Easy 1-2-3 Balsamic Dressing (Real Food, Paleo, Whole30)

This three-ingredient dressing is the easiest salad dressing I know - and very versatile! This is one of the first dressings I learned to make and I use it often because I always have the ingredients on hand.

Why make your own? It literally takes less than a minute to stir together, it tastes much better than any store-bought balsamic vinaigrette dressing (in my opinion) and it is just all-around better for you. Even a brand like Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette, typically considered clean, contains ingredients I try to avoid:

Ingredients in Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette: Vegetable oil (canola oil and/or soybean oil), extra virgin olive oil, water, balsamic vinegar, distilled vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, spice, onion, red bell pepper, xanthan gum, paprika (for color).

Food manufacturers just love to sneak in highly processed sugar, since it is cheap and addicting. And personally, I like to avoid any unnatural and highly inflammatory hydrogenated oils such as canola and soybean oils.

Before I found I had a dairy allergy, my favorite salad included chopped toasted walnuts, thinly sliced green apples, glorious and creamy blue cheese crumbles and this dressing. This combination tastes just fine without the blue cheese, even if I miss the crumbles!

My son frequently asks for a chopped salad made with pepperoni, artichokes and other yummies with this dressing (Briar Rose's Artichoke Salad, adapted from Dana Carpender's book: 15 Minute Low-Carb Recipes). What can I say? He takes after me when it comes to flavorful food.

Of course, a fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil salad is the perfect dish for this dressing. If you cannot have any dairy, this recipe for dairy-free mozzarella by Brittany Angell may work well!

1-2-3 Balsamic Dressing

1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil

Place the ingredients in a small bowl or cup and whisk until the dressing is emulsified. Drizzle over greens, cheese or even fruit.

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