Vibrant, sweet, and tangy, our Blueberry Salad Dressing is made with fresh berries and basil to create the perfect flavour pairing! This dressing is lovely and delicious, try it drizzled over a simple spinach, kale or chicken salad.
An explosion of summer flavour our vibrant Blueberry Vinaigrette is healthy to boot! Chock full of superfood blueberries that contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; and aromatic basil that is high in calcium, vitamin K and antioxidants.
Variations to Try
- Try another berry such as raspberries, blackberries or strawberries.
- Swap the basil for mint.
- Swap the red wine vinegar for balsamic or some lime or lemon juice (lime pairs well with raspberries).
- Try a nut oil instead such as walnut or hazelnut then some of the same nut to your salad for an extra flavour hit and some crunch.
- Add some Dijon mustard for some tangy flavour.
- For some heat try adding some chilli, powder, chilli flakes or Cajun spice.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Fresh Blueberries- nothing beats in-season blueberries; frozen will work; just make sure you defrost them well first.
Fresh Basil - for its wonderfully sweet, fruity aroma, you can swap it for mint if you prefer.
Olive Oil- Extra virgin or virgin olive oil or a flavourless oil such as avocado oil will work. We don’t recommend using vegetable oil, as this is not a heart-healthy oil.
Red Wine Vinegar- for its punchy grape flavour. White wine vinegar champagne vinegar or apple cider vinegar are great alternatives.
Raspberry Vinegar - this is optional but it adds a wonderful raspberry note to this dressing that makes to die for!
Sweetener- to sweeten the dressing, especially if your blueberries are too tart. Try honey, maple syrup, sugar, or agave.
How to Make It
Step 1 - Prep Ingredients
Wash your blueberries and basil and pat the blueberries dry.
Shake the excess water from the basil, and pat dry then pick the basil leaves from the stems.
Step 2 - Blitz in Blender
Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a small food processor, and season with sea salt and black pepper.
Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust seasonings if necessary add 1-2 tablespoons of water if the dressing is too thick.
RECIPE NOTE: This Blueberry Salad Dressing will gel a little upon sitting. Simply stir before drizzling, or add a touch of water to thin out if desired—store in a covered container in the fridge for a couple of days.
What Can I Use It On?
We loved it on our Basil and Tomato with Blueberry Basil Dressing and our Kale Blueberry Salad; you could also…
- Drizzle it over a simple spinach salad.
- Wonderful with any sturdy leafy greens such as kale, collard greens or silverbeet.
- Great to use on a beetroot and feta salad.
- Sensational on chicken salads.
- Stir it through a quinoa salad.
- Toss it with a berry salad.
- As a marinade for chicken or pork (leave your meat in the marinade for an hour or so before using).
- To drizzle on grilled chicken or perfectly grilled pork chops.
- As part of a cheese board, it pairs well with blue cheeses such as Gorgonzola and salty cheeses such as feta or goat's cheese.
Tips and Questions
Can I Use Frozen Berries?
- Absolutely, just make sure you defrost them first otherwise your dressing will turn into a frozen slushie.
What is the Best Oil to Use?
- Being Greek we pretty much use olive oil for everything opting for virgin or extra virgin blend for our dressings or vinaigrettes as they are lighter. Avocado oil also works well here, or you could try a good quality nut oil such as walnut or hazelnut.
How Much Blueberry Vinaigrette Does It Make?
- This recipe makes approximately one cup of dressing enough for one salad that serves four people, the nutritional information is also calculated this way.
How Long Can I Store It?
Pour it into a glass jar with a lid so you can shake it well before pouring it over your salad. It should keep in the fridge for a few days.
What Diets is Blueberry Salad Dressing Suitable For?
- Great for most diets vegan, vegetarian, nut and gluten-free diets, and also good for those that have lactose intolerance as it is creamy yet dairy-free.
- If you use a low-carb/keto-friendly sweetener, it would be suitable as berries are low-carb. It has 1 gram of net carbs per serve
Recipe Card
Equipment
- Bullet or High Speed Blender or Small Food Processor
Ingredients
- ½ cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup fresh basil (Chopped)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin or virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
- ½ teaspoons sweetner (honey, maple syrup) (if blueberries are too tart)
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Wash your blueberries and basil. Pat the blueberries dry, shake the excess water from the basil and pat dry then pick the basil leaves from the stems.
- Place all the ingredients for the dressing in a small food processor, blend until smooth.
- Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary add 1-2 tablespoons of water if the dressing is too thick.
Leave a Reply