Grapefruit Vinaigrette

This fresh Grapefruit Vinaigrette is light, tangy, and flavorful! With only 3-ingredients, it’s a simple way to zest up any meal (not just salad!).

Adding this grapefruit salad dressing to salad greens makes such a flavorful and refreshing salad! For more delicious salad dressings, check out Spicy Cashew Dressing, Lemon Chive Salad Dressing, and Dill Mustard Salad Dressing.

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Why this recipe works

• Only 3 simple ingredients. 
• Perfect for green leafy salads. 
• Easy to make, with no special equipment needed. 
• Homemade dressings are better since they don’t contain extra preservatives.
• Vegan
• Gluten free

Salad dressing formula

The formula I like to use to make any olive oil based dressing is:

Salad Dressing = 1 Part Tart (Citrus or Vinegar) + 1 Part Olive Oil + 1-2 tablespoon Mustard or Sweetener + Dried or Fresh Herbs (optional)

• TART - The tart ingredient is a necessity for providing balance to the olive oil. I personally always prefer to use fresh citrus juice instead of vinegar, but both can and should be used for salad dressings! You can use red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, citrus juice, balsamic vinegar, champagne vinegar, or even rice vinegar. 
• OLIVE OIL - I always recommend using a good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) for salad dressings. I usually like to have one smaller, higher quality bottle for salad dressings, pestos and un-cooked sauces like chimichurri.
• MUSTARD / SWEETENER - When picking mustards for salad dressings, I like to use either a spicy mustard or whole grain dijon mustard. They're the best for balancing out the other flavors. If I don’t use mustard, I use a sweetener like honey, agave or maple syrup. It’s a needed element of every salad dressing as it thickens the dressing.
• HERBS - Depending on the salad dressing, herbs can definitely elevate the flavors of a dressing. It can take a plain salad dressing to the next level! For this salad dressing, I omit herbs because I wanted the grapefruit to shine.

Ingredients

• Grapefruits - You will need 2 grapefruits for this recipe. You can use pink grapefruit or red grapefruit. Usually the more red a grapefruit is, the sweeter it is. 
• Extra virgin olive oil - Use a good quality brand. Make sure the ingredients say “extra virgin.” 
• Dijon mustard - Balances out the tartness of the grapefruit juice. You can use spicy dijon, or whole grain mustard.

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements. 

How to make this recipe

STEP ONE. Juice 2 grapefruits into a measuring cup.

STEP TWO: Pour grapefruit juice into a  mason jar or glass container with add olive oil. 

STEP THREE: Add the rest of the dressing ingredients into the jar.

STEP FOUR: Shake for about 15 seconds until fully emulsified.

Serving Suggestions

This simple salad dressing is perfect for a leafy green salad. Just pour dressing over the salad ingredients and give it a toss. Serve a dinner salad or side salad with your main course. 

This tangy grapefruit vinaigrette would also be delicious paired with fish or vegetables. Here are some recipes to pair this dressing with. 

• Simple Arugula and Spinach Salad
• Lemony Kale and Spinach Salad
• Citrus Arugula Salad
• Vegan Couscous Salad

Variations

• Add a minced clove of garlic for a garlicky version
• Add in fresh herbs like chives. 
• Swap out the grapefruit for other citrus like orange, lime, or lemon for a different citrus flavor. 
• Save some grapefruit segments to toss with your salad.

Expert Tips

• Squeeze the grapefruits directly into a measuring cup. Ideally you want almost equal parts grapefruit to olive oil. If you get less than 1.5 cups of grapefruit juice from squeezing, use less olive oil.
• Make sure to use a mason jar or airtight container to mix the ingredients. 
• The best way to thicken the dressing is to shake the ingredients really well together.
• Salting your salad dressing is a really important step. Don’t skip it!
• Use good quality olive oil. Since this dressing is only 3 ingredients, you want to make sure you are using the good stuff!
• Storage directions - The best way to store homemade salad dressings are in airtight containers like mason jars in the fridge. Depending on how cold your fridge is, the oil may harden, but that’s okay. Take your salad dressing out of the fridge a little before you need it so that it comes to room temperature.

You may also enjoy making Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice! Or learn more about storing and freezing grapefruit juice: How Long Does Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice Last?

Frequently Asked Questions

More Salad Dressing Recipes

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