An easy way to make use of the summer’s best produce, my homemade raspberry vinaigrette dressing is oh so easy to make. With just three base ingredients, this raspberry vinaigrette recipe is gluten-free, vegan and has no added sugar – just plenty of goodness.
If you love raspberries as much as I do (and I’m guessing you do), you’ll find a way to get them into everything you eat. That’s why I created this raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing. It’s another way to add a burst of flavor to your favorite everyday salads. It is sweet, tart, and super fresh.
With a gorgeous tart flavor, it’s somewhere between a tangy red wine vinegar and homemade raspberry jam. Best of all, the only sugar you’ll find in this raspberry vinegar dressing is from the fruit itself, making it delicious and good for you.
I love combining fresh summer fruit with acidic flavors to create distinctive dressings. After the success of my strawberry version and blackberry version, my raspberry vinaigrette is just my latest experiment.
The naturally tangy flavor of the raspberry gets a greater depth when combined with oils and acids. Plus, it is perfect for tossing with leafy greens or Mediterranean-inspired salads.
How Healthy Is Raspberry Vinaigrette
With only three base ingredients, this raspberry vinaigrette recipe is low in sugar and provides healthy fats.
Plus, raspberries are incredibly good for you. They are low in natural sugars themselves and are high in antioxidants and potassium. As the central ingredient for raspberry salad dressing, they can help with the regulation of blood pressure and heart health. Raspberries are also packed with Vitamin C for healthy-looking skin and bones.
Ingredients for Raspberry Salad Dressing
- Raspberries: Fresh or frozen. Although fresh berries work best for this (when in season, they do have a superior flavor), you can use frozen berries. Just make sure to defrost the frozen raspberries before you start making the raspberry vinaigrette.
- White wine vinegar: Raspberries pair amazingly with white or red wine vinegar. In a pinch, you can substitute with balsamic vinegar or even lemon juice.
- Extra virgin olive oil: This is an unrefined oil and is surprisingly good for you. It’s packed with healthy fats and health benefits. EVOO helps make excellent dressings and is my go-to for all salad dressings. However, feel free to use another neutral oil of your choice (grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, etc.).
- Salt and black pepper: To taste.
- Sweetener (optional): You can use any sweetener of your choice, including honey, agave, or sugar.
How to Make Raspberry Vinaigrette
This homemade dressing is oh so easy to make.
Prepare the Raspberries
First, rinse the raspberries and place them in a small saucepan. If using a sweetener – add it at this point. Normally, I don’t add any sweetener. But if the raspberries are not too sweet or are too tangy for me, I add a teaspoon of honey or maple.
Make a Quick Reductions
Next, roughly mash the raspberries with a potato masher or fork.
Then, heat them on low heat for about 5 minutes. This will help to intensify the flavors. Stir the mixture occasionally.
Sieve the Mixture
Once reduced, sieve the mixture with a fine mesh strainer. This helps to get rid of the raspberry seeds and excess thick fruity pulp. However, if you don’t mind your homemade salad dressing with a bit of “body”, feel free to skip this step.
Alternatively, you can blend the mixture till smooth in a food processor.
Chef’s Tip: With any leftover pulp and seeds, you can make frozen lollies or fruit leather. Or you can add them to any breakfast bowls and overnight oats. You can easily store the leftovers in the freezer.
Mix the Dressing
Allow the raspberry mixture to cool before mixing with the remainder of the vinaigrette ingredients – olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk well. Taste the dressing and adjust the sweetness/acid, as needed.
I like to allow the dressing an hour or two to infuse. However, it is ready to use immediately.
Chef’s Tip: This dressing recipe takes under 15 minutes in its entirety. But if you are really short on time and need a last-minute salad dressing, here is what you can do. Blitz all the ingredients together in a blender and optionally sieve the mixture. Voila – a delicious salad dressing ready in 1 minute.
What to Serve with Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
Raspberries have a lovely sweet-tart flavor combination that makes them a great addition to both sweet and savory meals.
This raspberry dressing is best served with salads. Particularly those that are packed with leafy greens like spinach salad, kale salad, and arugula salad.
It also pairs well with salads with other salty elements, like slices of feta cheese or halloumi. For example, it will be perfect to dress my Herby Watermelon Salad or Vegan Feta Greek Salad.
You can even use it for sweet salads as a compliment to other summer fruits. I love adding raspberry dressings to this Fresh & Fruity salad. But you can add it to any combination of summer fruits you choose.
You can also use raspberry vinegarette as a marinade for proteins. It’s great particularly for ones with less natural flavors like chicken, turkey, or tofu.
How to Store Raspberry Vinaigrette
Raspberry vinaigrette can be kept in the fridge for up to a week. Simply transfer it into an airtight container or jar and store it in the refrigerator. This raspberry vinaigrette recipe is best enjoyed within a few days of preparation.
Other Great Salad Dressing Recipes
If you try this raspberry vinaigrette dressing, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
The Best Raspberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 cups raspberries
- 1/4 cup wine vinegar red or white
- 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- sweetener optional – honey, agave, maple, erythritol, or sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the raspberries and place them in a small saucepan. Roughly mash the raspberries with a potato masher or fork.If you think that the raspberries are not sweet enough, you can then add 1-2 teaspoon of sweetener.
- Heat them on low heat for about 5 minutes. This will help to intensify the flavors. Stir the mixture occasionally.
- Once reduced, sieve the mixture with a fine mesh strainer. This helps to get rid of the raspberry seeds and excess thick fruity pulp. If you don't mind your dressing with a bit of "body", feel free to skip this step.
- Allow the raspberry mixture to cool before mixing with the remainder of the vinaigrette ingredients – olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Whisk well. Taste the dressing and adjust the sweetness/acid, as needed. I like to allow the dressing an hour or two to infuse. However, it is ready to use immediately.
Video
Notes
- Swap out the white wine vinegar for red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- You can use any neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, etc.
- You can use fresh or frozen raspberries for this dressing. Depending on what method you use to make the dressing (reduction, blender, etc), the frozen berries can result in a lighter pink color.
- For a “creamier” dressing, you could add a couple of tablespoons of yogurt/Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt.
- For even more “tang”, add in a little mustard. You can use smooth yellow mustard, dijon mustard, or whole seed mustard (to add a little texture).
- You can add finely chopped herbs, for additional flavor. Some of my favorites to pair with raspberries include fresh basil leaves, mint, thyme, oregano, etc. You could also use powders such as onion or garlic powder.
- To add a little “heat”, you can add crushed garlic, shallots, or onion. For more heat, add some red pepper flakes or homemade chili oil.
- Add a splash of fresh lemon juice or lime juice for extra “fresh” tang. This citrus juice adds a lovely “brightness” to the sauce, unlike the vinegar.
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