A homemade red wine vinegar salad dressing brings together the bright, fresh combination of lettuce, toasted almonds, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, red onion, and Parmesan cheese in this restaurant-quality green salad.
If you love homemade dressing, be sure to try this balsamic vinaigrette, Dijon vinaigrette, and pepper jelly vinaigrette, too!
Table of Contents
The dressing is one of the most important additions to a salad, and this classic (and simple!) red wine vinaigrette could not be easier. Just combine the red wine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl, slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking, and your job is done. You’ll never want a store-bought bottle again!
A Few Tips Before You Get Started
- To quickly toast the almonds, place them on a microwave-safe plate and cook on HIGH until the nuts are fragrant and golden brown. This usually takes a total of about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Add kosher salt to the nuts while they’re still warm!
- Slowly stream the olive oil into the dressing while whisking. This helps the vinaigrette emulsify.
- Feel free to adjust the quantities of the different ingredients to suit your tastes. I typically just “eyeball” it!
- Season the salad with salt and pepper before you add the dressing. This extra seasoning enhances the other flavors in the dish. Try seasoning the greens with our favorite all-purpose house seasoning for even more great flavor!
Serving Suggestions
This versatile green salad with red wine vinegar salad dressing is fancy enough for entertaining and holiday tables, but also simple enough to serve as your regular “house” salad on a busy weeknight. Turn it into an entrée with the addition of a southern tomato pie, grilled salmon, grilled scallops, tuna salad, grilled chicken, shrimp, the best grilled hamburgers, or rotisserie chicken. As a side dish, the crisp greens pair nicely with minestrone, shrimp soup, crab imperial, oyster stew, crock pot beef stew, Irish stew, pasta with the best spaghetti sauce recipe, homemade lasagna, a spinach lasagna recipe, stuffed shells with meat, baked ziti with sausage, million dollar baked spaghetti, crescent roll stromboli, meatball subs with frozen meatballs, cornbread taco bake, chicken pot pie with puff pastry, chicken pot pie with biscuits, crock pot chicken pot pie, Dutch oven chicken, chicken and orzo, cast iron deep dish pizza, veggie pizza, pan-fried pork chops, and this beef burgundy recipe.
Make Ahead Tips
- Keep a jar of the toasted, salted almonds in your fridge or pantry for up to a month.
- The dressing will keep in the fridge for at least 1 week (probably longer), so I often make a double-batch in advance. Having the nuts and the dressing prepped and ready to go makes last-minute weeknight salads quick and easy.
- Serve the salad immediately after dressing so that the lettuce and nuts are crisp and crunchy, not soggy.
Try These Salad Dressings Next
Honey Lemon Fruit Salad Dressing
15 minutes mins
Fall Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing
20 minutes mins
Creamy Caesar Dressing
5 minutes mins
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Green Salad with Red Wine Vinegar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
FOR THE GREEN SALAD
- 10 ounces mixed baby greens (or other lettuce of choice)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
- 1 seedless English cucumber, chopped
- ½ of a red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or substitute with other cheese such as crumbled feta or crumbled blue cheese)
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper or all-purpose seasoning, to taste
FOR THE RED WINE VINEGAR SALAD DRESSING
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons pressed or finely minced garlic (about 1 large clove or 2 small cloves) (or sub with ¼ teaspoon garlic powder)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Toast the almonds until deep golden brown, then sprinkle with kosher salt while they’re still warm. I do this in the microwave by placing the almonds on a microwave-safe plate. Cook on high power for a total of about 2 minutes, stirring the nuts every 30 seconds. Season with kosher salt and let cool.
- Place greens in a large serving bowl. Add tomatoes, celery, cucumber, red onion, almonds and cheese. Season with salt and pepper or with all-purpose seasoning.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. While continuing to whisk, gradually stream in the olive oil until all of the ingredients are completely combined. You can also shake everything together in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Drizzle the salad with dressing, toss, and serve!
Notes
- Keep a jar of the toasted, salted almonds in your fridge or pantry for up to a month.
- The dressing will keep in the fridge for at least 1 week (probably longer), so I often make a double-batch in advance. Having the nuts and the dressing prepped and ready to go makes last-minute weeknight salads quick and easy.
- Serve the salad immediately after dressing so that the lettuce and nuts are crisp and crunchy, not soggy.
Nutrition
Recipe Variations
- Season the red wine vinegar salad dressing with fresh herbs and other spices. Good options include fresh or dried basil, thyme, oregano, or parsley. Onion powder or garlic powder are both great, too.
- Cut some of the red wine vinegar with fresh lemon juice for a more complex flavor.
- This recipe will also work with other types of vinegar, such as balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar, and apple cider vinegar.
- Add a dollop of Dijon mustard to help emulsify the dressing and add a little zip.
- Maple syrup is a fine sub for the honey.
- Use this homemade salad dressing on sandwiches, Italian subs, and hoagies, too. It’s a great, flavorful substitute for mustard or mayo. It’s also delicious in pasta salad or on a steak salad.
- Feel free to add other nuts and veggies to the salad, or try a different cheese (like feta cheese or blue cheese).
This recipe was originally published in June, 2021. It was updated in August, 2024.
Hi,
I have made this salad & dressing many times.
So delicious. But I’m having trouble printing the receipe.
Can you please send me a link or something so I can print it?
Thanks
Rabbit
Hi Rabbit,
We’re sorry you’re having trouble printing. Have you tried refreshing your page and clearing your cache?
Here is another link. If that still doesn’t work, please let us know!
This is exciting, can’t wait to make and indulge. I love salads and red wine vinegarette dressing with honey, as I make it too
We hope you enjoy, Sheryl!