This is the best walnut dressing recipe! It has the most amazing flavour and this vinaigrette is made with walnuts, avocado oil, sherry vinegar and shallots. It is so thick and creamy and is so easy to make.
Homemade salad dressings like my easy strawberry basil vinaigrette and pickle juice dressing are one of the best ways to save money on groceries, and they tend to taste so much better than store bought dressings, which is why I can't wait for you to make the walnut salad dressing recipe I am sharing with you today.
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Why you will love this dressing:
- It has the most incredible flavour and is so thick and creamy!
- This walnut vinaigrette is easy to make and is ready in just 5 minutes.
- This walnut dressing is so versatile - it can be used for salads, cooked veggies, as a dip, or for topping meat and fish dishes.
- It's a healthy dressing that is naturally gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, refined sugar free and paleo.
If you love walnut dressing, you will also love walnut pesto.
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the full ingredient list and exact measurements refer to the recipe card later in this post.
Jump to the Recipe Card.- Raw walnuts - form the base of this delicious, creamy dressing. I recommend using raw walnuts, not roasted walnuts.
- Avocado oil - has a very neutral flavour so it's perfect for making dressings.You can swap this for olive oil.
- Sherry vinegar - you can buy this online or from most specialty food stores. I do not recommend trying to replace this with another type of vinegar as it would really change the flavour of this dressing.
- Shallots - you usually find these next to the onions in the produce section.
- Dijon mustard - this adds the perfect amount of tangy flavour to this dressing. You can use any type of dijon mustard that you like.
- Honey or maple syrup - either of these natural sweeteners can be used to give this dressing the perfect amount of sweetness.
How to make walnut dressing:
- Step 1: Put all the ingredients into your high speed blender.
- Step 2: Blend well until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
Top tips:
- If you stop blending this dressing part way through and let it rest for a few seconds and then start blending again it will get VERY thick. Because of this I recommend blending it all in one go rather than stopping and starting (unless you prefer a thick dressing that has more of a thick, dip like texture).
- If you don't have a Vitamix or other high speed blender you can make this walnut dressing in a food processor instead.
- This recipe makes a large batch of dressing. If you want a smaller batch, cut the recipe in half.
- Storage: store this walnut dressing in the fridge in an airtight container or jar for up to a week. It will thicken in the fridge so if you don't like a thicker dressing I would make a smaller batch and use it all initially.
Serving ideas:
You can use this walnut dressing as a topping for salads, as a dip for raw vegetables, crackers or chips, as a topping for roasted vegetables, or as a topping for meat or fish dishes. I also love using this dressing to top grilled cabbage or romaine lettuce.
Walnut dressing FAQs:
Yes this is a vegan walnut dressing recipe.
No this salad dressing is not Whole30 compliant as it is made with maple syrup or honey, and no sweeteners are allowed on the Whole30 program.
Other sauces and dips you will love:
Recipe
Walnut Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups raw walnuts
- 1 1/4 cups avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 small shallot, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to your Vitamix or other high speed blender.
- Blend until smooth.
Notes
- If you stop and start the blender when blending this dressing it will get very thick. Because of that I recommend blending it all in one go, unless you prefer a thicker type dressing with more of a dip consistency.
- This recipe makes a large batch of dressing. If you prefer a smaller batch I suggest cutting the recipe in half.
- Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Kristie
This dressing is SO YUMMY