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    Home » Salad Dressings

    Published: Mar 15, 2022 · Modified: Jan 17, 2023 by Pam

    Southwest Salad Dressing (Vinaigrette)

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    pin image of southwest salad dressing

    All of your favorite Tex-Mex flavors come together in this easy to make southwest vinaigrette dressing perfect for any salad.

    bottle of southwest salad dressing in front of salad.

    Southwestern salad dressings are typically creamy. This one, however, uses the same southwest spices but in a vinaigrette base, which tends to be a healthier option than creamy dressings.

    While this is a great dressing for southwestern salad we also love it on many other types of salad. In fact, you can use it as a finishing sauce for fish or chicken, or even drizzle it on as a sandwich topping.

    For a unique twist on tacos cook shredded beef (Mexican style) in your slow cooker and serve it in tortillas with your favorite toppings and a light pour of this dressing.

    Your dressing comes together in just minutes and can be served right away, but like champagne vinaigrette, Barbecue Salad Dressing, Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing, or this gussied-up bottled dressing, it will benefit from some time for the flavors to "get cozy" together.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredient and substitution notes
    • Instructions
    • Variation ideas
    • A few items that will come in handy:
    • Recipe FAQ's
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Salad Dressings

    Ingredient and substitution notes

    You'll probably find that you've got the ingredients already on hand. Just whip it up in about 5 minutes anytime you want a good homemade dressing to have around.

    • Extra virgin olive oil - when using in a recipe like this one where it will be front and center we like to use the best quality we can afford.
    • Apple cider vinegar - if you only have another lighter vinegar on hand feel free to use it, but we definitely recommend apple cider if you can.
    • Lime juice - we always recommend using freshly squeezed if possible.
    • Chili powder
    • Dried oregano - if you happen to have fresh oregano that's great. Just remember it's less potent so you'll need about 3 times as much as dried.
    • Cumin and Salt
    • Garlic powder - you could dice half a clove of garlic, but to keep this recipe super quick and easy we like to use powder.
    • Honey - at the suggestion of some of our readers we have added a bit of honey as an optional ingredient
    seasonings and spices poured onto parchment paper

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    1. Making this dressing from scratch couldn't be easier! Put all of the ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid or a bowl if you plan to put it in a cute bottle like ours.
    2. Next just shake away if you're using the lidded mason jar or whisk briskly if using the bowl. To transfer the ingredients from the bowl to your bottle just pore through a funnel.

    For a fun look at this recipe, be sure to check out the web story!

    Variation ideas

    • Spicy - add red pepper flakes or ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you like a little heat.
    • Deluxe - add chopped cilantro (about 2 Tablespoons would be great)
    • Lemony - use freshly squeezed (always preferred over bottled) lemon juice vs. lime juice

    This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on an affiliate link and buy something, we may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra. Click here for our full privacy and disclosure policy. As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    bottle of southwest vinaigrette with cork out
    graphic with woman reading The Flavor Bible.

    A few items that will come in handy:

    One of our favorite tools in the kitchen is this citrus juicer. We literally use it all the time!

    If you use fresh herbs you'll love this pair of 5 blade herb shears. It's another tool that everyone in our family has and uses often.

    To get your dressing from a bowl into a bottle you'll need a funnel. Just a basic one like this is fine.

    And for a cute bottle to put your salad dressing in? Order here. We used these same bottles for our simple syrups for cocktails. The bottles are super versatile and get used frequently.

    Recipe FAQ's

    How long can I keep my homemade salad dressing?

    It will keep just fine in the fridge for a week or even a little longer. Olive oil solidifies when chilled, so just set it out a little while before your meal so it has time to come to room temperature. If you forget, don't worry. Just stand the bottle or jar in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and you'll be good to go.

    Should I make salad dressing right before serving?

    It's best to give the flavors time to blend together if you can. Ideally you would make your dressing 2-4 hours before serving. The day before is fine too if you're planning a dinner party and want to do as much as possible before hand. However, if you waited until the last minute, don't worry - your dressing will still be amazing!

    📖 Recipe

    bottle of southwest vinaigrette in front of salad

    Easy Southwest Salad Dressing (Vinaigrette)

    Pam
    All of your favorite southwestern flavors come together in this easy to make vinaigrette dressing perfect for any salad.
    4.67 from 78 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Course Salad
    Servings 6 people
    Calories 171 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
    • 1 Tablespoon lime juice preferably freshly squeezed
    • ¾ teaspoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano if using fresh increase amount to 1½ teaspoons
    • ¾ teaspoon cumin
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder if using fresh use ½ minced garlic glove
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons honey

    Instructions
     

    • Mix all ingredients in jar with tightly fitting lid.
    • Shake until well blended.
    • Serve immediately or allow to sit for 1-2 hours, shaking again before serving.

    Notes

    Dressing can be stored in refrigerator for up to 7 days. Before serving, allow to come to room temperature and then shake vigorously. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 171kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gSodium: 199mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 81IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 7mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jess says

      March 21, 2022 at 9:54 am

      5 stars
      I love that this is made with pantry staples that I always have on hand!

      Reply
    2. Dana Sandonato says

      March 21, 2022 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      Love this dressing! Perfect for taco salads and lettuce cups!

      Reply
    3. Beth says

      March 21, 2022 at 10:16 am

      5 stars
      This dressing sounds amazing! I can see not only using it for a salad but as a fantastic marinade, too!

      Reply
    4. Nic says

      March 21, 2022 at 10:19 am

      5 stars
      I'd only ever had creamy southwest salad dressing before this. This was amazing and so much better and very delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 22, 2022 at 1:41 pm

        Yay! Thanks, Nic.

        Reply
    5. Katherine says

      March 21, 2022 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      I love this dressing on my taco salad!

      Reply
      • Pam says

        March 22, 2022 at 1:41 pm

        Thanks, Katherine!

        Reply
    6. Taylor says

      June 10, 2022 at 11:51 am

      What’s in this dressing to make it only last a week?

      Reply
      • Pam says

        June 12, 2022 at 5:48 pm

        Taylor, it would most likely last longer, but we like to err on the side of caution. Also, this recipe makes a fairly small amount so chances are you wouldn't need to store it longer - it's going to be eaten up quickly!

        Reply
    7. Sharon says

      September 07, 2022 at 4:26 pm

      I haven't tried it yet but would like to know the serving size.

      Reply
      • Pam says

        September 08, 2022 at 10:07 am

        Sharon, 2 Tablespoons is the standard for salad dressing serving size. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Mayo says

      January 24, 2023 at 11:49 pm

      I added honey because it was a bit sour for my taste but otherwise it was a delicious dressing

      Reply
      • Pam says

        January 25, 2023 at 6:17 pm

        That sounds like a nice addition!

        Reply
      • Jo says

        March 22, 2023 at 3:11 pm

        5 stars
        I also added honey, about 1 tablespoon. It was too tart without it.

        Reply
        • Pam says

          March 26, 2023 at 1:28 pm

          Thanks so much Jo! After several readers suggested that we've added honey as an optional ingredient. It's always great hearing from y'all with feedback.

    9. Brandon says

      June 15, 2023 at 6:48 pm

      Does it normally have a strong vinger smell?

      Reply
      • Pam says

        June 18, 2023 at 6:34 pm

        It shouldn't. Maybe your vinegar had gotten old? As vinegars go apple cider vinegar is a potent flavor but it shouldn't be overpowering.

        Reply

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