Strawberry Salad Dressing

You need only 5 ingredients for this tangy, sweet, healthy Strawberry Salad Dressing made with fresh strawberries and white balsamic vinegar.

🍓About Strawberry Dressing

When strawberries start popping up in the stores (I'm talking about the local, delicious strawberries -- not overpriced, out of season strawberries), I get super excited.

K, I'm pretty sure you didn't come here to learn about my favorite fruit. You probably saw strawberry dressing and either thought "weird. no." or "yummy! Strawberries in dressing sounds glorious!"

I'd recommend the second opinion because this stuff is addicting. I had to buy extra lettuce because I craved a salad like 8 days in a row because of this strawberry salad dressing.

But it's strawberry season, so they're sweet, juicy, and perfect to balance out the tangy balsamic vinegar and the richness of the olive oil.

I prefer to use white balsamic vinegar because the regular balsamic vinegar could potentially make the salad dressing not as vibrantly red and beautiful, but it's totally up to you.

This takes all of three minutes to make. All you have to do is toss the ingredients in a food processor and blend for less than a minute.

Ingredients

Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are best for this dressing. The texture will be a little off if you use frozen strawberries. Conventional or organic are both good options. After a lot of scientific research, I feel confident eating either conventional and organic fruit.

Garlic: Again, fresh is best here. In a pinch, you can use garlic powder.

Balsamic Vinegar: Regular balsamic vinegar and white balsamic vinegar both work in this strawberry dressing. The white balsamic vinegar is a little sweeter and less tangy, so it is my preferred option. However, regular balsamic vinegar tastes great in here. Note that the color might be a little muted since regular balsamic vinegar has a dark color.

Salt: Don't skip the salt. It really balances out the tangy-sweetness of the strawberry dressing.

Olive oil: When making dressing, I prefer extra virgin olive oil, but quite honestly, it's not a huge deal if you use regular olive oil. I don't recommend substituting with coconut oil as it will have too strong of a flavor. Avocado oil or canola oil could work, but I haven't tested them in this dressing.

Cost of Recipe

• strawberries 1 cup: $0.50
• garlic 1 clove: $0.06
• balsamic vinegar 3 tablespoons: $0.79
• salt 1/8 teaspoon: $0.01
• olive oil 1 tablespoon: $0.24

TOTAL COST: $1.60 (Based on San Diego Sprouts 2020) or $0.27/serving

How to Make Strawberry Salad Dressing

Making your own salad dressing at home is incredibly simple. For this strawberry dressing, you simply add the ingredients to a food processor or blender, and combine.

1. Add all of the ingredients to a mini food processor.
2. Blend.
3. Pour into a container
4. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

Variations

Ingredient Options

White balsamic vinegar: This recipe uses white balsamic vinegar which has a more mild flavor and a lighter color. Regular balsamic vinegar will work in place of the white balsamic vinegar but the dressing will be a darker color and have a little more tanginess. You can add a pinch of sugar if you'd like a sweeter dressing.

How to Make Allergy Friendly

This Strawberry Salad Dressing recipe is already gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, nut free and vegan/vegetarian. Be sure to read ingredient labels to ensure that there are no allergens you need to avoid in the ingredients you are using.

Flavor Substitutions

Vinegar: For a tangier dressing, use regular balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar. If using white wine vinegar, I recommend adding a pinch of sugar to help bring out the sweetness in the strawberries.

Make Ahead Ideas

Pretty much all salad dressings are excellent for making ahead of time, especially since you can keep them in the fridge for 5-7 days. Also, making in advance allows the flavor to meld together. Highly recommend making this dressing ahead of time if possible.

Storage Suggestions

Keep this strawberry salad dressing in an airtight container for up to 7 days. I don't recommend freezing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you do anything else with this strawberry salad dressing?

Yes, you can! You can use it to marinate chicken breasts to grill or pan fry. Simply pour the dressing into a resealable glass container or plastic bag, and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Remove from strawberry dressing, discard any remaining dressing, and cook the chicken however you desire.

Nutrition Benefits

Strawberries are as delicious as they are nutritious, full of Vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants & phytonutrients. As a whole, this strawberry vinaigrette is full of antioxidants but also helps you absorb the nutrients in your salad thanks to the olive oil in the dressing.

What to Serve with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Honestly, I would serve this on almost any salad. I personally love a combo of spinach, pecans, and goat cheese or feta cheese with this strawberry salad dressing. Add some chicken and a side of bread for a complete meal. It's also great on any kind of mixed green, butter lettuce or romaine lettuce.

Final thoughts

This is quite possibly my favorite salad dressing in the entire world. It's tangy, sweet, salty, and slightly rich, and it works well on many types of salads. I highly recommend making it if you have fresh strawberries. Plus, like many other salad dressings, you can use it to marinate chicken.

MORE STRAWBERRY RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:

• Strawberry Kombucha Sangria
• Strawberry Daiquiris
• Festive Drunk White Chocolate Covered Strawberry
• Strawberry Cambozola Grilled Cheese
• Independence Day Sangria
• Strawberry Gin Fizz
• Sweet & Spicy Chocolate Covered

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Meme

This post was originally published May 4, 2016. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.

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