Salad dressing can actually make or break a salad, and this strawberry French dressing is one I might eat with a spoon! It blends contemporary strawberries, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, Dijon, and a bit of honey right into a candy and tangy dressing in simply 5 minutes.
I adore it as a result of it’s thicker than your regular French dressing, which implies each chunk of lettuce will get coated, moderately than the dressing ending up on the backside of the bowl. If you’ve been scared of constructing your personal dressing, belief me right here: it’s EASY!
Table of Contents
Why This Strawberry Vinaigrette Works
All you want is 5 minutes and a blender! That’s it! Store-bought strawberry dressing tends to be candy, after which… extra candy, and that is the model the place you get to determine how a lot honey goes in. The outcome tastes like precise strawberries as a substitute of pink sugar with a berry on the label.
It additionally doesn’t have for use as salad dressing! Drizzle it over grilled greens, over a bowl of lower fruit, or use it as a marinade. Once strawberries are in season, this might be your new go-to for turning a bag of greens into my strawberry arugula salad all summer season lengthy!
Jordan
Ingredient Notes
Here’s an outline of what makes this dressing particular. The remainder of the substances and actual measurements could be discovered within the recipe card.
- Strawberries: Strawberries differ WILDLY from one container to the following, so style one earlier than you mix, as a result of a pale, underripe berry means you’ll need a bit of extra honey. Frozen strawberries will work too. If the dressing is just too thick, add a splash of water to skinny it out.
- White balsamic vinegar: I really like this vinegar. It’s lighter in coloration and a bit of sweeter than common balsamic. The completed dressing stays a fairly gentle pink, which I really like! Regular balsamic vinegar works in its place, it’ll simply make the French dressing darker.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon holds the oil and vinegar collectively so the dressing stays creamy.
How to Pick the Oil for Vinaigrette
A French dressing is oil plus vinegar. That’s it! Unfortunately, the everyday guidelines of a 3:1 oil-to-vinegar ratio don’t work right here due to the added fruit. So I’ve discovered the right ratio that works tremendous effectively right here (don’t change it!). Extra virgin olive oil can flip bitter once you overblend it, so cease the blender the second the dressing appears easy. A impartial oil like avocado oil may even work right here, and doesn’t have any bitterness.
Recipe Variations
- Use common balsamic: The coloration will get darker, so anticipate a brownish-pink dressing as a substitute of a vivid one. It’ll be just like my easy honey balsamic dressing, simply with berries in it!
- Try a unique vinegar: Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and champagne vinegar are all good swaps in a fruit French dressing. They’re all 1:1, so don’t fear about adjusting the measurements.
- Make it pulp free: Run the blended dressing by means of a wonderful mesh strainer to catch the seeds in order for you a silkier dressing.
- Thin it out: Add water a splash at a time till it’s as drizzly as you need.
- Swap the honey for maple syrup: If you’re vegan, use maple syrup!
How to Make Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Step 1: Add the strawberries, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper to a small blender or mini meals processor. An immersion blender and a tall cup works right here too.
- Step 2: Blend till easy, including a splash of water if you happen to’d like a thinner, extra drizzly consistency. Stop as quickly because it’s easy and creamy. Don’t overblend!
- Step 3: Taste and regulate the seasoning, including an additional pinch of salt or a splash of vinegar if you happen to suppose it wants it.
If you could have leftover berries, make my balsamic roasted strawberries with whipped feta (sooo good!).
Recipe Tips
- Taste check a berry earlier than you mix. Ripeness varies (even once they’re purple!), so ensure to style one earlier than mixing so you understand how a lot sweetener so as to add.
- Hull the strawberries first. Cut the greens off the tops of the berries first as a result of the inexperienced elements are bitter!
- Don’t over-blend! Once it’s easy, cease mixing!
- Too tart or too candy is fixable. Tastes tart? Add honey a 1/4 teaspoon at a time. Berries already candy? Add one other splash of vinegar.
What to Serve with Strawberry Vinaigrette
Mixed greens, child spinach, or arugula are my favourite greens to make use of with this dressing. Goat cheese, feta cheese, or a bit of crumbled blue cheese work effectively, and toasted pecans or slivered almonds add the crunch!
It’s good on issues that aren’t salad in any respect, too. Grilled asparagus, grilled or air fryer zucchini, a bowl of lower fruit. It additionally works over this little gem lettuce salad. And as a marinade it does the identical factor because the one in my honey balsamic hen, so apply it to hen, pork, or shrimp.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Refrigerate in an hermetic container or a mason jar for as much as 1 week. Give it an excellent shake or stir earlier than serving. A bit separation is regular, and an excellent shake brings it proper again!
- Thickened up within the fridge? Add a splash of water or vinegar and shake once more.
- Making it forward for a celebration? Store it individually from every part else and toss the salad collectively proper earlier than you serve it.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Thaw them first and drain off extra water, or the dressing will come out skinny. Add a splash of water on the finish if it comes out too thick.
Two issues could have occurred: the strawberry tops didn’t get hulled, or the olive oil obtained over-blended. Extra virgin olive oil can get bitter when blended, so cease as quickly because the dressing is easy.
About per week! Keep it in an hermetic container within the fridge and provides it a shake earlier than every use.
You can use a meals processor or a blender. An immersion blender can work too however a whisk and a bowl received’t do the trick right here as a result of the strawberries have to mix into the remainder of the substances.
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5-Minute Strawberry Vinaigrette (with Fresh Berries)
This vivid and flavorful strawberry balsamic French dressing combines contemporary strawberries, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, Dijon mustard, and honey for the right stability of candy and tangy. Blended with further virgin olive oil, it’s scrumptious drizzled over salads, grilled greens, or contemporary summer season greens.
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Add the strawberries, olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, Dijon mustard, honey, kosher salt, and black pepper to a small blender or mini meals processor.
1 cup strawberries, 1/3 cup further virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon floor black pepper
Blend till easy and emulsified, including a splash of water if you would like a thinner, extra drizzly consistency.
Taste and regulate seasoning, including an additional pinch of salt or splash of vinegar if wanted.
White balsamic: White balsamic has a lighter coloration and sweeter, extra delicate taste than common balsamic. Regular balsamic could be substituted, however it can make the French dressing darker.
Storage: Refrigerate in an hermetic container for as much as 1 week. Shake or stir earlier than serving, including a splash of water or vinegar if it thickens.
Make forward: Prepare the French dressing, strawberries, pickled onions, and caramelized nuts individually. Refrigerate the berries and French dressing, and retailer the nuts at room temperature. Use the berries inside 1–2 days and toss the salad collectively simply earlier than serving.
Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Nutrition data is approximate and was calculated utilizing a recipe vitamin label generator.
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