereby reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Difference between extra virgin olive oil and regular olive oil

Compared to regular olive oil, extra virgin olive oil requires less processing. Therefore, extra virgin olive oil retains beneficial plant compounds such as lignans and flavones, which are powerful antioxidants that help keep our cells healthy and fight inflammation

Extra virgin olive oil has more flavor and aroma than regular olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point than regular olive oil, so it shouldn’t be heated over 400°F. These properties make it ideal for salad dressings.

Let me know if you love this post by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!