This Chipotle Vinaigrette is the most incredible dressing -- a touch spicy with a hint of sweetness and loads of flavor. We love whipping up a batch at the beginning of the week to dress salads, add some flair to roasted veggies, or to drizzle over chicken in a burrito bowl. So many ways to use this vinaigrette -- heck, it's so good you may even want to drink it!
DRESSING: Add all the dressing ingredients to a small blender (We love this mini “Twister” jar for all sauces/dressing.) Season to taste with salt & pepper. (I add about 3/4 tsp fine sea salt & 1/4 tsp pepper, but add to your preference.) Blend until smooth, taste and adjust any flavors to personal preference.
STORAGE: Pour dressing into a jar, seal, and store in the fridge until ready to use. (The heat from the chipotle pepper will intensify as this dressing sits.) This dressing will stay good for a week (or even a couple days over). (See Note 3.)Heads up: Leftover dressing will separate and may even solidify a bit. This is because olive oil solidifies at cold temperatures. Simply let the dressing stand at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and then vigorously shake to re-combine. Then it's ready to use again!
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Notes
Note 1: Oil. Chipotle restaurants use rice bran oil, but I prefer to use extra-virgin olive oil for more flavor and nutritional reasons. That said, you can use rice bran, vegetable, or canola oil just fine here.Note 2:Chipotles. Grab a can of chipotles in adobo (La Costeña brand is my fave) in the international aisle of the grocery store. Don't use the whole can -- just 1 heaping tablespoon (usually 1 pepper and the surrounding sauce) and save the rest for later. They freeze beautifully!
Here’s how to freeze them: Spoon out peppers with the surrounding sauce, 1/2-inch apart, on to a parchment-paper-lined pan. Place pan in freezer until peppers are frozen, ~1 hour. Once frozen, peel off tray, add to a freezer-safe bag, seal, and store in freezer up to 6 months.
Note 3: Storage: When storing the dressing, be sure to use a container that won't stain. Most plastic containers will turn red and may not come clean when washed. Those chili peppers have strong pigment! I recommend a glass container.Chipotle Vinaigrette nutrition information is based on 2 tablespoons of the dressing.