Tangy Parmesan Vinaigrette (with Secret Ingredient)
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When you think of a parmesan dressing, everyone’s mind immediately goes to a Caesar salad. But this is where we stop overlooking parmesan vinaigrette. It’s salty, tangy and packed with so much umami.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
Versatile – Use this parmesan vinaigrette as a dip to have with a crusty loaf of bread. Toss it into a chicken salad, a panzanella salad, or add into a sandwich. The options are endless.
Umami – There are two different sources of umami in this recipe. The first of course being the parmesan, but the second is anchovies. This is my secret ingredient which takes this parmesan dressing to the next level.
Easy to make ahead – It keeps well in the fridge for up to a week. The amount that this recipe produces is great if you’re serving a whole family or alternatively for meal prepping for one.
Healthier and cheaper – This recipe is a culmination of ingredients that you usually have laying around in your fridge (Dijon mustard, a hunk of parmesan, anchovies, garlic) or in your cupboard (EV olive oil, white wine vinegar).
Pair this delicious vinaigrette dressing with my; Grinder Salad, Halloumi Salad or Panzanella Salad
What is Parmesan Vinaigrette?
What’s in it – with a parmesan vinaigrette, usually the recipe includes finely grated parmesan, some form of white vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. The other ingredients vary from recipe to recipe.
How it’s made – I use a food processor to combine the ingredients for my parmesan salad dressing. This requires less prep on my end. You add the water-based ingredients first and the solids : Dijon mustard, anchovies, white wine vinegar, garlic and parmesan. Once combined, you slowly add the extra virgin olive oil to form the emulsion. You have to do it in this order to form an emulsion, otherwise you might have a broken vinaigrette.
What is the ratio? The golden ratio for vinaigrettes is 3:1 oil to vinegar but as I use Dijon mustard in this recipe, I use slightly less vinegar.
What it tastes like: It’s salty, tangy, bright, packed with umami but with a hint of creaminess from the parmesan. Such a fun combination of flavours (especially with the secret ingredient: anchovies). If you don’t like anchovies, try my; Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing without Anchovies
Troubleshooting your Vinaigrette
Why won’t my vinaigrette emulsify?
This is also called a broken vinaigrette. With this dressing (and many dressings), you have to add fats (the extra virgin olive oil) into liquids. To do this without having a broken dressing, you need to form an emulsion.
You do this by combining the liquids and solids thoroughly, then whilst continuously whisking or processing, you slowly stream the oil into the mix. By pouring slowly, this allows the oil to emulsify into the dressing and combine properly.
Why did my vinaigrette congeal?
Cold temperature of your refrigerator can make your olive oil solidify. Allow to bring up to room temp, then vigorously shake to reincorporate all the flavours if it has separated slightly.
Ingredients
Anchovies – as I mentioned, this is the secret ingredient in Thai parmesan vinaigrette recipe which provides an extra umami-boost. If you’re vegetarian and want to leave these out, feel free to do so, just add an extra pinch of salt as these do add extra seasoning.
Garlic – increase or decrease the quantity of garlic according to your preference, the garlic girllls out here might up it to 2 or 3 cloves.
Dijon mustard – I’m forever obsessed with the combo of parmesan and Dijon.
Brown sugar – with a lot of salty ingredients, the brown sugar acts as a nice contrast.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
No parmesan? Use pecorino for an even saltier, more intense cheesy flavour.
Don’t like anchovies? Even though I keep mentioning that this adds lots of umami, you can leave them out and either just add an extra pinch of salt, or a cheeky ½ tsp of soy sauce which would also add umami to this dressing.
Omit any spice – If you hate spice you can leave out the red pepper flakes entirely (although the end result isn’t spicy at all).
Trade brown sugar for honey, maple syrup or agave nectar if you want to.
Pair this yummy dressing with one of these main dishes; Orzo Pasta Salad, Greek Chicken Salad and Tortellini Pasta Salad
How to make parmesan vinaigrette dressing
- Add the anchovies and minced garlic onto a chopping board (Image 1).
- Then add salt to the garlic and use the side of your knife to squish into a paste. Finely chop the anchovies (Image 2).
3. To a food processor, add the parmesan, garlic paste, chopped anchovies, white wine vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and Dijon mustard (Image 3).
4. Blend until well combined, while intermittently using a rubber spatula to incorporate the bits going up the side of the food processor (Image 4).
5. Next, slowly stream the oil into your food processor and continue to blend (Image 5).
6. When you have added half of the oil, turn the blade off and use your spatula again to get any bits on the side (Image 6).
7. Add the remaining oil and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste (Image 7).
8. Pour into a meal prep container and serve with your favorite green salad (Image 8).
Tips for the best result
Grate the parmesan using a food processor…it’s a lot easier! As you already have your food processor out, you can slice the parm into chunks and blitz it in your food processor. Then proceed to add the ingredients in the first step.
And then mix the dressing in the food processor for a smooth texture.
Slooooowly pour the oil into your food processor whilst blending to ensure that the oil emulsifies correctly.
If it separates in the refrigerator, just shake it up to re-mix it.
Adjust the seasoning at the end – there are lots of salty ingredients in this dressing, so it’s good to taste at the end and see if it needs more salt then.
If you are craving more recipes with parmesan, you’ll need to try my; Smashed Broccoli with Parmesan, Parmesan Chicken Pasta and Creamy Polenta with Parmesan
Serving Suggestions
This parmesan vinaigrette is a versatile and flavorful addition to your kitchen arsenal. Here’s some ways to enjoy it;
- Dipping a warm, crusty loaf of bread into this tangy, cheesy dressing.
- Toss it into a chicken salad for a rich, savory twist. Other salads such as ham and turkey would work really well with this parmesan salad dressing.
- Add it to a panzanella salad, where the vinaigrette soaks into the bread cubes and fresh salad veggies.
- It’s also a fantastic spread for sandwiches – just drizzle it over your favorite deli meats and vegetables, or even slather it on a toasted baguette for a quick burst of flavour.
Leftover Storage
Refrigerator – store in the fridge for up to 7 days in an airtight container such as a glass jar with a secure lid. I like to label mine with masking tape to remember when I made it!
Freezer – it’s not recommended to freeze a parmesan vinaigrette recipe as both cheese and oil can change texture when frozen, which would cause the dressing to separate and have a strange texture when thawed.
FAQs
I prefer to use freshly grated parmesan as there is an anti-coagulating ingredient in pre grated cheese which prevents the cheese from sticking together. This would prevent the cheese from incorporating slightly into the dressing – but if it’s all you have, it would still be delicious.
Feel free to leave out and either just add an extra pinch of salt, or a cheeky ½ tsp of soy sauce which would also add umami to this dressing.
Yes honey, agave and maple syrup can work here.
No – you can slightly taste it but the overarching flavours are from the vinegar and parmesan. You can leave the Dijon out and increase the vinegar to 3 tbsp if you hate mustard.
Explore More Recipes
If you tried this Parmesan Vinaigrette recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Delicious Parmesan Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 40 g parmesan, finely grated (£2.35/2)=(£1.17)
- 1 clove of garlic, minced (£0.39)
- 3 anchovies, chopped into paste (£0.75)
- 1 tbsp (heaped) Dijon mustard (£0.60)
Cupboard Essentials
- 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp red pepper/ chilli flakes
Method
- Add the anchovies and minced garlic onto a chopping board. Add salt to the garlic and use the side of your knife to squish into a paste. Finely chop the anchovies.
- To a food processor, add the parmesan, garlic paste, chopped anchovies, white wine vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and Dijon mustard. Blend until well combined, intermittently using a rubber spatula to incorporate the bits going up the side of the food processor.
- Next, continue to blend on low whilst slowly streaming the oil into your food processor. When you have added half, turn the blade off and use your spatula again to get any bits on the side.
- Add the lid back on and continue to blend, adding the remaining oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
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