Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Name: Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Condiment
Ingredients: 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 2 tbsp pure maple syrup; 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 small shallot, finely minced; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp black pepper; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

American · Easy · Makes about 3/4 cup (180 ml)

Fall's house dressing: maple for depth, Dijon for grip, cider vinegar for the tart snap that keeps it from becoming dessert. It was built for kale and apple (#39's seat) but it dresses roasted squash, lentils, and a plain bowl of farro with the same authority. Six ingredients, one jar.

Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Prep: 8 minutes · Cook: No cook · Total: 8 minutes · Makes about 3/4 cup (180 ml)

Ingredients

The emulsion

45 ml (3 tbsp) apple cider vinegar
20 g (1 tbsp) pure maple syrup — the real grade; pancake syrup is corn syrup wearing a map
2 tsp (10 g) Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp (1 g) fine salt
105 ml (7 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil (about 96 g) — or half neutral oil if you want the maple forward
Black pepper, coarsely ground

Instructions

Dissolve and dissolve fully. Combine the vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, and salt in a jar; shake 20 seconds. The syrup and salt must dissolve in the acid before the oil seals them in — maple especially sinks and hides. Checkpoint — taste the bare base: sweet-tart with a mustard hum, no gritty sugar at the bottom of the spoon.
Emulsify. Add the oil in two additions, shaking 15 seconds each (or whisk in a thin stream). The vinaigrette lightens to a warm amber and thickens slightly. Checkpoint — coat a kale leaf and wait 1 minute: the dressing should still cling. Hearty greens need a dressing with grip — the Dijon is doing that work.
Season and finish. Add pepper to taste — a solid 10 grinds — and taste once more on a leaf. Adjust salt last; maple masks salt until the end.

- Shake the maple syrup in hot-water-warmed measuring cup for a clean pour — cold syrup clings to the cup and you will under-dress the vinaigrette. - No garlic in this one by design: maple and raw garlic argue. If you want bite, the pepper carries it.

Step 1. Dissolve and dissolve fully. Combine the vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, and salt in a jar; shake 20 seconds. The syrup and salt must dissolve in the acid before the oil seals them in — maple especially sinks and hides. Checkpoint — taste the bare base: sweet-tart with a mustard hum, no gritty sugar at the bottom of the spoon.

Step 2. Emulsify. Add the oil in two additions, shaking 15 seconds each (or whisk in a thin stream). The vinaigrette lightens to a warm amber and thickens slightly. Checkpoint — coat a kale leaf and wait 1 minute: the dressing should still cling. Hearty greens need a dressing with grip — the Dijon is doing that work. Chef’s Note — this is the one dressing on the site where more maple is not better. Past 25 g the syrup stops balancing acidity and starts tasting like breakfast. If your maple is very dark and strong (Grade B territory), drop to 15 g and let the pepper rise instead.

Step 3. Season and finish. Add pepper to taste — a solid 10 grinds — and taste once more on a leaf. Adjust salt last; maple masks salt until the end.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Tastes like pancakes	Syrup over-poured or too-dark grade	5 ml vinegar and a pinch of salt to pull it back
Separates instantly	Undissolved syrup at the bottom	Shake longer at step 1; it re-forms
Bitter finish	Olive oil too peppery for maple	Half neutral oil next batch

Storage, Make-Ahead & Variations

- Refrigerate (4 °C) up to 1 week. The olive oil solidifies below 14 °C — 10 minutes on the counter and a shake restores it. - Variations: whisk in 1 tsp whole-grain mustard alongside the Dijon for texture; replace the cider vinegar with sherry vinegar for a dinner-party register; a grating of fresh horseradish (about 5 g) turns it into a roast-beef dressing for #96's sandwich plate.

Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

Prep: 8 minutes · Cook: No cook · Total: 8 minutes · Makes about 3/4 cup (180 ml)

Ingredients

The emulsion

45 ml (3 tbsp) apple cider vinegar
20 g (1 tbsp) pure maple syrup — the real grade; pancake syrup is corn syrup wearing a map
2 tsp (10 g) Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp (1 g) fine salt
105 ml (7 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil (about 96 g) — or half neutral oil if you want the maple forward
Black pepper, coarsely ground

Instructions

Dissolve and dissolve fully. Combine the vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon, and salt in a jar; shake 20 seconds. The syrup and salt must dissolve in the acid before the oil seals them in — maple especially sinks and hides. Checkpoint — taste the bare base: sweet-tart with a mustard hum, no gritty sugar at the bottom of the spoon.

Emulsify. Add the oil in two additions, shaking 15 seconds each (or whisk in a thin stream). The vinaigrette lightens to a warm amber and thickens slightly. Checkpoint — coat a kale leaf and wait 1 minute: the dressing should still cling. Hearty greens need a dressing with grip — the Dijon is doing that work.

Season and finish. Add pepper to taste — a solid 10 grinds — and taste once more on a leaf. Adjust salt last; maple masks salt until the end.

Symptom

Cause

Fix

Tastes like pancakes

Syrup over-poured or too-dark grade

5 ml vinegar and a pinch of salt to pull it back

Separates instantly

Undissolved syrup at the bottom

Shake longer at step 1; it re-forms

Bitter finish

Olive oil too peppery for maple

Half neutral oil next batch

Storage, Make-Ahead & Variations