The Easiest (and Most Complimented!) Homemade Salad Dressing.

You know that feeling when someone takes a bite of your salad, pauses mid-chew, and says, “Okay… what is this dressing?!” Yep. That happens every single time I serve this one.

Whether it’s a weeknight dinner or a summer BBQ, this dressing always steals the show. And people are always shocked when I tell them I made it at home...with just a few simple ingredients I already had in my pantry.

The best part? It’s beyond easy, and once you try it, you'll never reach for a store-bought bottle again.

The Secret Ingredients

All you need is:

• Olive oil

• Red wine vinegar

• Honey

• Soy sauce

• Dijon mustard (the not-so-secret weapon that makes this dressing extra special)
  

The Dijon brings a subtle kick and helps everything blend together into one smooth, flavorful dressing.

The soy sauce is in place of salt - I like to use salty soy sauce instead of salt because it adds a different depth of flavour, but also feel free to add a pinch of your fave salt and pepper to taste at the end.

The Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ cup olive oil

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

  
  

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a mason jar or small bowl.

2. Shake or whisk until smooth and creamy.

3. Taste and adjust to your liking - more honey for sweetness, more vinegar for brightness, or more mustard if you love that tangy punch.

4. You'll likely want to use all of this up in one sitting instead of storing it in the fridge due to olive oil's tendency to solidify when chilled. The mustard helps as an emulsifier, but if you want to store this dressing and use it later, check out the notes at the bottom of this blog for some tips.

   
   

How to Use It

This dressing is perfect for leafy greens, roasted veggies, quinoa bowls, grilled chicken salads - honestly, everything. It’s bright, bold, and balanced, and it always gets compliments.

You’ve been warned: people will ask for the recipe. So go ahead and share the secret - or just send them to the blog. 😉

Here's the full grocery list including the pouring/storage lids for my mason jars (USA and Canada links)

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Shopping List

Here's the link to the full printable PDF

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Printable PDF Recipe

And here's the video showing the whole process! 👇👇👇

Get ready to share this recipe with your guests because as soon as they taste it, they're gonna ask!

xoxo Chelsea Dyan

Notes about storing:

Salad dressing, especially homemade vinaigrette, can solidify in the refrigerator due to the behaviour of olive oil at cooler temperatures. Olive oil contains saturated fats that solidify when chilled, causing the dressing to thicken or even solidify. This is a normal occurrence and not an indication of the dressing going bad. 

Here's why and what to do:

Why it happens:

• Olive Oil's Behavior:

  Olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, contains saturated fats that solidify at lower temperatures. 

• Refrigeration:

  Refrigerating a dressing with olive oil will cause these fats to solidify, leading to a thickened or solidified state. 

• Lack of Emulsifiers:

  Homemade dressings often lack the emulsifiers (like those found in store-bought dressings) that prevent separation and solidification. 
  

What to do:

• Bring to Room Temperature:

  Allow the dressing to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before using. 

• Warm Water Bath:

  You can also place the dressing container in a warm (not hot) water bath to help speed up the process. 

• Shake Vigorously:

  Once warmed, shake the dressing vigorously to re-emulsify the ingredients. 

• Consider Blending:

  For a more thorough emulsification, especially if it has separated significantly, you can blend the dressing after it's warmed. 

• Tips for Next Time:

  If you want to prevent this from happening in the future, consider using a mix of oils (some less prone to solidification) or increasing the amount of emulsifying ingredients like mustard or a bit of mayonnaise, according to cooking website