5 Minute Quick Balsamic Vinaigrette

A salad is only as good as the dressing, but sometimes you just need something fast — like this quick balsamic vinaigrette.

I make a lot of kitchen sink salads. You know the ones — you use what you’ve got. Anything and everything goes, and so each salad is never the same. I make these when I want something fast and easy. I put whatever ready-made salad ingredients I have in them. Olives, sun dried tomatoes, croutons, nuts, and random bits of cheese are all game.  I often have lots of leftover produce thanks to my Imperfect Foods subscription. If you want to try it, you can get $80 in free groceries here. Yes, $80!

I rarely buy bottled salad dressing because it’s so easy to make a good dressing from scratch. This is not difficult in the slightest. But sometimes it takes tweaking and tasting to get it right and I’m just not in the mood.

So this easy dressing comes in handy. It requires a seasoning blend that you just love. In this case, I used Trader Joe’s Sofrito blend. It’s an Italian-style blend that is spicy and aromatic, and so easy to throw a big pinch in a jar with some oil and vinegar. A bit of grainy mustard, a vigorous shake, and you’ve got a quick balsamic vinaigrette dressing in 5 minutes or less.

This dressing is good on just about anything, so it’s perfect for making a salad when you’re not sure what’s going in it. It’s also not overly complex, so if you’ve got some good summer produce (it’s that time y’all!) this is the perfect dressing to give your veggies some flavor, but not overwhelm them.

You don’t need to make a big batch of this, although you certainly can. Just add your ingredients to a jar, shake, and dress your salad. It’s really that easy.