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    Home » Food

    Creamy Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

    Published on July 26, 2017 ᛫ Updated on March 15, 2019 by Chef Markus Mueller

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    A bottle of homemade roasted garlic vinaigrette on a wooden serving board

    If you've been following Earth, Food, and Fire for a while, you may have noticed that I LOVE salad. There are simply so many different variations possible, from salad dressings, to the actual salad ingredients. You can make salads seasonal, (such as with these 11 spring inspired salads), or throw whatever you happen to have in the fridge together. This simple roasted garlic salad dressing is a basic recipe which can be used to create a wide variety of salads at home.

    Jump to Recipe

    Use it as a substitute for Caesar Salad (or turn it into a Caesar dressing by adding Parmesan and anchovies), add some balsamic vinaigrette to go over a simple green salad, or add some honey mustard, and toss it with roasted root vegetables! Either way, this roasted garlic vinaigrette is very easy to make, lasts well in the fridge, and tastes delicious on all your favorite salads.

    This post contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated if a purchase is made through the links provided. For more information please read my affiliate disclosure.

    How To Easily Roast Garlic At Home

    While fresh garlic cloves offer harsh and fairly strong garlic flavor (which most of us are familiar with), roasted garlic takes on a whole new flavour. While still full of garlic flavour, the taste is no longer harsh and develops an almost mellow sweetness. By roasting the garlic you caramelize the natural sugars (which develop this sweetness), and break down the garlic's enzymes which are responsible for it's sharp taste.

    2 heads of garlic with the tops cut of and surrounded by herbs and oil, ready to be roasted in the oven

    This results in wonderfully creamy flesh which can be scooped out, then mashed or pureed and used as a spread on crackers! The soft state of the roasted garlic cloves make them ideal for blitzing in with salad dressings, creating a rich creamy texture.

    [clickToTweet tweet="If you have never #roasted fresh #garlic at home...you're missing out! Learn how right now! " quote="If you have never roasted fresh garlic at home...you're missing out! "]

    Whenever possible, roast your garlic whole, drizzled in oil, and placed in a shallow dish. Lower oven temperatures (in the 300F-325F range) create a sweeter roasted garlic, but will take longer to fully roast. Higher temperatures(350F-375F) speed up the roasting process but don't caramelize the sugars as gently and you risk creating burnt/off flavors.

    a steel cooking pan with two heads of freshly roasted garlic

    Making Your Own Creamy Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

    Since I wanted this recipe to stand out on it's own, yet still be versatile enough to act as a base for other salad dressings, the ingredients are quite limited. You probably already have everything you need to make this roasted garlic dressing if you cook from scratch on a regular basis.

    You'll need:

    • 2 Whole bulbs garlic ( I grow my own and use Hardneck Purple Stripe Garlic)
    • ¾ Cup olive oil
    • 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon water
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • ½ tablespoon cracked black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt

    Start by roasting the garlic bulbs, as shown in the pictures above. Slice the tops of the bulbs, place the tops and the rest of the bulb in a pan with some herbs, black peppercorns, and olive oil. Drizzle the oil over the bulbs of garlic so that the oil can seep in between the cloves.

    Cover the pan with a lid if you have one, or cover it with tinfoil. Place in a pre-heated 325F oven and roast for about one hour. After removing the roasted garlic from the oven, let it cool to room temperature.

    Squeeze the now soft cloves out of their skin, and into a blender, ( I recommend using a Vitamix Blender for the smoothest dressing) or food processor. By using a powerful blender such as a Vitamix, you are able to create a temporary emulsion which results in a rich creamy texture. Eventually the oil will split out, but all that's needed is a strong mixing to bring it back together.

    Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and blitz or puree until smooth. Taste and re-season the roasted garlic salad dressing with some salt and a pinch of sugar if it's too tart for your liking.

    a glass bottle of homemade roasted garlic vinaigrette on a wooden serving board

    That's it! Pretty simple isn't it? Simplicity is the name of the game in my kitchen, the easier something is to make the better.

    How Long Will Homemade Salad Dressing Last In The Fridge?

    Dressings and other vinaigrettes (such as this grapefruit vinaigrette) can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

    Related:  From Scratch Grapefruit Vinaigrette

    When cooking at home, it's important to follow safe food practices to avoid making yourself or other sick. Salad dressings like this roasted garlic dressing, obviously do not contain any preservatives as store bought brands would. This is a good thing, but because it does not contain any after artificial preservatives it is important to understand how the ingredients act as a natural preservative.  So here's a really quick rundown:

    "Vinegar is an acid, and bacteria which grow in food generally speaking don't like acidic things. Roasting the garlic also helps destroy any potential bacteria that the garlic may have been contaminated with (not to mention that garlic itself has some antimicrobial properties). Finally, storing the finished dressing in a cold fridge in between uses, ensures that any bacteria that may be present, does not have the warm temperatures required to grow."

    Tried the recipe? Rate the Recipe below, and take a picture and tag me on Facebook & Instagram: @earthfoodandfire . For more from scratch recipes follow me on Instagram & Pinterest 

    This easy to make creamy roasted garlic salad dressing will instantly become your new favorite vinaigrette. Ideal for use with a wide variety of salads.

    Roasted Garlic Salad Dressing

    Markus Mueller | Earth, Food, and Fire
    This easy to make creamy roasted garlic salad dressing will instantly become your new favorite vinaigrette. Ideal for a wide range of salads, this gluten free dressing can be used as a base for many other dressings as well!
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 45 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Condiment, Salad Dressing
    Cuisine French
    Servings 2 cups
    Calories 1553 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 whole bulbs garlic
    • ¾ cup olive oil
    • 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon water
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • ½ tablespoon cracked black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt

    Instructions
     

    • Pre-heat your oven to 325F.
    • Slice the tops of the bulbs, place the tops and the rest of the bulb in a pan with some herbs, black peppercorns and olive oil. Drizzle the oil over the bulbs of garlic so that the oil can seep in between the cloves.
    • Cover the pan with a lid if you have one or cover it with tinfoil. Place in a pre-heated 325F oven and roast for about one hour.
    • After removing the roasted garlic from the oven, let it cool to room temperature.
    • Squeeze the now soft cloves out of their skin, and into a blender or food processor.
    • Add the rest of the dressing ingredients and blitz or puree until smooth. Taste and re-season the roasted garlic dressing with some salt and a pinch of sugar if it's to tart for your liking.

    Notes

    The garlic may be roasted ahead of time in a large batch for use in other recipes. This would cut the recipe time down, to about 10 minutes of mixing and pureeing the ingredients.
    The Calories are calculated for the batch recipe not per serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1553kcal

    Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.

    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Some of the links in this post lead to affiliate sites through which Earth, Food, and Fire may earn a small commission (at no increased cost to you) should you make a purchase. This allows us to stay online and keep creating awesome content! For more info check the Affiliate Disclaimer.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laurie

      February 24, 2021 at 3:51 pm

      4 stars
      How should you store the roasted garlic if doing it ahead of time? How long will it last?

      Reply
      • Chef Markus Mueller

        February 25, 2021 at 7:36 pm

        Hi Laurie, you can easily store the roasted garlic in a little airtight, glass or plastic jar in the fridge covered with a bit of oil. It should last up to 2 weeks.

        Reply
    2. Ginger Wroot

      August 07, 2017 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      Found you via Twitter, and so glad I did! You post so many lish-looking recipes, and the snaps are so professional! I eat low-carb, and will probably use a sugar substitute for the brown sugar. Pinned this dressing recipe, and can't wait to try it. Thanks! --G

      Reply
      • Markus Mueller

        August 28, 2017 at 7:46 pm

        Let me know how it turns out! I have been steadily improving my photography..some of the first snaps are horrendous! haha Any sugar will do as a substitute, but you can even just leave it out! Thanks for commenting!

        Reply
    3. Vicky Chin

      July 28, 2017 at 9:44 pm

      This is wonderful ! I can almost smell the garlic just from looking at the pictures! I also like your tips on food safety and storage, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Markus Mueller

        July 31, 2017 at 10:30 am

        Thanks Vicky! I am really happy with how the pictures turned out!

        Reply
    4. Loreto Nardelli

      July 28, 2017 at 2:04 pm

      I am a big fan of roasting garlic. I put it in rustic mashed potatoes, or on a bbq Atlantic salmon. You are so right in that it becomes sweet.
      Great job. Love the picture of the garlic in the pan. Makes me want to toast some right now.

      Reply
      • Markus Mueller

        July 31, 2017 at 10:30 am

        Thanks Loreto! Roasted garlic in mashed potatoes is a favorite of mine as well! I really need to try it on BBQ salmon..we've been eating more seafood lately, so it's the perfect time to try!

        Reply

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