This sweet and smokey chipotle honey vinaigrette dressing is sure to kick up your salad game!

My husband was so excited when they finally built a Chipotle restaurant in Utah. He had eaten it frequently when he lived in Washington, D.C. and looked forward to having me taste it for the first time. I ordered the same thing he always did- a chicken burrito with cilantro lime rice, black and pinto beans, corn salsa, lettuce and sour cream.  I have to admit I thought it tasted good, but I wasn’t immediately hooked.  That is until I tried their burrito bowl with their chipotle vinaigrette. I couldn’t get enough of that stuff! I always like to make copycat recipes, so I played around with some ingredients and I think this dressing is pretty darn close to the restaurant version. Now we don’t have to drive 20 minutes to the nearest Chipotle because we can make it at home. These burrito bowls are simple to put together and very filling and delicious.  I will post the recipes for the other components of this salad soon, but wanted to post the dressing recipe first because it’s my favorite part. It is sweet, but has heat to it from the canned chipotle peppers. Vinaigrettes have always been one of my favorite salad dressings.

The fresh oregano is important to the taste of the dressing so don’t substitute dried oregano. Most grocery stores have a section of fresh herbs where you can buy some for a few dollars. It’s also used in the marinade for the chicken which I will post later on.

Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette Dressing

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup honey
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbs chipotle adobo sauce and 1 chipotle pepper (these are sold in a can)
3/4 cup vegetable oil

In a blender, add all the ingredients except the vegetable oil and blend until well combined and the oregano is in very fine pieces. Remove the lid and drizzle the oil in until the dressing is emulsified. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow flavors to meld.