BEST Mediterranean Diet Salad Dressing

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This Mediterranean diet salad dressing is made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, dried basil, dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. It can be used to brighten up a wide range of salads and vegetables. It’s easy to make and healthier than store-bought dressings. 

Why Make This Mediterranean Diet Salad Dressing?

We’re big fans of the Mediterranean diet and it’s often considered as the best diet to follow.  Since salads pop up often within the diet, having a go-to salad dressing on hand can be a huge time-saver.

This is similar to a red wine vinaigrette with some extra spices thrown in for maximum flavor.

Whether you’re making a hearty panzanella, a spanish potato salad or any other Mediterranean-inspired salad recipe, this salad dressing can add layers of flavor to any salad.

To make this salad dressing, all you need to do is simply add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk everything together until combined. Or you can add the ingredients to a mason jar and shake.

Ingredients (+ Substitutions)

• Olive oil: we’re always big fans of using extra virgin olive oil on the Mediterranean diet for its health benefits, but this is the time to bring out the best quality olive oil.
• Red wine vinegar: higher-quality red wine vinegar will have fewer ingredients and have an even better flavor. White wine vinegar will have a weaker taste if you decide to substitute that in instead. It’s particularly nice with more delicate flavors such as spring onions, sweet corn and zucchini.
• Garlic, dried basil and oregano: garlic adds extra flavor to the dressing, the dried basil adds a subtle mintiness whilst the oregano complements the other flavors in the dressing without being too overpowering.
• Dijon mustard: mustard is always a good addition to vinaigrettes. It helps emulsion the dressing and adds an intense tangy flavor.
• Salt and ground black pepper: salt brings out the flavors from the other ingredients and spices.
• Sugar: some extra sweetness gives it the perfect balance. You can also use a drizzle of honey for the sweetness instead.

Variations

There are also a number of ways you can customize it to your taste as well:

• For an extra tangy taste, add in some lemon juice
• For some Mediterranean flavors, throw in some tahini
• For extra creaminess, add a tablespoon of Greek yogurt
• To make it extra cheesy, throw in some Parmesan cheese
• Swap out some of the dried spices and try different spice blends

How to Use This Dressing

This salad dressing works on all kinds of salads. Try these Mediterranean-inspired salad ideas that pair well with this dressing:

• Greek Salad: toss together some chopped romaine lettuce, sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onions, crumbled feta cheese, and Kalamata olives. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.
• Panzanella Salad: cube some crusty bread and toast it in the oven until crispy. Toss the bread with chopped tomatoes, sliced red onions, chopped basil leaves, and sliced cucumbers. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
• Tabbouleh Salad: Combine cooked bulgur wheat, chopped parsley, chopped mint, chopped tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and sliced scallions in a bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
• Niçoise Salad: Arrange boiled baby potatoes, blanched green beans, sliced hard-boiled eggs, sliced tomatoes, and canned tuna on a bed of mixed greens. Add some sliced black olives and drizzle the red wine vinaigrette over the top of the salad.
• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad: Cook the quinoa according to package instructions and let it cool. Toss the quinoa with chopped tomatoes, diced cucumbers, sliced red onions, crumbled feta cheese, and chopped parsley. Drizzle over the dressing and toss to combine.

Don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment with your favorite Mediterranean ingredients.

How to Store This Dressing

This salad dressing should last for a week in the fridge. Any homemade dressings should be store in an airtight container or a mason jar.

If the contents separate or solidify whilst being stored (the olive oil often solidifies in the fridge) let the dressing come to room temperature to liquify it, then shake to combine. It can take between 15-30 minutes for the dressing to reach room temperature again.

Yield: 4

Mediterranean Diet Salad Dressing

Print

This Mediterranean diet salad dressing is made with olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, dried basil, dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. It's perfect for when you need a simple and healthy dressing to liven up your salads

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano, more for sprinkling
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Mince the garlic
2. Whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, basil, dijon mustard, salt, sugar and pepper in a while until combined (or shake everything in a sealed mason jar or battle).
3. Serve immediately, or seal and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 12Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 0mgSodium 142mgCarbohydrates 1gFiber 0gSugar 0gProtein 0g

Want More Delicious, Mediterranean Style Recipes?

If you’ve cooked this recipe, be sure to leave a comment or review! But if you’re looking for more:

1. Find more Mediterranean-style recipes on our website.
2. Try our free 7 day Mediterranean diet plan with 20 recipes.
3. Get our 4-week Mediterranean diet plan, Med in 28 plan, that makes following the Mediterranean diet a breeze!