The best apple cider vinegar seasoning

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“Put it down this is the best salad seasoning ever! I’ve been making it all the time. Thank you!” – Colleen

If you can only use one salad seasoning in your life, I will choose this one. It has a perfectly balanced flavor, light and rich, and not too greasy.

I’ve been tweaking this apple cider vinegar recipe for the past decade and found that I like it the most when I add a little lemon juice. It eliminates the harshness that can result from using vinegar alone.

Most importantly, it only takes 5 minutes to stir together. (No mixer required!)

Apple cider vinegar ingredients

Here is what you need:

Apple cider vinegar. Use unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar that contains something called mother (looking for a label that says “mother” on the bottle). “Mother” is a filamentous chain at the bottom, thought to include useful enzymes and friendly bacteria.
Honey. This natural sweetener balances the acidity of vinegar and helps thicken the dressing. This means it will stick to the salad better! If you need a vegan recipe, try it instead of maple syrup.
Lemon juice. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for optimal flavor. This brightens the dressing without the irritation provided by vinegar.
olive oil. This is the classic basis for salad dressings, but the recipe doesn’t follow the traditional 3 pairs of oil to vinegar ratio. I’ve reversed it so the olive oil tastes not overwhelming and therefore the dressing has lower calories as well.
mustard. I use spicy brown, stone floor or zipper mustard sauce to increase flavor depth and help emulsify the dressing. (Yellow mustard is not recommended.)
garlic. Fresh garlic adds a spicy flavor, making this seasoning taste restaurant quality. Use a mini-aircraft to chop it into a can so that you will never see large pieces again.
Salt + pepper. Don’t try to skip these simple food spices. They enhance the flavor and the salad without them will be light.

Ingredients for apple apple cider vinegar in glass bowl on white table

How to make apple cider vinegar seasoning

Step 1:

First, you need a glass mason jar with a lid. I usually use 12 ounces or larger jars, which provides plenty of room to stir everything together.

Add olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard sauce, honey, garlic, salt and black pepper to the jar. Use a miniature rum (shown below) to chop the garlic directly into the jar.

Add ingredients to glass mason jars and chop garlic

Step 2:

Stir the ingredients together with a small egg or spoon. Alternatively, secure the lid to the jar and shake. The honey will sink to the bottom, so don’t stop mixing until you see it dissolve.

Also, you can use an immersion stirrer and mix until smooth. If you want this consistency, the mixed dressing tends to get thicker (benefits from high power mixing).

Mix the ingredients of the glass jar to make cider sauce

Step 3:

Taste the seasoning and adjust any seasoning. You can add more sweetness by adding extra honey, or add more mustard or vinegar to make it more flavourful.

Serve this vinaigrette immediately, or seal it tightly in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Apple apple cider vinegar in a glass jar with spoon inside

Apple Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing Storage Tips

This salad seasoning can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It’s normal to separate in the refrigerator, so be sure to shake it again before use.

Olive oil may thicken when cold, so don’t be shocked if your dressing becomes very thick when stored. You can place the jar in a bowl of hot tap water for 10 minutes until it is placed in again, or leave it at room temperature on the counter before serving.

⅓ cup Extra Olive Oil
¼ cup Apple cider vinegar
2 spoon Lemon juice
1 spoon Spicy brown mustard
1 Garlic cloves chopped
2 spoon Honey Or taste it
¼ teaspoon Fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon Grind black pepper

Add olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard sauce, garlic, honey, salt and pepper to the glass jar with a lid. Stir well, or secure the lid on the jar and shake.
Taste the seasoning and make any adjustments you like, such as adding more honey to the sweetness, or more mustard or vinegar to give it a richer flavor. Serve immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The remaining dressing may thicken in the refrigerator. You can run the jar under warm tap water to help it again, or let it sit on the counter at room temperature until it remains consistent.

Assuming you can get 1 cup from this recipe, the nutritional information is about two tablespoons of dressing. This information is automatically calculated using common ingredients, so this is just an estimate, not a guarantee.