Add some flavor to your salads with this delicious sweet onion dressing recipe. Made from scratch, this easy recipe takes minutes to make and is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. I know you are going to love this one!

Sweet onion dressing in a glass bottle next to a fresh salad bowl.

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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.

My top tip for eating more salads is to make up a delicious salad dressing! This sweet onion sauce has got me eating salads all day long!

My first introduction to this delicious dressing was at a sandwich shop a.k.a Subway, and I had it on a turkey sandwich. Let's just say I've been hooked and this is one of my favorite dressings of all time.

Easy to make with a handful of ingredients, this sweet onion dressing comes together quickly and easily and has a wonderful blend of sweet and tangy flavors. Made from scratch, without mayo, this vegan dressing is seasoned with Dijon mustard for a totally addictive taste.

This salad dressing works great with my Quinoa Avocado Salad and Rotisserie Chicken Salad. Or pour it on greens topped with homemade croutons.

Overhead shot of a bottle of onion salad dressing.

How to make sweet onion dressing

Gather your ingredients.

Add sweet onion, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, celery salt, black pepper, and poppy seed to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.

The onions processed with the seasonings.

With the machine running, slowly pour the olive oil into the feed tube in a steady stream until the dressing is emulsified, about 30 seconds.
Use on your favorite salad recipes and Enjoy.

The dressing in the food processor once the oil has been added.

The dressing on a spoon over a food processor.

What's the difference between sweet and yellow onions?

Sweet onions tend to be larger than yellow onions and they have a slightly flatter shape with lighter colored skin. They naturally have a higher sugar content than white onions and they have a less sharp taste. Vidalias, Walla Wallas, and Texas Spring Sweet are the most common varieties of sweet onions.

Can you use another variety of onion in this recipe?

Different types of onions will taste different in this recipe. I don't recommend that you use yellow onions in this recipe. Their flavor is much stronger and it could be quite overwhelming. Milder onions like reds or green onions could be used, but you may need to add a little extra sugar as they don't have the same sweet flavor.

What's the best kind of salad to pair this dressing with?

Since this dressing is sweet, a strong or even bitter green pairs well with it. I love this on a green salad mix, kale, or even spinach.

How long does it keep?

This dressing is ready to use straight away. Once blended, transfer it to a glass jar or air-tight container and keep it sealed and refrigerated. It will keep well for up to about 5 days, just give it a good shake before using as the ingredients may separate when the dressing sits.

Sweet onion dressing being poured over a salad.

Recipe Notes and Tips

For a creamier dressing, you could add in a little mayonnaise or sour cream if you like.
Brown sugar has a deep and rich complex flavor that works great with the sweet onion. I don't recommend swapping it with white sugar which has a much harsher sweetness.
This sweet onion dressing is perfect for salads, but it's also pretty good drizzled in sandwiches and subs!
Store in an sealed bottle in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This recipe as written makes a lot of dressing. Feel free to cut it in half if you need a smaller batch.

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4.91 from 20 votes

Sweet Onion Dressing Recipe

Course Sauce

Cuisine American

Keyword easy onion dressing, how to make sweet onion dressing, onion dressing for salads

Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings servings (2.5 cups)

Calories 154kcal

Author Tanya

Ingredients

1 medium sweet onion 8 ounces
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon celery salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon poppy seed
1 cup olive oil

Instructions

Add sweet onion, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, celery salt, black pepper, and poppy seed to the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.
With the machine running, slowly pour the olive oil into the feed tube in a steady stream until the dressing is emulsified, about 30 seconds.
Use on your favorite salad recipes and Enjoy.

Notes

For a creamier dressing, you could add in a little mayonnaise or sour cream if you like.
Brown sugar has a deep and rich complex flavor that works great with the sweet onion. I don't recommend swapping it with white sugar which has a much harsher sweetness.
This sweet onion dressing is perfect for salads, but it's also pretty good drizzled in sandwiches and subs!
Store in an sealed bottle in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.