Whole30 Balsamic Mustard Dressing

Just 8 ingredients, (the majority of which you probably have lying around the house) make up this tasty whole30 balsamic mustard dressing. Naturally sweetened with grapes, it takes mere minutes to come together!

As it doesn’t use honey, as many other balsamic mustard dressings do, it is also vegan. Combine that with the fact that it’s gluten-free, paleo, soy-free, whole 30 compliant and dairy-free, with heart-healthy olive oil, and you won’t believe that something so delicious could be this healthy.

This recipe makes A LOT of dressing, around 4 servings for those gigantic whole 30 salads us whole 30 followers are so fond of, or enough for six small (AKA normal-sized) salads. If you need less just halve or quarter the quantities. 

And don’t worry about feeding your “sugar dragon” as there are only 2.5 grapes per large serving of dressing.

Mix it up and it will keep in the fridge for about a week and a half, so you can take it out and drizzle it on anything whenever you feel the urge.

If you’re interested in finding out a bit more about doing a vegan Whole30, you can check out my Whole 30 section where I detail my first vegan whole 30 experience and what I ate (as well as my results).

What can I use Whole30 balsamic mustard salad dressing on?

Well, the obvious answer here is clearly salad (but I’m guessing you knew that). But what types of salad does it go best with?

It really goes with any and every salad. Personally, I favor either gigantic everything-in-the-fridge-chopped salads, good-quality tomato and onion salad, or sweet potato salad.

But don’t stop there. It’s also great as a dip for veggies or potato wedges.

Emulsifying the dressing by adding the oil in after everything else and blending it (or heck, whisking very very hard) makes it super creamy. Or as an impromptu sauce over cauliflower rice, roasted or steamed vegetables.

My favourite Whole30 salad

If you haven’t had sweet potato salad yet, you’re missing out. It’s the ultimate whole 30 filling salad.

Just toss one peeled and roughly chopped sweet potato in the oven with some 1 onion cut into chunks for 40 minutes, mixing it all around halfway through the cooking time.

Add in a handful of walnuts ten minutes before the sweet potato and onion chunks are done, to toast slightly. Then take everything out and throw it in a bowl. 

Mix in a ton of baby spinach leaves (warning: if you add them before the sweet potato and onion have cooled down to room temperature, they will wilt) and drizzle this amazing Whole30 salad dressing over it all willy nilly. 

This salad tastes fresh, has got crunch, and is totally satisfying. You can add other things to it as well, I love adding pickled jalapeños (the FIERY vegetarian, get it?), or sliced cherry tomatoes. My non-whole-30 husband who has no fear of sugary fruit likes to toss in a handful of raisins.

The best part is that sweet potatoes don’t get that strange taste that regular roasted potatoes do when they’re cold or reheated, so you can just go ahead and mix up a big ole batch of this and it will keep in the fridge for a few days.

How to make Whole30 balsamic mustard dressing

Well, it’s pretty easy so this is going to be a short how-to section! Make sure to check the labels on your mustard and balsamic vinegar to make sure they have no added sugar and are Whole 30 compliant.

Roughly chop the grapes and add all the ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor or high powered blender.

I have also made this with a stick blender by throwing everything into a screwtop jar and attacking it a few times with the stick blender, to break down the grapes more, before really getting stuck in and pulverizing everything.

If you do end up using a stick blender, I recommend you chop everything as small as possible, otherwise, you’ll end up with chunks of unblended grape in your dressing.

As an added bonus, if you use a stick blender to make it in a screw-top jar, you can just pop the lid on and keep it in the fridge, instead of having to decant it to another container and end up with more dirty dishes to wash.

When everything is as smooth as possible, add in the olive oil two tablespoons at a time (you should really do it one at a time but who has time for that – also I tested it and it made no difference) and blend until incorporated.

After adding the last of the oil blend for one minute, the dressing should now be light and creamy.

Don’t be tempted to just dump all the ingredients in at once and get stuck in blending, you won’t get the same result (although it will still be delicious).

Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. This has the perfect amount of sweetness to counteract the acidity of the balsamic vinegar and the sharp taste of the mustard, but if you really must make it sweeter you can add another grape or two (I really wouldn’t, personally).

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So there you have it, a five-minute easy peasy dressing, whether you’re looking for something Whole 30, vegan, or just tasty. If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment below and tell me all about it, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram (@the_fiery_vegetarian).