Upgrade your salad with this Creamy Balsamic Dressing recipe made with hummus! It's quick and easy to prepare, with bold, delicious flavors. (Vegan, gluten-free, refined oil-free, naturally sweetened.)
This creamy balsamic dressing is so delicious & flavorful! It's a great way to enhance your salads at home.
Made with just a few simple ingredients, this dressing is tangy, savory, and slightly sweet. Then we add hummus to achieve creamy texture. (So good!) I find hummus is a great dairy-free alternative so there's no need for mayo, sour cream, or yogurt to thicken the dressing.
Homemade dressings are great because they taste so much more fresh than store-bought. Plus you can control the ingredients and fine-tune the flavors just the way you like them.
Ingredients for Creamy Balsamic Dressing
For this recipe, you'll blend in a small high-speed blender or food processor:
- Balsamic vinegar
- Hummus: This is what adds the creamy texture. I use my favorite Oil-Free Hummus recipe. But feel free to use store-bought if desired (although be aware these often contain oil).
- Pure maple syrup: This adds a subtle sweetness and helps to balance the flavors. Feel free to swap in your own favorite sweetener like agave nectar or vegan honey. Use as much or as little as you'd like.
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic powder: Or you can use one clove minced garlic for stronger flavor.
- White miso: This is a fermented soybean paste with mild umami flavor. I love using it in dressings to provide a deeper, more complex flavor. I highly recommend including it, but if you don't have any then simply salt well to taste instead.
- Italian seasoning: You can also add black pepper to taste if desired.
Customizing
Herbs & seasoning: Instead of Italian seasoning, use your own favorite dried herbs like basil, oregano, thyme, etc. If using fresh herbs, simply pulse them a couple times after blending the main ingredients.
Adding oil: I prefer this without oil, but you can whisk in a tablespoon of good quality extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil if you wish to turn it into a creamy balsamic vinaigrette.
Blender note: I use a small NutriBullet which works great for dressings and smaller batches.
Serving
Leafy green salads: Drizzle it over your favorite greens like arugula, baby kale, spinach, or mixed spring greens. It pairs great with this Roasted Chickpea Salad with Hummus. (Or it's also great over a simple bowl of strawberry and spinach salad!)
Wraps: Spoon it on wraps for a unique flavor twist.
Grain salads: Toss it with various grain or bean salads (like quinoa, lentil, or rice) or even on a vegan Caprese salad.
Storing
Store leftovers in an airtight container or sealed mason jar in the fridge. I find it keeps well for about 5 days.
For more inspiration, also browse all oil-free salad dressing recipes.
Creamy Balsamic Dressing (Oil-Free!)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup hummus
- 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp. white miso
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a small high-speed blender or food processor. Blend for 20-30 seconds or until smooth.
- Taste and adjust flavors if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
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Toni says
VERY good! I've added it to my list of favorites. Thank you!
Kaitlin says
Hello, Toni! That's so awesome to hear you enjoyed it enough to add it to your favorites. Wonderful! Thanks for coming back to share your very kind feedback and I hope you continue to enjoy it!