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 seeds - makes 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, thanks to apple cider vinegar.
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 seeds added in make for a fantastic coleslaw dressing. Let’s get on to how to make it. One of my favorite dinner combos is to pick up Trader Joe's Cruciferous Crunch Salad mix, drizzle on this lovely sweet apple cider vinegar dressing, then pair it with a hearty main, like this Arm Roast made in the Instant Pot.
Jump to:
Reasons to LOVE this apple cider vinegar dressing
- It's easy to make, requiring only 6 ingredients - apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, mayo, vegetable oil, sugar, and salt.
- The flavor of this dressing is seriously addicting, a complex balance of sweet and tart that brightens up salads and coleslaw.
- It's - dare I say - versatile! This simple dressing is a fantastic base from which you can riff off. I enjoy adding dried dill to give it even more tang, and poppy seeds really make this dressing pop. This dressing is great on a variety of salads, like this Top Ramen Salad.
Ingredients
- Apple cider vinegar - For me, apple cider vinegar is what makes this dressing, bringing tart, funky, and mellow acidic notes.
- Vegetable oil - A good substitute would be canola oil, both can handle the chill of refrigeration without solidifying.
- Mayonnaise - I used Kraft's Mayo with Olive Oil.
- Dijon mustard - It's gotta be Grey Poupon! I love the sharp mustard notes, which are subtle here but the mustard also acts as an emulsifier with the mayo.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
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. Since this dressing makes 1 cup, start with smaller amounts of seasoning, around ¼ - ½ teaspoon of seasoning at a time. I recommend tasting and adjusting after the dressing has had time to sit for at least 2 hours.
- Garlic powder
- Celery seed
- Black pepper
- Onion powder
- Dried dill
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Chili powder
- Poppy seeds
- Lemon or lime zest
How to Make 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 emulsify the dressing, which will prevent the dressing from separating over time.
- Step 1: 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.
- Step 2: Add oil and vinegar mixture to a blender once cooled. Add Dijon mustard and mayonnaise and blend until well combined, around 20 seconds.
- Step 3: Pour dressing into a lidded container (like a Mason jar) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before use.
- Step 4: 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!
Top Tips for the BEST Vinegar and Oil Dressing
Refrigerate the dressing for at least 2 hours before using. This will ensure the dressing is thoroughly chilled and give the flavors time to develop. Plus this is the best time to taste and adjust seasonings, after it has had time to sit.
Don't be impatient. Make sure to completely dissolve the salt and sugar, otherwise, you risk a gritty result. Let the heated oil and vinegar mixture cool to room temperature before attempting to mix it with the mayo, or you risk it curdling.
Experiment! 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. Dried dill is a great addition, I always sneak it in for cucumber salads.
Recipe FAQs
Store Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing in a lidded container, like a Mason jar, in the refrigerator. For best results, use within 2 weeks.
The short answer is yes BUT you should consider the vinegar flavor profile because I can't recommend a 1:1 vinegar substitution. White vinegar is acid central, so if using instead of apple cider vinegar, dial the amount back to ¼ cup, then add more to taste. Bon Appetit has a great write-up on the flavor profiles of different vinegars.
Salads - all kinds! Salads is the obvious answer, but specifically, this dressing SHINES on bitter greens like arugula or kale. The sweetness really plays nicely against the bitterness.
It's also fantastic on coleslaw and cucumber salads. Try it on grain salads as well!
This Oil and Vinegar Dressing pairs well with
these fantastic salad recipes!
If you love fresh salads and homemade dressings, you should also check out this Dill Pickle Salad Dressing and this Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette.
If you tried this Sweet Vinegar and Oil Dressing recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
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 tablespoons 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 tablespoons 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
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
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 🙂