Red Raspberry Vinaigrette

Busy Mama Recipes



Mmm... this is going into my salad dressing folder.  As you all know, I love salad dressing.  There is hardly a kind I don't like- except ranch, how boring.

I love this recipe because it can be made with fresh or frozen berries and you can have it any time of the year.  I have made it with raspberries, but blackberries with blueberries make a yummy dressing too!

I also like this recipe, because unlike some others that just call for raspberry vinegar, this is made with real berries.  So much better!

Photo Credit: Unknown

When I get berries from the garden, my Blackberries are much bigger than the raspberries from my grandpa's garden.  I would also rather use huckleberries than blueberries, but they are extremely seasonal in this area. 

Here it is:

1/8 cup white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup berries*
2-5 tablespoons brown sugar or honey (depending on how sweet the berries are and how sweet you want the dressing)
1 tsp mustard seed OR 2 tsp Dijon
1 tbs orange zest
salt and pepper
1/2 cup oil (I prefer grapeseed for this recipe because it won't add flavor like olive oil will.  Canola or vegetable oil works too, though).

Wash the berries and dry well.  If you are using frozen berries, put them in a mesh colander and run cold water over them for a minute to get the excess juices and seeds off.  Blend all ingredients except the oil in a blender food processor.  Once it's well mixed, turn the blender on high and slowly add in the oil.  Once it's all mixed, store in a covered container in the fridge for up to two weeks. After the dressing has been refrigerated it will probably become thick, so you may have to shake it or stir it before adding it to salads.

This dressing goes great on a spinach salad with nuts or seeds, onion, blue cheese crumbles, apples or pears, and dried crandberries.  But, I like it on green salads of any kind:-)

* Mixing raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries make a great mixed berry dressing.  To make it local (where I live, anyway) adding Oregon huckleberries would be delicious.  Although I have never made it, I can imagine that having Oregon Marionberries would also be amazing.  Buy local at you farmer's markets.  In Portland, use the local blackberries and on the coast, use the Oregon strawberries.  In other parts of the country, add fruit that is local.  Peaches would be pretty yummy too;-)  Especially if you used champagne vinegar instead of white vinegar.