This quick and easy Southwest Vinaigrette is full of all those classic Mexican-inspired flavors while still keeping things light with an olive oil base. Perfect for your favorite Southwest Salad!!
An Easy Homemade Southwest Vinaigrette
A classic southwest salad is one of our all-time favorite meals, especially in the summer. Typically, we love to serve it with our classic Creamy Southwest Dressing but we decided that we also needed a vinaigrette option to keep things a little lighter. This dressing is just that! It is so good and could be used in a variety of different ways, like on a salad, on a wrap, a sandwich, or even on some tacos!
Love homemade vinaigrettes – try our Basil Vinaigrette!
Key Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- olive oil – make sure you grab a light olive oil – we love this one by Primal Kitchen!
- vinegar (rice or white) – either rice vinegar or white vinegar will work, use your favorite or what you have on hand.
- lime juice – use as much or as little as you like!
- kosher salt & pepper – a sprinkling of each is always needed when making homemade dressing.
- ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, & dried oregano leaves – a great combination of spices to bring a lot of great flavor!
How To Make Southwest Vinaigrette
Step 1: Place all ingredients in a mason jar.
Step 2: Secure the lid and give it a good shake.
Step 3: Enjoy any way you want!
Recipe Variations
This vinaigrette is perfect just the way it is, but you can always make some tweaks to change it up a bit.
- Lime – this can also be turned up with more lime juice if you really like that limey tang!
- Smokey – option to use smoked paprika or smoked garlic powder to give it a bit of a smokey flavor.
- Spicy – if you like your southwest vinaigrette to be more on the spicy side you can easily add some red pepper flakes!
How To Serve Southwest Vinaigrette
When we make this dressing we love serving it with our Southwest Salad! All of the flavors and fresh ingredients are perfect together! You could also use it as a condiment when making a chicken wrap or sandwich with some perfectly grilled or smoked chicken breasts.
Storage Tips
This dressing can easily be made in a mason jar, just add the ingredients, give it a good mix, and then you can store it in the fridge for up to a week. The olive oil will solidify when chilled so make sure you just set it on the counter for a bit before serving and then give it another good shake to ensure everything is mixed.
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cup light olive oil
- 2 tablespoons vinegar, rice or white
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, more if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in small bowl.
- Whisk until olive oil emulsifies; about 1-2 minutes.
- Alternatively, place in a wide-mouth mason jar, close lid tightly and shake until well combined.
- Use on your favorite salad (like this Southwest Salad).
Notes
- Storage: This dressing can easily be made in a mason jar, just add the ingredients, give it a good mix, and then you can store it in the fridge for up to a week. The olive oil will solidify when chilled so make sure you just set it on the counter for a bit before serving and then give it another good shake to ensure everything is mixed.
- Smokey: feel free to use smoked paprika or smoked garlic powder if you want!
Jojem says
Have you every tried this dressing using Taco mix?
Erin says
I haven’t, but let me know if you do!