Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing (Paleo, AIP, Keto)

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Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing is a very flavorful vinaigrette that’s rich and creamy, but also dairy-free, gluten-free and great for Paleo diets. Enjoy this robust but a little sweet dressing with the freshest greens and other exciting salad ingredients.

This versatile vinaigrette is great for Paleo, AIP, Keto, Vegan, Gluten-free, Ancestral, VAD and other real food diets.

Ingredients in Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing

This recipe has quite a few ingredients, but they’re all easy to gather staples that most of us have in our pantries and fridges:

• olive oil or avocado oil
• balsamic vinegar
• coconut aminos
• tiger nut butter for AIP, OR for non-AIP + Keto and VAD: pumpkin seed butter, sunflower seed butter or almond butter. This ingredient is optional, but it’s very good to include if you can. It adds quite a bit to the texture and je ne sais quoi of the recipe.
• Dijon mustard, omit for AIP, optional for VAD
• fish sauce — Optional, great if you love the subtle salty umami depth this ingredient adds.
• maple syrup — For Keto, use low carb maple syrup like this.
• dill weed, dried
• sea salt
• dried ginger
• fresh thyme, for salad garnish — Optional, fresh basil is also nice with the flavors in the dressing.

Tips for making the best salad with Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing

Just a few:

1. Using a handheld blender or frother emulsifies the ingredients smoothly, making it creamier. If you don’t have one, two other good options include a small blender or small food processor. If you need to mix by hand instead, that’s okay!: Follow those separate instructions in the Recipe for similar results and to prevent clumping of spices.
2. As with any homemade vinaigrette, for best results, be sure your lettuce is very dry. This prevents a watery salad!
3. Choose other salad ingredients that compliment the sweet, tangy and rich flavors of the dressing. Here are some ideas:
   • roasted winter squash
   • for non-AIP: toasted nuts or seeds, chèvre
   • dried or fresh fruits like fresh figs, thin peeled apple slices, dried cranberries
   • artichoke hearts, celery and cucumbers

How to store leftovers

Leftover dressing lasts well in the fridge for 2 weeks, or longer. I like to store mine in a small mason jar.

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing

Maple Balsamic Salad Dressing is a very flavorful vinaigrette that's rich and creamy, but also dairy-free, gluten-free and great for Paleo diets. Enjoy this robust but a little sweet dressing with the freshest greens and other exciting salad ingredients.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Salad, salad dressing, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: aip, balsamic, paleo, salad dressing

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 114kcal

Author: Megan

Cost: $2

Equipment

• hand blender or frother -- for best mixing of the dressing (But it's okay to whisk by hand if you don't have one, or use a mini blender, or small food processor.)

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon coconut aminos
• 2 teaspoons tiger nut butter OR for non-AIP + Keto and VAD: pumpkin seed butter, sunflower seed butter or almond butter (This ingredient is optional, but it's very good to include if you can. It adds quite a bit to the texture and je ne sais quio of the recipe.)
• 1-½ teaspoons maple syrup For Keto, this one or similar.
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard omit for AIP (optional for VAD)
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce optional
• ½ teaspoon dried ginger
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon dill weed dried, amount based on preference
• fresh thyme for salad garnish, optional; fresh basil would also be good

Instructions

• Gather ingredients.
  
• Add all ingredients to mixing bowl with higher sides (to avoid spatters). (I like to use a 2-cup mason jar, which also stores any leftover dressing, or a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup, which helps with first measuring the olive oil.) Use handheld blender or frother, and blend to mix the ingredients well. (Or place all ingredients in small blender or small food processor, to mix well.)
  
• If you're not using an electric blender of some kind, stir together your herbs and salt before combining the wet and dry ingredients. Combine in mixing bowl with a whisk: dill weed, ginger and sea salt. Add nut or seed butter, maple syrup and optional Dijon mustard. Whisk well to thoroughly combine. Add all remaining ingredients. Whisk well.
• Make sure your lettuces are well-dried after washing. Toss dressing with salad greens, and serve.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 190mg | Potassium: 9mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Other dressing recipes you’ll enjoy:

• Fresh Herb Vinaigrette
• Vietnamese Vinaigrette (recipe coming soon)
• Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing (Avocado Crema!)

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