Low Sodium Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe
This low sodium red wine vinaigrette recipe is a classic, tangy, and wonderful salad dressing for salads, grain bowls, or pasta salads! Loaded with red wine vinegar, fresh garlic, olive oil, herbs, and spices! And it takes just minutes to make.
Start by mixing all of your ingredients in a mixing bowl or shaking in a mason jar, and pour over your next salad. See our step-by-step photos or watch our video below to make this recipe along with us today.
Want more low sodium salad dressing recipes? Try our low sodium ranch dressing recipe, our low sodium Caesar dressing, or our favorite sweet onion salad dressing.
We love a good homemade salad and this red wine vinaigrette is one of our favorite dressings to make. It’s fantastic on regular green salads loaded with croutons and fresh veggies and it is our go-to pasta salad dressing recipe as well.
This dressing only takes 5 minutes to make and one bowl or jar to mix it in. Just add all of your ingredients together, give it a good shake, and your vinaigrette is ready for your salad immediately!
Notes from Our Low Sodium Kitchen
- This low sodium red wine vinaigrette recipe is tangy, tart, garlicky, a little sweet, and so delicious.
- It’s completely salt-free because we use low sodium pantry staple ingredients and no added salt in our dressing.
- It takes only 5 minutes to make and has plenty of pantry ingredients, some of which you likely already have on hand.
- It’s a great no-cook recipe that comes together quickly without any fancy equipment needed.
- Cooks of any skill level can successfully make this homemade salt-free vinaigrette dressing by following along with our step-by-step photos below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Be sure to visit the recipe card below to see the full ingredient amounts and directions!
The base of this dressing is good red wine vinegar and good olive oil. We like using extra virgin olive oil, which has a nice flavor, and we try to get the best red wine vinegar that we can find.
We also add a little maple syrup for sweetness and some Dijon mustard for flavor. The mustard also helps emulsify the dressing so it doesn’t separate once it’s mixed.
We use fresh garlic, which is a must in our low sodium dressings, as it gives the salad a really fantastic flavor. We use dried herbs, like a salt-free Italian seasoning blend and black pepper.
Additions and Substitutions
If you don’t have maple syrup you can substitute honey or just plain sugar if you have some on hand.
And if you can’t find low sodium Dijon mustard, you can substitute in 1/2 teaspoon of mustard powder or a stone-ground mustard variety. Just choose the lowest-sodium version you can find at the store. Mine had 50 mg of sodium per teaspoon.
If you don’t have fresh chopped garlic you could also substitute in garlic powder or use jarred pre-chopped garlic if that is easier for you.
Step-By-Step Photos & Directions
Step 1: In a medium bowl (or mason jar with airtight lid), add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, maple syrup or sweetener, Italian seasonings, and pepper.
Step 2: Mix well to combine all ingredients (or seal your lid and shake) – the dressing will turn slightly creamy once shaken (due to the mustard).
Step 3: Pour into your favorite salad, or refrigerate in an airtight container and use within a week – stir/shake well before using.
Recipe FAQs
The self-reducing has 26 mg sodium per serving, as we use no added salt and low sodium ingredients in the dressing. If you enjoy a bottled or red wine vinaigrette from a restaurant, the sodium content will vary so please ask your server before ordering.
Yes this red wine vinegar vinaigrette dressing makes a fantastic marinade. You can use it with chicken, steak, or pork chops. Just be sure to marinate the meat for up to 2 hours but preferably overnight for the best flavor.
Store any leftover red wine vinaigrette in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Because this dressing does not have any preservatives, it will not last as long as normal bottled dressings so enjoy it while it’s fresh.
Serving Suggestions
This red wine vinaigrette salad dressing is fantastic on a low sodium chopped salad or our low sodium apple walnut salad for a nice tang.
It also makes an excellent pasta salad. Try it as pasta salad dressing. Try it on our low sodium tri-colored Italian pasta salad, our low sodium orzo salad recipe, or our favorite low sodium spaghetti salad.
It also makes an excellent marinade. Try it on our low sodium pork chops recipe or marinated low sodium baked chicken breast the night before baking.
Expert Tips
- If you’re using a mason jar to shake the dressing, be sure you use one that has a good airtight sealing lid. You don’t want dressing to spill everywhere when you shake it.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If you want more garlic, or more vinegar, or black pepper, add it as you see fit.
Enjoy This Salt Free Salad Dressing On:
- Low Sodium Kale Salad Recipe
- Low Sodium Tomato Salad Recipe
- The best Low Sodium Couscous Salad Recipe
- Low Sodium Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe
- Low Sodium Strawberry Spinach Salad Recipe
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Low Sodium Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl Or mason jar
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt free Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl (or mason jar with airtight lid), add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, maple syrup or sweetener, Italian seasonings, and pepper.
- Mix well to combine all ingredients – the dressing will turn slightly creamy once shaken (dur to the mustard).
- Pour into your favorite salad, or refrigerate in an airtight container and use within a week – stir/shake well before using.
Notes
- If you’re using a mason jar to shake the dressing, be sure you use one that has a good airtight sealing lid. You don’t want dressing to spill everywhere when you shake it.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If you want more garlic, or more vinegar, or black pepper, add it as you see fit.
Nutrition estimate (for 1 serving)
*Please note, all nutrition content is estimated based on the ingredients we used in our kitchen. It will vary based on your ingredients. Always check your nutrition labels to verify your nutrition content and sodium amounts.
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