While I love a simple red wine vinaigrette or white wine vinaigrette, I wanted to create a salad dressing that celebrated the warm summer weather and the much anticipated berry season here in Michigan. How long it takes: 10 minutes Equipment you’ll need: fine sieve, small bowl and whisk, or jar with a lid Servings: makes ¾ cup I’m especially infatuated with red raspberries this year. Fresh raspberries are summer’s candy, vibrantly red, juicy, and bursting with tart flavor. They’re so beautiful, aren’t they? A raspberry rosé spritzer, made with fresh raspberries and raspberry jam, is one of our favorite summer cocktails. Raspberries are lovely in desserts, too, like luscious raspberry white chocolate blondies. Everyone enjoys a slice of classic pound cake with fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Raspberry cocktails and desserts aside, I love to make fresh raspberries the star of my salads, too. This raspberry vinaigrette recipe is quickly becoming my new favorite for summer salads. Envision a salad with fresh berries, baby spinach, grilled chicken, and candied walnuts, crowned with crumbled gorgonzola cheese. Doesn’t that make your mouth water?!
About this Raspberry Vinaigrette
It’s made with fresh raspberries. The base of this dressing is, you guessed it, fresh raspberries, in fact, there’s a half cup of fresh raspberry purée in ¾ cup vinaigrette. That’s a lot of berry goodness (and it’s seedless!). I checked the ingredient list of a popular brand of raspberry vinaigrette and raspberry juice was listed as “less than 2%” of the total ingredients. The main ingredients? Water and sugar! There are only 5 ingredients. It’s easy to make your own vinaigrette and this recipe is no exception. Besides the raspberries, all you need is olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. I like to add a bit of honey, too, but that’s up to you. You can make it ahead. The vinaigrette keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator so it’s ready when you are.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Fresh Red Raspberries: Look for a six ounce container of fresh raspberries. They should look plump and intact. Raspberries are quite fragile so handle them carefully. They can be refrigerated for one to two days and they can also be frozen. In fact, frozen raspberries will work fine in this recipe. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: You probably won’t find good quality extra virgin olive oil in commercial salad dressings. Choose the best olive oil you can afford. It has a wonderful flavor and health benefits, too. Red Wine Vinegar: A dash of vinegar rounds out the flavor of the vinaigrette, so it tastes like a vinaigrette and not simple raspberry juice on your salad. Keep a bottle of red wine vinegar in your pantry. You’ll find that it’s perfect for homemade salad dressing and so much more. Honey (Optional): I like to add just a teaspoon of honey to the vinaigrette for a little sweetness. Taste the vinaigrette and see what you think. Sometimes raspberries can be a bit on the tart side and a little honey is necessary. Other sweeteners can be used, such as agave or maple syrup. Salt & Pepper: Just a pinch of kosher salt and coarse ground pepper season the salad dressing.
How To Make Raspberry Vinaigrette
Prep the raspberry purée. Rinse the berries and drain them in a fine mesh strainer. Over a small bowl, using a fork, first mash the raspberries in the strainer until they are pretty smushed up. Next, using the back of a large spoon, press the smashed berries through the fine mesh strainer into the bowl. Take your time; this may take about five minutes. A few seeds may squeeze through the mesh but that’s okay. You should end up with about a half cup of raspberry purée. Either combine the remaining ingredients in the small bowl you used to catch the purée or transfer the raspberries to a small jar with a lid. If you’re using a bowl, whisk together the raspberries, olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey (if using), salt and pepper until the dressing emulsifies, or is completely blended together. If you’re using a jar, add all the ingredients, put the lid on, and shake it up. Taste the vinaigrette before adding it to the salad. You may decide to add a bit more sweetener, salt, or pepper. It’s up to you!
What to Serve With Raspberry Vinaigrette
Drizzle the vinaigrette over your favorite salad. It goes well with green salads that include fruit (more raspberries, strawberries, oranges, apples, etc.). Add chicken or shrimp, if you wish, either grilled or crispy. Toasted pecans or candied walnuts go particularly well with this dressing. I love a tangy cheese, too, such as gorgonzola, blue cheese, or feta cheese. The dressing goes well on a grain salad, too.
Make It Your Own
Creamy raspberry dressing: Whisk in a couple tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise. Experiment with different vinegars: Try balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar. I like to use white or golden balsamic vinegar so the vinaigrette retains the brilliant red raspberry color. Apple cider vinegar is another good choice; apples and raspberries are always a good match. Vegan raspberry vinaigrette: Simply substitute agave or maple syrup for the honey, or leave out the sweetener. Not a fan of raspberries? No problem, check out my list of 24 easy salad dressing recipes!
Storage Tips
Raspberry vinaigrette keeps well in a jar in the fridge, ready whenever the craving for a salad strikes. All you have to do is shake-shake-shake and pour. Sometimes olive oil solidifies a bit when refrigerated. Let the vinaigrette sit out at room temperature for a half hour or so and it will liquify again. If you don’t have a half hour, gently warm it up in the microwave for 10 seconds or so, depending on how much there is in the jar. Be sure to remove the lid first.
How long does Raspberry Vinaigrette last?
If you store the dressing in a covered container in the fridge, it will keep for up to a week.
