
Have you ever wondered how to perfectly poach an egg or whether mayonnaise is a better option that butter on a grilled cheese sandwich? A sieve is your friend when poaching eggs, and mayo is easier to spread than cold butter, but there’s a little more to the story.
A few months ago, Christine Pittman, one of my fellow members of the Stonyfield Clean Plate Club, launched a website called TheCookful.com, a contributor-based site that takes on a food topic and really digs into it, posting daily on all aspects of the topic. In addition to the above-mentioned topics, the site recently tackled salad dressing and included tips on making the perfect vinaigrette, which salad dressing to pair with which greens, best vinaigrette stir-ins, and a variety of dressings that incorporate Greek yogurt.
Recently, Christine recruited a few Stonyfield friends, asking them to share one of their favorite dressings that incorporates Greek yogurt, and I happened to have an old favorite up my sleeve.
The following recipe is a creamy spinoff of a reader and family favorite–aptly title Favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette. Replacing 50% of the mayo in a given recipe is an easy way to replace unwanted fat and calories with protein and calcium while maintaining great taste and texture. That’s exactly what I did with this recipe, and I reach for it whenever I want that classic balsamic flavor with a little more thickness and oomph.
If you’d like a thicker consistency to the dressing, the amount of oil can be reduced by a tablespoon or two with little change in the taste. I love to use this dressing on a salad I call Crunch Salad, where you can add chicken or another protein of choice for a complete meal that’s healthy and satisfying.

Creamy Balsamic Dressing
Yield: 1+ cup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (nonfat, 2%, or whole may be used)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey*
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth. (You can also add them to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well.)
- Cover and refrigerate until needed. The dressing will thicken slightly upon refrigeration and will keep for approximately one week.
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