This beet salad dressing is so simple to make you’ll wonder why you ever purchased store-bought. Drizzle it on any of your favorite leafy greens or roasted beet salads!
Beet salad dressing is super versatile and can be tossed into any beet-centric salad. You’re going to absolutely love this dressing and will soon keep a jar of it on hand at all time for whenever a beet craving comes a knockin’!
In this recipe, you’ll learn one of the most foolproof, simple ways to make dressing at home. Instead of fussing around with whisking or blending, you’ll shake all the ingredients together in a sealable canning jar. Yes, that means no dishes or annoying clean-up necessary.
What’s better? You can double or triple the recipe and pop the jar right into the fridge for on-demand dressing throughout the week. Let’s get to it!
Did you know? In Canada and the United States, the taproot portion of the plant is simply referred to as “beets”. In Britain, it’s referred to as “beetroot”. If you ever get tripped up on a menu or find yourself across the pond, now you know!
What is Beet Salad Dressing?
Beet salad dressing is a standard dressing you can use for any salad that calls for roasted or pickled beets. It’s similar to a balsamic vinaigrette, but the depth of flavor is deepened with zesty dijon mustard and rich honey. Below, find a rundown of the flavor, texture, and time it takes to whip it up.
- Flavor: Beet salad dressing is a little sweet and a little tangy.
- Texture: The dressing should be a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Time: From start to finish, this dressing only takes 5 minutes to make.
How to Make Beet Salad Dressing
Making beet salad dressing is so simple, you’ll never buy store-bought dressing again. Below, find a quick (and we mean quick!) overview of the recipe before you dive in.
- Pop Ingredients Into a Sealable Jar: Place all the ingredients into a Mason Jar or other sealable canning jar. Shake vigorously until the dressing turns a consistent shade of creamy brown.
- Refrigerate the Dressing: In between uses, keep the jar sealed and the dressing refrigerated.
Tips for Making Beet Salad Dressing
Below, find some quick tips for making the best beet salad dressing.
- Store beet salad dressing in a sealable jar. Storing your beet salad dressing in a Mason Jar between uses will keep it from absorbing any lingering smells in your refrigerator. It will also make it easy for you to shake the dressing back to creamy brown after it naturally separates.
- Taste test the dressing before serving. Do you like it a bit more vinegary? Add a little balsamic. Do you want the dressing more tangy? Pop in some more dijon. How about more sweet? Whisk in some honey. Don’t be afraid to tweak the ingredients any which way to make this recipe your own!
- Use high-quality olive oil. When making homemade dressing, using really solid olive oil is key. The flavor depends on it! Stay away from olive oil blends and buy a bottle of 100% unfiltered olive oil. You’ll notice the difference.
- Swap out the honey for maple syrup. For a nice fall-inspired dressing, use maple syrup instead of honey.
Serving Beet Salad Dressing
You can serve beet salad dressing on any leafy green or beet-centric salad you love most. The versatile, tangy flavor always elevates roasted or pickled beets! If you need a couple of beet salads to add to your rotation, try beet and goat cheese arugula salad (creamy, crunchy, and a little spicy), beet goat cheese salad (the classic beet salad), or quinoa beet salad (perfect for work lunches).
Storing Beet Salad Dressing
Store beet salad dressing in a sealable canning jar in between uses. It should keep in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. As the dressing sits in the refrigerator, you’ll notice a bit of natural separation. That’s perfectly normal! Give the dressing a couple of vigorous shakes and it will turn creamy brown again.
FAQ
What cheese goes best with beets?
Soft cheeses like goat cheese, feta cheese, and blue cheese go best with beets.
How do I add flavor to beets?
You can add flavor to beets by roasting and salting them, pickling them, or tossing them in a tangy dressing. Naturally, they have a sweet flavor that doesn’t need to be fussed with too much.
What goes with beets?
Beets pair perfectly with soft cheeses (goat cheese, feta cheese, and blue cheese), nuts, arugula, dijon mustard, quinoa, and citrus. You’ll find one or several of these components in most beet salad recipes.
Can I eat raw beets?
Yes, you can eat raw beets. Finely shredded beets can be added to salads for a beautiful pop of color.
What is considered a serving of dressing?
A serving of dressing is about 2 tablespoons.
Other Tasty Salad Dressings to Try
- China Coast Salad Dressing – Teriyaki salad dressing
- Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing – Perfect caesar dressing
- Light Ranch Dressing – Guilt-free ranch dressing
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- Gather the dressing ingredients.
- Combine all ingredients in a sealable canning jar. Close the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
- Keep dressing refrigerated between uses. Enjoy atop your favorite roasted and pickled beet salads!
Excellent!!!!!! Delicious!!!!! Will make it again and again. Thank you!
Hi Myra, I'm so happy you love it! Enjoy!
I had some fresh beets from the Farmer’s Market that I really wasn’t looking forward to cooking. However, my husband is a big fan of beets. I needed up roasting them then browsed for a dressing to compliment them. This was superb with some added goat cheese and pistachios! I enjoyed them myself!
Hey Karen, sounds absolutely amazing. I love beets with goat cheese. I need to try with pistachios. Such a great idea. Thank you for sharing.
Hi i was looking for a salad dressinv made with beetroot juice
Ahhhh this one is more for salads that contain beets. The tartness pairs so well with them. I'll add the beetroot juice dressing to my list of recipes to add to the site. Thanks, Janice!
I used your recipe tonight as a marinade for summer veggies (+ mushrooms) and chicken. After a couple hours, everything got speared onto kabobs and grilled. Not only delicious, but beautiful. My husband, who doesn’t like veggies or any kind of mustard, loved it — “especially the sauce.” Thank you.
Sue, that is so good to hear, thank you very much for taking the time to share your feedback! I am so glad you have found a way to get your husband to eat more veggies 🙂
I NEVER leave comments, but this is so delicious and easy that I had to put it in writing!
I am honored, thank you, Nicole, for leaving a comment, it helps me so much to hear back! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe, I hope you find more delicious recipes here 🙂
Can I add yogurt dressing to beetroot salad 24 hrs ahead?
Hi Cynthia, you can as long as there are no fresh veggies in it, you don't want the salad to get soggy. Enjoy
What is consider a serving for this recipe and nutrition facts?
About 2 TBSP of dressing.
3 blue ww points
What kind of balsamic vinegar do you use? Brand?
I have tried a few different brands. This time I used Pompeian balsamic vinegar, sold at many grocery stores. Sometimes at homegoods I bump into something that looks fancy, I like trying different brands. 🙂