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Orange Honey Vinaigrette

Yield: About ½ cup
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • Fresh cracked black pepper

Method
 

  1. In a small mason jar, combine orange juice, zest, honey, olive oil, and vinegar.
  2. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Adjust balance if needed: add a splash more vinegar for brightness or a small drizzle of honey for sweetness.

Notes

Many professional vinaigrettes include Dijon almost automatically (1 tsp would be the amount in this recipe) since it adds a faint savory backbone that balances the sweetness of the honey, OJ, and beets, though it’s more of a technical ingredient than a flavor driver.  Since I'm pairing this with goat cheese and toasted walnuts, I’ve chosen to leave the Dijon out. It keeps the vinaigrette more purely citrus-driven and lets the other ingredients do the balancing.
I've also chosen sherry vinegar over red wine since it goes exceptionally well with beets.  If you're making this for another salad, feel free to make substitutions.