Parmesan Vinaigrette

There are a lot of parmesan vinaigrette recipes out there, but most of them yield a super chunky dressing that, in my opinion, does not fair well on salads. This 5-minute parmesan vinaigrette recipe is tangy and smooth, and it makes a great salad dressing or dipping sauce for bread!

How To Make A Smooth Vinaigrette

When you are making a typical vinaigrette, recipes usually call for you to toss everything into a mason jar and shake it up until it emulsifies. Because we use grated parmesan cheese in this recipe, that won’t work very well.

Technically you can add all of the ingredients to a mason jar and shake it up, and it will still taste amazing. But the vinaigrette will be super chunky, which isn’t very appealing on things like salads. But it would still make a great dipping sauce!

• To make a smooth vinaigrette, you need to process the ingredients in a food processor or immersion blender. This will yield that drizzle that you are likely expecting from a salad dressing.

Below is an example of the parmesan vinaigrette before it has been blended. You can see that it is slightly chunky and that it has not emulsified well.

The Ingredients

Here are the ingredients for garlic parmesan vinaigrette.

• Parmesan Cheese – Make sure this is real parmesan cheese purchased from the refrigerator section. Technically you can use the powdered stuff you find in the aisles, but it won’t taste nearly as good and it is very processed. You also want to make sure that the cheese is grated, not shredded, for the proper consistency.

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – Many studies continue to confirm the health benefits of extra-virgin olive oil, like its high levels of antioxidants and beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. It is also frequently used in the Mediterranean diet, which has been voted the best diet in the world for 6 straight years. This is the oil that I recommend, and I encourage you to use whatever brand you like. I don’t recommend regular vegetable oil, as it contains high levels of trans fats.

• Vinegar – I have made this recipe with both white wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar and they are interchangeable. I don’t recommend balsamic vinegar, as the tanginess from the vinegar may clash with the bite of the cheese.

• Dijon Mustard – In order to blend oil and vinegar, you need something called an emulsifier. Mustard is typically the emulsifier of choice in vinaigrettes, and I recommend using Dijon! This is the only mustard I have tried with this recipe so it is the only one I can recommend for certain! If you try another, let me know how it was in the comments at the bottom of the page.

• Garlic – It is 100% my personal opinion that garlic is needed in this recipe. I have made it without, and I just felt like it was missing something. Garlic contains allicin, which is a compound that is loaded with antioxidants. These antioxidants are their strongest if consumed within the first 10 minutes of chopping (or blending), so if you can use the dressing right away, this will benefit you!

• Salt – This dressing needs a little salt, but not a lot. Parmesan is typically salty, and you may need more or less depending on the brand used. Start with 1/8 of a tsp and increase from there as needed.

• Onion Powder – I add onion powder for a little extra flavor, but you can omit it if you want.

Some people may want to add a little sweetness to it, and you can do this with a quick squeeze of honey or maple syrup. You can also add freshly cracked black pepper to taste.

How To Make Parmesan Vinaigrette

All you have to do is add all of the ingredients to a food processor or immersion blender, and process until smooth!

Tips To Keep In Mind

1. You want to make sure this is REAL fresh grated parmesan. This is the kind that you purchase in the refrigerator section at your local grocery store. The fake stuff in the aisles won’t taste nearly as good.

2. If you choose not to use a blender of some kind, the vinaigrette will still taste just as good, but it will be very chunky (see images above).

3. Adding a dash of water will help thin the dressing out if needed. Since every brand of parmesan has a slightly different consistency, this may be needed.

4. Some parmesans are saltier than others, so only add a little salt to begin with, then taste and add more as needed. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out once it’s in!

What To Drizzle It On

This dressing tastes wonderful on just about any salad recipe! You can also use it as a dipping sauce for bread!

If you keep it chunky by not blending it, it reminds me of the garlic parmesan dip from ‘Not Your Average Joe’s’ restaurant. If you blend it, it reminds me of the ‘Subway MVP Parmesan Vinaigrette’ recipe.

I think this would taste amazing over:

• Lemon Orzo Salad

• Mushroom and Kale Winter Salad

• Spinach Salad With Asparagus, Feta, and Mushroom Bacon

How Long Will It Last In The Fridge?

This dressing will last about 5 days in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Since it does have perishable ingredients like parmesan and garlic, always taste-test it before dressing anything!

Did you make this recipe?  It would mean so much to me if you would rate it below the recipe card and tag me in your creation on Instagram so I can admire your work! @RecipeHippie