Raspberry Vinaigrette is always a winner at restaurants, but tends to come out rather flat at home. The answer is to build layers of fruity flavor into the sauce from the beginning, combining both fresh berries and a spoonful of preserves with the other ingredients. By blending everything together and passing it through a sieve, you get a smooth, creamy dressing in less than 15 minutes.
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One of the biggest complaints about store-bought raspberry dressing is that it tastes like sugar, not like fresh fruit. This one does not, however; it offers tartness and zing comparable to what you’d get at a farm-to-table dinner. Its uses are myriad: drizzled over baby spinach and goat cheese, spooned onto grilled chicken or pork, or tossed with mixed greens and toasted walnuts. Honestly, you can’t go wrong.
Previous iterations of this recipe stuck to fresh raspberries alone, and while diners never had complaints, I found it was missing something. One afternoon while stirring it together, a thought struck me: I had raspberry preserves on hand … and the rest is history. The sweetness and concentrated flavor of jam or jelly adds a depth that balances the brightness and acidity of the fresh fruit perfectly. Add red wine vinegar and shallots for savoriness before blending and straining, and you get the perfect restaurant-quality result.
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Total: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/2 cups (8 servings)
- Skill level: Easy
Ingredients for Raspberry Vinaigrette
- Fresh Raspberries: Look for deep red, spotless, and fragrant raspberries. Avoid containers leaking juice out the bottom. If fresh is not an option, frozen raspberries will work. Just make sure to thaw them first.
- Raspberry Preserves: Opt for high-quality preserves where raspberries are the first ingredient.
- Shallot: Many recipes use red onions here, but I like shallots. They’re similarly sweet without the sharp afterbite.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Opt for a middle-shelf red wine vinegar at the least. Cheap products tend to be harsh and acidic.
- Honey: Honey is a must, but you should modify the amount to complement the sweetness of your berries properly. If your raspberries are very sweet (taste them first), start with one teaspoon and work your way up. Too tart? Add more than called for.
- Olive Oil: If you’d dip bread into it, then your extra-virgin olive oil will do nicely here.
- Salt and Pepper: After straining, season with salt and pepper to taste.
How to Make Raspberry Vinaigrette
Add the vinegar, shallot, raspberries, preserves, and honey to a blender. Process until it looks completely smooth, then add the olive oil in a slow stream with the motor on low. Turn the blender off once it comes together, then press the mixture through a strainer with the back of a spoon. I like to put it straight into a jar, then taste and season it with salt and pepper. You can either use it right away or seal the jar and refrigerate it for up to one week.
Pro Tips
- If your raspberries are too tart, add extra preserves or honey to compensate. Do this before seasoning with salt and pepper.
- A wide-mouthed mason jar works well for storing your dressing. Plus, it doubles as a shaker when you need to redistribute the Raspberry Vinaigrette ingredients, which will separate after a few days.
- If the oil solidifies in the refrigerator, which is likely, simply set the dressing on the counter for 10 minutes, then shake or whisk it before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Creamy raspberry dressing: Love that creamy effect? A couple of tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt provide a luxurious texture that stands up to heartier greens. Stir the yogurt in right after straining the vinaigrette.
- Vinegar swap: White balsamic vinegar sweetens up your dressing without changing its color, while apple cider vinegar adds a lovely tang.
- Vegan version: If you’re vegan and don’t eat honey, you can use agave or maple syrup in equal measure for similar results.
Make-Ahead and Storage
You can make this vinaigrette ahead and store it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If the oil solidifies, a few minutes on the counter and a quick shake or whisk gets it back to the right consistency.
What to Serve With Raspberry Vinaigrette
Raspberry Vinaigrette is amenable to a wide range of foods. Drizzled over a salad of baby spinach, goat cheese, candied walnuts, and fresh raspberries, it’s divine. Ditto with chicken and pork in lieu of another sauce. For a healthy, filling weeknight dinner, try pairing it with mixed greens, sliced avocado, and toasted pecans. For a hearty post-hike lunch or winter meal, pour it over a grain bowl with arugula and roasted veggies.
More Homemade Salad Dressings
Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 small shallot coarsely chopped
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1 tablespoon raspberry preserves or more
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine red wine vinegar, shallot, raspberries, raspberry preserves, and honey in a blender pitcher; blend until smooth.
- With the blender running, slowly stream in the olive oil and blend until the dressing emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a small pitcher, pressing with the back of a spoon to catch the seeds. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for up to one week.
Notes
- If you don’t mind seeds, you can skip the step of straining them out.
- The recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups dressing. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and use within one week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
