Maple Dijon Dressing (restaurant-quality quick)

I almost never buy store-bought salad dressing. They’re usually either total vinegar bombs or just one-note. Making your own lets you customise flavours to your taste and play with different ingredients.

Take this maple Dijon dressing - it’s restaurant-quality, ready in 5-minutes, and works like magic to get my family eating more salads. We love it on a classic green salad, but it’s just as good as a dip for fresh veggies or over freshly cooked green beans. It’s entirely dairy-free and egg-free, plus it's made with only six pantry staples. Read on and I’ll share a few easy chef’s techniques to help you whip up professional-level dressings every time.

Why Maple Dijon Dressing is So Popular

Maple Dijon dressing is a sweet and tangy vinaigrette made with maple syrup, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and vinegar/lemon. It's commonly used on green salads, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, and can be used as a drizzle for tofu or vegetables.

Having a staple of dressings and sauces is a must for any cook - but particularly for plant-based cooks. Without a good dressing, we're pretty much eating plain tofu and vegetables. Maple dijon dressing is a classic for a reason.

Other dressings and sauces to try →

Ingredients for Maple Dijon Dressing

Dijon mustard has a sharp but smooth mustard flavour and works as a natural emulsifier. It's different to most other mustards as it's made with brown mustard seeds rather than yellow seeds, and white wine or verjuice - giving it a smoother texture and a sharper, more complex flavour. It is widely available in supermarkets, so you shouldn't have any issue getting it.

Maple syrup adds sweetness but also a smoky depth to dishes. Get the best pure maple syrup (not flavoured syrup) you can.

Two acids. This recipe uses both vinegar and lemon to add dimension to the dressing's acidity. If you can only use one, I would go for the apple cider or a red wine vinegar.

Olive. Olive oil works best here lending a slightly spiced, fruity flavour.

Garlic. Garlic adds depth to this dressing but to take the edge off the raw flavour we are going to use a quick and easy technique.

Hot water. Adding a dash of hot water to dressing helps emulsify the ingredients to create a silkier dressing. It also helps to mellow sharp flavours and melt any ingredients that need a little help.

Technique 1. Add raw minced garlic to acids (lemon and vinegar) for a few minutes to temper the raw garlic flavour before adding the other ingredients. This helps the garlic add depth to dressings without overpowering other flavours.

Technique 2. Adding a dash of hot water to dressing helps emulsify the ingredients to create a silkier dressing. It also helps to mellow sharp flavours and melt any ingredients that need a little help.

How to Make a Restaurant-Quality Dressing