Easy 10 minute Spinach Salad Dressing made with simple ingredients is zesty and delicious. Drizzle it on any type of salad!
Every great salad needs a flavorful dressing! I bet you’ll love my Asian salad dressing and balsamic dressing!
Table of Contents
Spinach salad dressing is super light and refreshing and our new go-to topping for a classic spinach salad, avocado spinach salad, or spinach strawberry salad.
It also adds a zesty taste to a hearty quinoa salad or pasta salad.
Skip the grocery store and make your own healthy salad dressing. This dressing for spinach salad is my newest addition, healthier than store bought, and has so much flavor.
Ingredients and Notes
The best spinach salad dressing recipe is made with everyday simple ingredients.
- Red onion: Minced very small.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is the best for salad dressing recipes to avoid unhealthy fats and add the most flavor.
- Red wine vinegar: Is the base of the dressing and adds a sharp tang.
- Dijon mustard: Adds a bit of a kick. It’s also used to emulsify the oil and vinegar.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar helps balance the flavors and make this spinach salad dressing pop. For a sugar-free version, use a sugar alternative like swerve or monk fruit sweetener.
- Salt and pepper: To taste!
How to Make Spinach Salad Dressing
After dicing your red onion, it’s as easy as measure, combine and enjoy! Here is a quick photo overview how to make spinach salad dressing from scratch. There is also full recipe card below.
- Dice the onion: Use a sharp knife and mince the onion very small.
- Combine ingredients: Add all 7 ingredients to a small bowl.
- Whisk: Until completely blended and smooth, vinaigrette should be lighter in color. You can also pour ingredients into a mason jar and shake well to combine.
- Taste and serve: Taste and adjust spinach salad dressing to your liking, see notes below. Drizzle over your spinach salad and serve.
Tips for Best Results
Here are some quick tips on how to make the perfect spinach salad dressing.
- Use quality olive oil: Avoid unhealthy oils and use 100% pure extra-virgin olive oil. It’s highly nutritious, more flavorful, and can jazz up the simplest salad.
- Swap out the sugar for honey or maple syrup: Use equal amounts of honey or maple syrup for a natural sweetener. Honey is great for a summer salad and maple syrup makes a delicious fall-inspired dressing.
- Taste test before serving: Easily customize this spinach salad dressing recipe to your liking. Make it creamy with extra Dijon mustard, sweeten it with honey, add more vinegar for a sharper flavor, or omit red wine vinegar and try fresh lemon or lime juice for a milder dressing.
- Experiment with vinegars: White wine vinegar will add a warmer mellower flavor. For an Italian inspired dressing for spinach salad, you can use balsamic vinegar. And apple cider vinegar makes a sweeter dressing with a hint of fruit.
Serving Spinach Salad Dressing
This healthy spinach salad dressing is packed with tangy flavor, you’ll want to enjoy every last drop.
Drizzle it over a salad, use it as a quick marinade, or a zesty dip!
- Salads: Whether you’re making an easy side dish or a healthy lunch, this salad dressing is delicious on leafy greens, quinoa, and pasta salads.
- If you don’t like the soy base dressing in this spinach salad recipe, swap it for this delicious vinaigrette dressing. Try it with wilted spinach salad.
- Marinade: Oil-based salad dressing make a delicious marinade for any meat, we love chicken marinade! Marinate your meat of choice for as little as an hour.
- Dip: Tired of salads? Enjoy as a dipper for fresh veggies, or homemade bread.
- Glaze: Toss with some roasted vegetables before grilling or roasting to enhance the flavor and texture. Some of our favorites are roasted sweet potatoes, and roasted butternut squash.
How to Store It
Store any leftover spinach salad dressing in a sealable jar and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. I like to double or triple the recipe to keep as an everyday dressing or dip.
You may need to let it warm a bit to make sure it mixes well. Place your jar in a bowl with warm water for a few minutes. Keep the lid on and shake well before dressing the salad.
FAQs
Homemade salad dressings are great for meal prep. Combine ingredients, store in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Shake or stir before each use.
A high quality extra-virgin oil is best for a good salad dressing because of its strong flavor. You could also use any light, neutral-flavored oil like sunflower oil for a more subtle flavor. Avocado oil can also be used.
Salad dressings solidify in the fridge because of oils. Place the small jar in a large bowl with warm water for a few minutes or leave it on the counter for 30 minutes.
You can add a variety of flavors by adding herbs and spices like minced ginger, minced garlic, dried basil, dried parsley, dried thyme, cumin, red pepper flakes, or a squeeze of lemon juice or lime juice.
Garnishing the salad with nuts such as almonds, pecans, or walnuts pair well with this spinach salad dressing.
More Salad Dressing Recipes to Try
- Raspberry vinaigrette
- Poppyseed dressing
- Healthy ranch dressing
- Healthy honey mustard dressing
- Avocado cilantro dressing
- Healthy caesar dressing
- Japanese carrot ginger dressing
Spinach Salad Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons red onion or shallots minced
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mince the red onion and transfer to a small bowl.
- To the bowl, add olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.
- Whisk until smooth and lighter in color. Adjust any seasonings to taste, if you wish.
- Drizzle over spinach salad or any favorite leafy green salad, quinoa salad or pasta salad.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in a glass airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- Lemon juice: Use instead of red wine vinegar. Experiment with other vinegars or try lime juice.
- Sugar: Use honey or maple syrup instead.
- This recipe makes about 3/4 cups.
Your salads and salad dressings are exceptional.
Offering so many variations/substitutes makes them pleasing to all taste preferences. Thank you.
I’m so glad to hear that Margaret! I do love a good salad and a salad dressing, that’s true!