Enjoy restaurant-quality salads at home by making your own delicious Vidalia Onion Dressing.
I have a confession: I am a lazy salad maker. When at home, I frequently talk myself out of making main-dish green salads because of the chopping involved and the fact that they often don’t taste as good as restaurant salads. I’m not talking about drive-through salads from Wendy’s (although those have their place). I mean the kind of salad you order at a sit-down restaurant for lunch or dinner and take the time to savor. Fresh greens, interesting ingredients, and, perhaps most importantly, from-scratch dressing. I discovered that if I use some good homemade dressing, I am less likely to drag my feet. Vidalia onion dressing was one of the homemade dressings that got me hooked.
If I am going to take the time to make my own dressing, it needs to be a versatile one. Vidalia onion dressing, with its sweet-tangy flavor profile, is a great example of this. It tastes wonderful tossed into a spinach salad made with sweet and savory mix-ins like toasted nuts, red onions, and dried cranberries. But it also works very well with a Cobb salad with a boiled egg, ham, and turkey piled on.
Vidalia onion dressing is one that you will be glad you took the time to make. Besides the incredible flavor, the texture is smooth (thanks to the blender) and so much better than store-bought dressing. You can keep this dressing in the fridge and have it on hand for any number of salads, sides, or mains. Vidalia onion dressing also works great on slaws or potato salads. Mix it with a little mayo, and it’s a tasty spread for turkey Reuben sandwiches.
What are Vidalia onions?
Vidalia onions are named after their place of origin: Vidalia, Georgia. Located southeast of Atlanta, the town is situated in an area known for sandy soil, and during the Depression era of the 1930s, farmers discovered that their region produced deliciously sweet onions. Fairly large in size, these onions do not usually make your eyes water when chopping them, and they are mild in flavor. Can’t find Vidalia onions? Use Texas sweet onions as a substitute.
How do I store leftovers?
Vidalia onion dressing will keep in your fridge for up to 1 week. Make sure you keep it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid to retain freshness. Freezing is not recommended.
Serving suggestions
Toss Vidalia onion dressing into your favorite main-dish salad. For instance, it’s a great option for Apple-Walnut Salad or Cobb Salad. This is a nice dressing for a simple side salad as well; consider using it on Green Salad for a lovely side dish to nearly any main. For a quick and easy coleslaw, try it mixed with a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix. Finally, Vidalia onion dressing is a salad dressing that can easily change into a sandwich spread. Mix about two tablespoons into a half cup of mayo until blended. It’s wonderful on turkey sandwiches or turkey Reubens.
Vidalia Onion Dressing
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup light olive oil divided
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2/3 cup Vidalia onion chopped
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped Vidalia onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and begin to brown (about 5 minutes).
- Pour in the apple cider vinegar and stir to release the caramelized bits from the pan.
- Transfer the onion mixture to a blender. Add the remaining olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Blend on high until smooth and emulsified. If the dressing is too thick, add a small amount more of oil and blend until you reach your desired consistency.
- Mix in the poppy seeds and adjust the seasonings as needed. Pour the dressing into a clean container, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
This is excellent! Thank you! Delish!
Thanks Jadies, so glad you liked it!
how long will this be good before going bad?
Hi Marie, as long as you keep this dressing in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator, it’ll last for up to 1 week