This is everything you want in a sweet, tangy, and creamy salad dressing. Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing is complex yet subtle, the perfect vehicle to tie delicate cucumber salads together. But adding a few ingredients - like garlic powder and celery seed - make it a fantastic dressing for coleslaw.
Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing is my go-to when making cucumber salads. The recipe makes for a subtle salad dressing that possesses pops of sweetness and tang. It’s great on all kinds of salads, but what’s best is adding a few tweaks to the finished product. Garlic powder and celery seed added in make for a fantastic coleslaw dressing. Let’s get on to how to make it.
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How do you make Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing?
This dressing is a 2-parter in that the first part in the process requires heat and the second part requires waiting for the heat to subside to finish it off. The first part is sort of like making a simple syrup, in that you’ll boil vinegar, oil, and sugar together. Once it cools, you’ll blend in just enough mayonnaise and Dijon mustard to prevent the dressing from separating over time.
You’ll need the following ingredients to make Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing.
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon mayo
- ½ tablespoon Dijon
Dressing Instructions
Bring apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat. Let cool.
Add oil and vinegar mixture to a blender once cooled. Add Dijon mustard and mayonnaise and blend until well combined, around 20 seconds.
Pour dressing into a lidded container (like a Mason jar) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before use.
If making a cucumber salad, pour the dressing over vegetables and let sit for at least 4 hours before serving.
Note: The dressing shouldn’t separate, but if you experience some separation in the dressing just make sure to shake it vigorously before using!
Dressing Variations
The beauty of this Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing is that, while delicious in its own right, it makes a fantastic base for riffing. Here are some suggested additions and combinations you might consider.
- Garlic powder
- Celery seed
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Chili powder
Equipment Needed
Dressing Storage
Store Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing in a lidded container, like a Mason jar. For best results, use within 2 weeks.
Top tips
Be patient and let the apple cider vinegar/oil mixture cool off to room temperature before attempting to combine it with the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard.
The OG recipe here is good, but don’t be afraid to tweak this recipe to suit your tastes. Even I tend to add at least one or two additional seasonings to the mix.
Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing
Equipment
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon mayo
- ½ tablespoon Dijon
Instructions
- Bring apple cider vinegar, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt to a simmer over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat. Let cool.½ cup apple cider vinegar, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add oil and vinegar mixture to a blender once cooled. Add Dijon mustard and mayonnaise and blend until well combined, around 20 seconds.1 ½ tablespoon mayo, ½ tablespoon Dijon
- Pour dressing into a lidded container (like a Mason jar) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before use.
- If making a cucumber salad, pour the dressing over vegetables and let sit for at least 4 hours before serving.
Sonia Torres says
This was a great recipe!
I love garlic so i added 2 medium size garlic cloves to the simmering pot of vingar, oil and sugar. It taste great. I also used a vegan mayo cause I'm vegan. But it taste very good. Thanks, Sonia
Tino Marie says
Adding garlic is a fantastic idea! So happy to hear that using a vegan mayo worked well for you, that's a great substitution idea 🙂