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Walnut mustard vinaigrette recipe

Walnut balsamic vinaigrette

This is a quick vinaigrette that can be made mostly with pantry ingredients. The nuttiness of the walnut dijon adds a twist to what is otherwise a normal balsamic vinaigrette. Walnut dijon is not as overpowering as most dijon mustards, so you can be a bit generous with it.

This dressing goes great with simple green salads and really complements a hard cheese such as manchego.

This recipe easily scales, so make as much or as little as you want.

Ingredients

Around 1 tsp Edmund Fallot walnut dijon mustard If you can't find this in a store, it's readily available online (Amazon, etc.).

Around 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Around 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

(Optional) Around 1/4 tsp Penzey's Country French Vinaigrette Spice Mix This is a staple in my kitchen for lazy vinaigrettes; it is a blend of mustard seed, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, lemon peel, onion powder, tarragon, chives, white pepper, thyme, rosemary and a bit of sugar. If you don't have this you can make do with other dried and fresh herbs you have around, and maybe mince a small amount of garlic

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

Around 1-2 tbsp olive oil

Servings

Enough for 2 entree salads

Time

5-10 minutes

Instructions

  1. Mix all ingredients except oil together and whisk briefly.
  2. Taste and adjust; if the salad you are going to dress is lacking salt, you may opt for a bit more salt. An aged/sweet balsamic may be better balanced with a larger ratio of red wine vinaigrette, unless you want the dressing to be on the sweet side. You should get a distinct walnut flavor from the mustard. If using fresh garlic, be sure to not to overpower the rest of the flavors with it. At this stage, the vinaigrette may be a bit on the acidic side; that will be fixed when we add the olive oil.
  3. While constantly whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and keep whisking; the mustard, vinegar and oil will emulsify and you'll get a creamy dressing.
  4. Taste; if you are using a stronger tasting olive oil you should get a light olive flavor. Weaker olive oils (e.g., extra virgin olive oil) may not have a strong flavor, but it should still mellow the acidity of the vinegars and give the dressing a silky texture. If more olive oil is needed, be sure to slowly drizzle in and whisk as you go!