Orange Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Here’s a trick that will bring a citrus pop to all your salads: this Orange Vinaigrette Salad Dressing! We get absurdly excited about salad dressings around here, and this one is our latest obsession. It’s got just the right zingy kick from the orange with a simple trick. It takes just 5 minutes to whip up with just a bowl and a whisk, and it takes your salads from everyday to extraordinary. Here’s how to make it!

Ingredients in orange vinaigrette salad dressing

This orange vinaigrette takes just 5 minutes to whip up with simple ingredients you might already have on hand. The only fresh ingredient, of course, is the orange! Now, here’s a secret to the big flavor in this salad dressing: all you need is orange zest. That’s right: no orange juice needed! When testing this recipe, we found the orange juice made the dressing too watery without adding enough flavor. Grab 1 tablespoon orange zest and it makes a massive acidic pop! Here’s what you’ll need for this dressing (or skip to the recipe for quantities):

Orange zestWhite wine vinegarDijon mustardHoney or maple syrupOlive oil Salt

All you have to do? Whisk together the non-oil ingredients, then gradually whisk in the oil until a creamy emulsion forms. That’s it!

How to zest an orange

Orange zest is the colored outside portion of its peel that brings a citrusy, tangy flavor to recipes. Avoid the white portion of the peel (called the “pith”) because it adds bitterness. Zesting citrus is a key skill for the home cook. Here are the best ways we’ve found to zest an orange:

The best method for how to zest an orange? Using a microplane. It’s a handheld grater that has a metal plate with sharp holes. You’ll find this works much faster than using a box grater, and it results in more consistent grating.The next best methods? Use a citrus zester or the fine holes on a box grater.

Best ways to serve orange vinaigrette salad dressing

This orange vinaigrette is perfection with almost any green salad. We created it for this Butternut Squash Salad with apple and pecans. But it’s also great with lots of other salads! Here are a few ideas for how to use it:

Spinach salad like Spinach Apple SaladPear salad like Pear Salad with GorgonzolaSquash salad like Delicata Squash Salad or Butternut Squash SaladSweet potato salad like Sweet Potato SaladStrawberry salad like Classic Strawberry SaladBlueberry salad like Blueberry Salad with Feta

More salad dressing recipes

Love homemade salad dressings? Here are a few more tasty dressing recipes to make at home:

Try Poppy Seed DressingOpt for simple Red Wine Vinaigrette or Easy VinaigretteGo for classic Creamy Balsamic Dressing or Easy Honey Mustard DressingWhisk up Maple Vinaigrette or Honey VinaigretteGrab zingy Shallot Vinaigrette, Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing or Citrus Salad DressingOpt for creamy with Caesar Dressing Recipe or Homemade Ranch Dressing