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This Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette is the perfect blend of sweet, tangy, floral, and creamy, making it the ideal summer salad dressing. It's excellent as a sauce for grilled foods or as a dipping sauce.
Here are more salad dressings to add to your repertoire: Ranch, Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette, Cajun Ranch, Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette, and Green Olive Vinaigrette.
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Growing up in New Orleans, I was always looking for a reason to use strawberries. Ponchutla, Louisiana, grows abundant, sweet, and delicious strawberries, and each year, I attended the Strawberry Festival to see what new ways they used them.
Given the heaviness of a New Orleans diet, you can understand the need for something lighter and refreshing. That's how I came up with my recipe for strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. I use fresh ripe strawberries, fresh basil, honey, balsamic vinegar, shallots, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil. This creates this creamy and delicious salad dressing that you could eat by the spoonful, but it also works for your meal plans when you're looking for a healthy salad dressing.
Most commercial salad dressings at the market are made with soybean or canola oil, which is notorious for causing inflammation in the body. That means you can experience aches, pains, and swelling even if you're eating a clean diet and never think your favorite salad dressing was the culprit in you not hitting your fitness goals.
Grab a small knife and food processor and block off 5 minutes for this yummy strawberry vinaigrette.
Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients
Here is everything you'll need to make your strawberry vinaigrette. It's a base for a wide range of tasty creations.
Fresh Strawberries
My preference is to use organic strawberries, but when you buy strawberries in season from February to October, you're almost guaranteed to find juicy and ripe strawberries.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I always reach for Colavita olive oil; its peppery undertones are a clear indicator of pure olive oil, distinguishing it from blends that include canola oil.
Basil
For the freshest basil flavor, choose basil with bright green leaves and avoid bruised or wilted ones.
Shallots
I always describe a shallot as if garlic and onion had a baby; they have a slight sweetness like a red onion but a pop of garlic. You'll find them by the onions in the grocery store. I like using them in my vinaigrettes because it's not as strong as an onion and not as spicy as garlic but the perfect balance of both.
Balsamic Vinegar
Not all balsamic vinegar is made the same. The key to a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette lies in using sweet, aged balsamic vinegar, as its tangy taste is essential. While regular balsamic vinegar can work, I urge you to experience the difference with an aged variety.
Dijon Mustard
Dijon mustard serves as a key ingredient to prevent the separation of vinaigrette ingredients while harmonizing the flavor.
Honey
Honey's sweetness will compensate for any non-sweet strawberries, and its consistency will give the finished dressing a lovely body.
How to Make Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
The only thing that should take long is removing the green core from the strawberries, other than that the food processor or blender will do all the work.
Stick a small knife into the top of the strawberry right underneath the stem. Then turn the knife and strawberry in sync to remove only the stem and quarter the strawberry.
In a food processor or blender, add strawberries, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, basil leaves, honey, shallots, salt, and black pepper. Pulse 6 times.
While the processor is running slowly, drizzle in extra virgin olive oil until the vinaigrette thickens. A small hole in the lid should help slowly drizzle the oil in.
Use the vinaigrette on salads, grilled seafood, or as a dipping sauce.
Storing Strawberry Vinaigrette
Leftover strawberry balsamic vinaigrette can be stored in a mason jar, glass jar bottle, or airtight container in the fridge for one month. If you leave it out at room temperature, use it in three days. Give it a good shake before using it.
Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks
Here are the best practices, techniques, substitutes, and flavor builders for your strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.
- Wash your strawberries in a baking soda solution: 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 cup of water. Let them soak for 1-2 minutes, then rinse under cold water. When buying strawberries, remember that size isn't the most important factor. Instead, opt for shiny, aromatic berries that are uniformly deep in color, right to the stem.
- Feel free to substitute white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar for balsamic vinegar. White balsamic vinegar is less sweet and milder.
- If fresh basil is unavailable, use rosemary or mint. Matter of fact try adding one or the other or both to create a very flavorful vinaigrette.
- Olive oil or avocado oil can be used as substitutes for extra virgin olive oil. However, I advise against using canola oil.
- Add two tablespoons of Grade A maple syrup instead of honey.
- Swap out the strawberries for raspberries to make a raspberry balsamic vinaigrette.
More Strawberry Recipes
Here are more recipes that use strawberries as the star!
- Strawberry Whisky Pound Cake
- Strawberry Crème Brulee
- Strawberry Shortcakes
- Orange Strawberry Cupcakes
- Strawberry Ginger Lemonade
- Skillet Strawberry Cobbler
- Strawberry Buttermilk Waffles
- Strawberry Mojitos
- Fried Strawberry Hand Pies
Before You Begin
Before getting started, here are the steps I use to get organized.
To begin, here are the steps I follow to get organized.
Step 1: Read the recipe once before making it and prepping all the ingredients.
Step 2: Follow the recipe and get ready for a tasty strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.
So, whether you're dressing a fresh garden salad or looking for a unique sauce, remember that a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette can be the vibrant, flavor-packed addition to your meals.
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📖 Recipe
Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup quartered strawberries washed and stems removed about 8
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 4 large basil leaves or 7 small leaves
- ¼ cup shallots rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender add strawberries, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, basil leaves, honey, shallots, salt and black pepper. Pulse 6 times. While processor is running slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil, until vinaigrette has thickened. Store in a glass or airtight container, keep in the fridge for one month.
Notes
- Wash your strawberries in a baking soda solution: 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 cup of water. Let them soak for 1-2 minutes, then rinse under cold water. When buying strawberries, remember that size isn't the most important factor. Instead, opt for shiny, aromatic berries that are uniformly deep in color, right to the stem.
- Feel free to substitute white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar for balsamic vinegar. White balsamic vinegar is less sweet and milder.
- If fresh basil is unavailable, use rosemary or mint. Matter of fact try adding one or the other or both to create a very flavorful vinaigrette.
- Olive oil or avocado oil can be used as substitutes for extra virgin olive oil. However, I advise against using canola oil.
- Add two tablespoons of Grade A maple syrup instead of honey.
- Swap out the strawberries for raspberries to make a raspberry balsamic vinaigrette.
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