Tangy mustard chive vinaigrette brings zest to the smorgasbord of fresh greens in all your summer salads.
With only 5 main ingredients, this simple gluten free vinaigrette recipe whips up fast!
Quick Look: Mustard Chive Vinaigrette
⏲️Ready In: 5 Minutes
🍽Servings: 4
🥗Nutrition: 130 Calories
🥘Main Ingredients: Chives, Olive oil, Lemon juice, Stone ground mustard
📋Dietary Notes: Gluten free, Grain free, Dairy free, Nut free
⭐Why You'll Love It: Using fresh springtime chives and tangy stone ground mustard, this vinaigrette packs a flavorful punch and adds zest to salads!
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Zesty mustard and fresh Spring chives make this easy mustard chive vinaigrette a salad season must-have! Use it for salads like Bacon, Spinach, and Red Onion Salad or Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette.
Chives are an allium, related to garlic, onions, and leeks. They have the most gorgeous, delicate purple flowers!
Chives are rich in vitamins A and C and have a mild garlic flavor that works well in this chive salad dressing and for Chive Bacon Deviled Eggs.
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Key Ingredients
Chives: Fresh chives add a mild garlic/onion flavor to this dressing! Chives are in season in the springtime (they're one of the first plants to come up!) so this chive dressing is best made in the Spring.
Mustard: I prefer stone-ground mustard for this vinaigrette and in almost all my recipes. However, you can use Dijon or brown mustard if it's what you've got on hand. I wouldn't recommend yellow mustard for this recipe, though!
I love using mustard to add a little zing to sauces, marinades, and dressings - see Maple Mustard Salmon for a great example!
Olive oil: Use a mild-flavored olive oil or avocado oil to make this vinaigrette, so the olive flavor doesn't overpower the chives.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make Mustard Chive Vinaigrette
Step 1: Add chives, salt, pepper, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice to a bowl.
Step 2: While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue whisking until ingredients have emulsified and the dressing is creamy.
Step 3: Use the mustard chive dressing for Spring salads. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Top Tips from Chelsea
Too much bite? I prefer my salad dressings to be punchy and tangy, even when there's sweetness present like in Roasted Maple Bacon Asparagus. But if you find the acid is a little to strong for this mustard chive vinaigrette recipe, simply add more olive oil or a little maple syrup one tablespoon at a time.
For lemony mustard chive vinaigrette, omit apple cider vinegar and use 2 tablespoons lemon juice instead. Taste after emulsifying and add more lemon juice if needed.
Seasonal salad ideas: For springtime salads, think lots of fast-growing fresh lettuce greens, arugula, asparagus, and radish! Chives also work well for an Easy Cucumber Salad, adding a slight garlic flavor.
Mustard Chive Vinaigrette FAQs
As you can tell from the name, vinaigrettes typically use a vinegar like red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar as an acid.
Since mustard is also made with vinegar as a main ingredient, it simply takes the role of the vinegar in a vinaigrette. As long as you whisk in the olive oil to emulsify the mixture, the method is the same!
As noted, I prefer stone-ground mustard! But you can use Dijon or brown mustard if you'd like. Note that the overall flavor will change a bit, and you may have to adjust to taste.
If chives aren't in season or you can't get your hands on them, you can use dried chives in a pinch. However, fresh chives really take the cake here, so try your best to find fresh!
Salad recipes to use this vinaigrette with
Did you try Mustard Chive Vinaigrette recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and rating or tag me on Instagram - I appreciate your feedback.
Print📖 Recipe
Mustard Chive Vinaigrette Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: Just under ½ cup vinaigrette 1x
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Mixed
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This zesty mustard chive vinaigrette is the perfect salad dressing for all your summer salads. For more lemon flavor, feel free to swap out the apple cider vinegar for more lemon juice!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard (see Notes)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Mix apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, stone-ground mustard, salt, pepper, and chives in a jar or small mixing bowl.
- Gradually drizzle in olive oil while whisking constantly to emulsify the vinaigrette. Store in a sealed jar or container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
I prefer my salad dressings to be punchy and tangy, but if you find it overpowering you can add more olive oil!
You can use Dijon or brown mustard in place of stone ground mustard. Note that the overall flavor will change a bit, and you may have to adjust to taste.
Noemie says
Hi! How long can I keep it in fridge??:)
Chelsea says
Hey, Noemie! I kept mine in the fridge for 2-3 weeks and it was fine! I whisked it up before each use, though. The chives lose their color after a couple days.
Sheila says
This is a brilliant idea and we're trying this tonight. Thank you so much for sharing this mustard chive vinaigrette.
Chelsea says
Thanks, Sheila! Much appreciated 🙂