Creamy Gorgonzola Vinaigrette
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure.
If you’re a blue cheese lover, this creamy gorgonzola vinaigrette has the perfect balance of tangy, funky blue cheese with a touch of sweet honey and lemon juice for a bright and refreshing salad dressing.
If you love salads, don’t miss my easy homemade salad dressings! They come together with minimal effort yet have a ton of flavor. This Raspberry Walnut Dressing and Parmesan Vinaigrette are my favorite way to sneak more greens into my diet!
Let’s ditch those thick, gloopy blue cheese dressings! They are great for dipping chicken wings, but they can be a bit too much to pour over a light salad. This is where your new favorite gorgonzola vinaigrette comes in. It’s a light vinaigrette perfect for drizzling over your salad.
Why you’ll love this gorgonzola vinaigrette
This simple vinaigrette is the best way to add a touch of gorgonzola cheese to every bite of your salad. Since this vinaigrette is thin (yet still creamy), it’s will work it’s way into every nook and cranny of your salad greens.
It’s the perfect flavor backdrop for salads literally any time of the year and it really could not be easier. Plus, it has no preservatives or thickeners so you can really control the quality of the ingredients!
Making your own dressing is a great way to reduce your waste while still adding tons of flavor to your food. Learn how to set up a zero waste kitchen here.
What is Gorgonzola?
Gorgonzola is a special type of Italian blue cheese that typically comes in a soft, milder variety (gorgonzola dolce) or the firmer, stronger mountain gorgonzola. They are both great although gorgonzola dolce is often eaten fresh as it is quite a delicacy. I like to enjoy soft gorgonzola with fresh grapes and crusty bread pieces for a summer snack.
For this recipe, you can choose any gorgonzola you’d like. I used a mountain gorgonzola from my local grocery store.
Equipment
To make this creamy gorgonzola dressing, you’ll need a bowl or wide-mouth mason jar and immersion blender. You can also use a blender or food processor.
Ingredients for Gorgonzola Vinaigrette
- Gorgonzola – You just need 1/4 c (2 oz) of room-temperature gorgonzola for this recipe, so you don’t need much. Feel free to use other types of blue cheese, too.
- Olive oil – Measure out half a cup oil. I prefer extra virgin olive oil because it has a delicious flavor.
- Lemon juice – Lemon juice is such a mild acid and pairs perfectly with the gorgonzola.
- Red wine vinegar – You’ll need just a little extra acid to bring this recipe together. You can use all lemon juice or substitute white wine vinegar, too.
- Honey – It’s surprising how much just a little bit of honey brings out the flavor of gorgonzola. It doesn’t taste overly sweet; just flavorful.
- Shallot – One small shallot adds a subtle bite that brings this dressing together.
- Salt – I always add a little kosher salt to my dressings as it really transforms the flavor.
How to Make Gorgonzola Vinaigrette
- Peel and cut your shallot in half, juice half a lemon, and cut your gorgonzola into large chunks.
- Add all of your ingredients to a small bowl or wide-mouth mason jar.
- Insert your immersion blender into the jar and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and add more salt, a pinch of black pepper, or a little more vinegar as needed.
Storing & Reheating
Store your dressing in an airtight container, like a mason jar, in the fridge for up to a week. It will thicken in the fridge as the oil will harden, but it will soften up again if you let it sit out on the counter for a while. Stir or shake to combine before using.
Tips & Variations
- Use sea salt instead of kosher salt. You’ll need way less salt if you use table salt, so be sure to add a little bit and then taste before you add more.
- Change up the vinaigrette ingredients to suit what you have on hand. White wines go great with blue cheese so you could choose white wine vinegar or even a chardonnay wine vinegar instead of red for a light neutral flavor. Balsamic tastes amazing, but will make your vinaigrette brown.
- Add a squirt of dijon mustard for a little bite. Dijon is a key ingredient in most vinaigrettes, but this dressing is creamy enough without it.
- Roughly chop up some parsley and blitz it into your dressing at the last minute for a pop of freshness.
- Substitute a little brown sugar for the maple syrup.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re a blue cheese lover, this easy vinaigrette is the perfect way to convince yourself to eat more salads! It really grabs onto every piece of lettuce and is the perfect backdrop for whatever toppings you enjoy.
I like to serve it over baby greens with my air fryer walnuts, roasted delicata squash, apples, dried cranberries, and some extra crumbled blue cheese. My husband and I can eat this salad every single day!
You can also use it with your favorite salad toppings. We used it on a salad with baby spinach, roasted lemon pepper chicken breast, red onion, and cucumbers and absolutely loved it!
FAQs
This recipe makes about 1 – 1/2 cups of dressing, so it’s plenty for tonight’s salad and several others later this week.
There are so many ways to make a good vinaigrette! All you need is a mason jar and a strong arm. I like to make most vinaigrettes simply by shaking my oil and other ingredients together in a jar.
This works well for liquid-based dressings. For a red wine vinaigrette like this one, try using an immersion blender. You’ll be able to blend directly in the jar you’ll use for storage, helping you avoid dirtying more dishes and wasting precious ingredients. You can also use a food processor or blender. Don’t forget to use a skinny spatula to scrape any leftovers into your jar!
Although there are some vinaigrettes that need to be heated, most can be eaten cold. The oil and vinegar emulsify by being blended or shaken, not by being heated.
I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil because it has a lovely grassy flavor. If you prefer a more neutral oil, you could also use avocado oil. I don’t recommend using vegetable oil as most of those are highly processed and can be quite inflammatory.
Related Recipes
Looking for some delicious salad fixings? Try these family-favorite toppings:
Creamy Gorgonzola Vinaigrette
Equipment
- 1 wide-mouth jar or bowl
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese, 2 oz
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 shallot, cut in half and peeled
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Peel and cut your shallot in half, juice half a lemon, and cut your gorgonzola into large chunks.
- Add all of your ingredients to a small bowl or wide-mouth mason jar.
- Insert your immersion blender into the jar and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and add more salt, a pinch of black pepper, or a little more vinegar as needed.
