Balsamic Blueberry Vinaigrette

Summer means blueberries. But it also means salads! I suppose you could just throw some blueberries on your salad and call it a summery day, but why stop there? This Balsamic Blueberry Vinaigrette is a simple yet flavorful dressing that transforms your just-another-salad into a colorful masterpiece bursting with antioxidants and deliciousness.

So let’s break down what goes into a good balsamic vinaigrette before jumping into this blueberry vinaigrette recipe:

• Balsamic: Your major flavor maker. This is a hydrophilic element, meaning it is attracted to water. Generally you’ll use 1 part balsamic to 2-3 parts oil.
• Oil: Gives the dressing a good mouth-feel (the term used for that feeling you get when eating fats) and dilutes the vinegar. This is hydrophobic, meaning it does not like water or water-like substances (like vinegar).
• Emulsifier: Balsamic is hydrophilic and oil is hydrophobic, meaning these guys don’t get along. Without something to make them stick together they’re going to separate. That’s where the emulsifier comes in. The emulsifier has a water-loving side and a water-hating side, so it gets along with both balsamic and oil, bringing the two together in happy harmony. Some good emulsifiers for vinaigrettes are:
  • Honey (we’ll use this one today because this is a sweet dressing)
  • Mustard
  • Mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper: always important
• Extra yums: Let your imagination go wild! We’re using blueberries and a touch of lemon today but the possibilities are endless.

5 from 1 vote

Print

Balsamic Blueberry Vinaigrette

This Balsamic Blueberry Vinaigrette is a simple yet flavorful dressing that transforms your just-another-salad into a colorful masterpiece bursting with antioxidants and deliciousness.

Course Dips, Sauces, and Salsas, Salads

Diet Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian

Occasion 4th of July

Time 15 minutes or less

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 24 Tbsp

Author Live Eat Learn

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Pinch of salt and pepper less than ¼ tsp each
• ½ cup olive oil
• 1 cup fresh blueberries mashed

Instructions

1. Whisk together vinegar, honey, lemon, salt, and pepper.
2. While whisking, slowly pour in oil, then continuing whisking until completely emulsified, about 1 minute. Use a blender for a longer lasting emulsification.
3. Place blueberries in a ziploc bag and mash until relatively smooth. You can also use a blender or food processor for this.
4. Whisk blueberries into vinaigrette mixture.

Notes

The fresh blueberries will cause this to go bad sooner than would a simple oil and vinegar dressing. However, this is pretty acidic, so it should stay good for longer than fresh blueberries would. Safely enjoy for about 2 weeks.

Helpful products for this Blueberry Vinaigrette