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Home » Recipe Index » Sauces

Walnut Salad Dressing

Modified: May 5, 2025 · Published: Apr 20, 2022 by Gigi & Sersie · This post may contain affiliate links.

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This walnut salad dressing uses balsamic vinegar and walnuts as the star ingredients. It's loaded with flavor and has the right amount of twang. This healthy 5-ingredient walnut balsamic vinaigrette dressing is oil-free, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and takes less than 10 minutes to make.

side view close up of walnuts salad dressing in a glass mason jar with loose walnuts and salad greens blurred in the background

Walnut Balsamic Dressing has 5 key ingredients

  1. Walnuts
  2. Balsamic vinegar
  3. Simple Homemade Date Syrup
  4. Garlic
  5. Dijon Mustard
top view of the ingredients for the salad dressing: walnuts, date syrup, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and garlic
key ingredients: raw walnuts, balsamic vinegar, Simple Homemade Date Syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic

The nuttiness from the walnuts compliments the savory umami flavor of the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and garlic. All of this is offset by the sweetness from the simple homemade date syrup.

How to prepare

  1. Soak walnuts in hot water for 5 minutes to soften.
  2. Add all ingredients into a mini blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
  3. Store leftovers in an airtight container, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

This tangy nutty vinaigrette dressing goes beautifully on salads and grilled veggies. I've also used this as Buddha bowl sauce.

Why this salad dressing is healthy

Nutritionally, walnuts are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. Balsamic vinegar may also help to lower the glycemic index of the meal. Since the dates are an intact natural fruit, you're getting the fiber by using the Simple Homemade Date Syrup in this recipe. Garlic contains compounds shown to be beneficial for heart health. In addition to the health benefits of the ingredients in this dressing, my favorite of all is that it's so tasty, you'll want to eat more salad!

side top view of the walnut salad dressing in a glass mason jar with loose walnuts and salad greens blurred in the background

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We hope you love this oil-free vegan walnut balsamic salad dressing. Please rate and leave a comment below. Be sure to share a picture on Instagram and tag us @danielfastrecipes so we can see your creation!

side top view of walnut balsamic salad dressing in a glass mason jar with loose walnuts and salad greens blurred in the background

Walnut Salad Dressing

5 from 6 votes
Course: Sauces
Prep Time: 8 minutes minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 74kcal
Author: Gigi & Sersie
Print Pin Rate
This walnut salad dressing uses balsamic vinegar and walnuts as the star ingredients. It's loaded with flavor and has the right amount of twang. This healthy 5-ingredient walnut balsamic vinaigrette is oil-free, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and takes less than 10 minutes to make.

Equipment

  • 1 mini bullet blender

Ingredients  

  • ¼ cup raw walnuts soaked in hot water to soften
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup Simple Homemade Date Syrup
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
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Instructions

  • Soak walnuts in hot water for 5 minutes to soften.
  • Add all ingredients into a mini bullet blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Notes

Leftovers/Meal Prep: Store leftovers in an airtight container, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 74kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 18mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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Gigi & Sersie

Gigi Carter and Sersie Blue have over 25 years of combined experience in plant-based nutrition and health coaching. Their passion for healthy eating inspired them to create Daniel’s Plate, a recipe site focused on whole food, plant-based meals.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. melissa

    April 08, 2024 at 2:26 am

    5 stars
    I love this salad dressing. So dang good.

    Reply
  2. Sarah

    May 17, 2023 at 10:32 pm

    5 stars
    LOVE!!!! ❤️ SO exciting to have a salad dressing made with a nut that has Omega 3s (I think I attempted my own walnut dressing in the past, and it didn’t go too well, LOL)!!

    This is my new favorite dressing and is so delicious!! 🙌🏻

    Instead of date paste, I just use a couple medjool dates (go easy—too many dates makes it too sweet).

    I haven’t soaked the walnuts, and they always blend up great in my VitaMix.

    After a while, you can just throw the ingredients in and “guess” at the proportions, as it’s pretty foolproof! I make a large batch at one time.

    I LOVE this dressing served over a salad with diced apples. 🍎

    Thank y’all so very much!!

    Reply
    • Gigi & Sersie

      May 17, 2023 at 11:22 pm

      Yay! Thank you for the feedback, Sarah. We're so glad you love it. 🙂

      Reply
  3. María Payano

    March 06, 2023 at 9:34 pm

    5 stars
    Great 👍👍👍🙏🙏

    Reply
  4. Marie Nitz

    August 14, 2022 at 3:30 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this dressing for the first time today because someone forgot to buy ginger. Oh my gosh is this a wonderful addition to the collection. My taste buds are very happy indeed!

    Reply
    • Gigi & Sersie

      August 19, 2022 at 9:47 am

      Yay! So glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it. We love the omega 3s in the walnuts as well. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Judy

    April 21, 2022 at 3:05 am

    5 stars
    Wow! This was so easy and very flavorful. I added it to a simple green salad and it really did make me want to eat more salad. Lol.

    Reply
  6. Marsha

    April 21, 2022 at 12:48 am

    5 stars
    The walnut salad dressing is SO GOOD! Made it tonight for the first time and I already know it’s going to be one of my go-tos. So easy to make, and so flavorful. YES!

    Reply
    • Gigi & Sersie

      April 21, 2022 at 3:03 am

      Thank you for your feedback, Marsha. We're so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
5 from 6 votes

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