Quick And Easy Blackberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Name: Quick And Easy Blackberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 c Blackberries; 2/3 c Olive Oil; 1/3 c Red Wine Vinegar; 1 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves ((or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)); 2 tbsp Maple Syrup; 1 tsp Sea Salt + 1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper (or to taste)

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Last Updated on July 19, 2023 by Sabrina Currie

Love blackberries? Then you'll love this delicious blackberry vinaigrette recipe! Sweet tart berries blend up quickly with just a few easy ingredients to make a crazy-good salad dressing. This one is the perfect recipe for your favorite salad greens or a salad with nuts, fruit or cheese and you'll have it done in just 5 minutes! (V, GF, DF)

Bright green, red and pink salad in a white bowl.

Why I made this recipe

I love a sweet and salty salad and blending up blackberries with olive oil and a touch of red wine vinegar makes a great blackberry vinaigrette dressing. The fruity flavor pairs really well with simple greens but also with rich salads that have nuts or goat cheese in them.

I love blackberries and use them as much as I can when they're in season but blackberries freeze really well so they're available all year. Blackberry salad dressing is a great way to enjoy these sweet tart berries in the summer AND through the winter. (These yummy blackberry pancakes are another great way to use them)

Love a good fruity salad as much as I do? Check out my fresh orange vinaigrette, Japanese style mango kani salad and my crisp apple walnut salad. Date and salad is another great option full of the delicious health benefits of dates, kale and carrots.

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Why I made this recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions + Variations
Step-by-Step Instructions
Serving Size + Storage
Salad Tips
Recipe FAQs
Related Recipes
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Recipe Ingredients

With just 5 ingredients (plus salt and black pepper) this is quick to make and extras make quick and impressive salads all week long. These are simple ingredients that are easily found at any grocery store.

Text labelled ingredients including fresh blackberries, green sprigs of thyme, red wine vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.

Blackberries - Fresh blackberries are perfect for this when in season but frozen blackberries work just as well and are available any time of year. Love blackberries too? You might love my blackberry simple syrup or the tasty blackberry smash too!
Olive Oil - I like the richness and mouth-feel of a good extra virgin olive oil and that is what is used for this recipe. Regular olive oil or vegetable oil is a fine substitute if desired.
Red Wine Vinegar - Red wine vinegar has a great acidity that plays well with the blackberries. A little goes a long way. See substitutions and variations below for more ideas.

See recipe card for quantities.

Close up of spring lettuce mix, slices of avocado, sliced radishes, crumbled feta cheese and bright red blackberry salad dressing.

Substitutions + Variations

Berries - Other ripe berries make a great homemade dressing too. Raspberries are a top choice for this vinaigrette, as are strawberries. Blueberries are much less tart but taste great. If using blackberries, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the recipe.
Vinegar - I've used red wine vinegar but other types of vinegar are delicious in this dressing too. White wine and champagne vinegar will give the most similar taste. If you want a sweeter and richer flavor, substitute an equal amount of balsamic vinegar for a tasty blackberry balsamic vinaigrette. For a slightly fruitier flavor, sub apple cider vinegar in.
Sweetener - I add a little extra sweetness with maple syrup but you can easily swap it out for an equal amount of honey or agave syrup. Or for no added sugar, you can simply omit the syrup.
Blackberry Jam - No blackberries? No problem. Use ½ cup of blackberry jam in place of the fresh berries and maple syrup. This will reduce the total amount of dressing but still tastes delicious.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Blackberries in the clear bowl of a small food processor.

Step 1. Add blackberries to the bowl of a food processor or the cup of an immersion blender. A regular blender works well too.

Blackberries, oil, vinegar and green herbs not yet blended in the bowl of the food processor.

Step 2. Add remaining ingredients including fresh or dried thyme. Blend until it is smooth and creamy.

The dressing is blended into an opaque deep purple red color. Pepper has been sprinkled on top.

Step 3. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper if you like.

The deep red dressing is being strained through a metal sieve into a glass jar.

Step 4. Strain the blackberry dressing through a sieve or tea strainer into a mason jar or small bowl. If it's going slow, press it through gently with a wooden spoon.

The strained red vinaigrette is in a glass cruet and the empty food processor bowl and sieve are beside it.

Step 5. Enjoy your fresh, homemade vinaigrette! In a large bowl, add your salad ingredients, top with blackberry vinaigrette, toss gently and serve.

Salad of mixed green lettuces, green beans, sliced radishes and crumbled feta cheese with a bright red berry vinaigrette.

Serving Size + Storage

I like to serve 2 cups of mixed greens and 1.5 tablespoons of dressing per person. So for a 4 person salad, 8 cups of loosely packed greens and 6 tablespoons of blackberry vinaigrette. Of course you can use more or less dressing to taste.

If you aren't using it right away, store it in a jar or container with a lid, in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. To keep it longer, store it in a container, remove as much air as possible and store it in the freezer. It can be frozen for up to 6 months.

A child's cupped hands holding a single blackberry.

Salad Tips

Homemade dressing is always the best. Using good quality ingredients and sweet ripe berries are a perfect way to top off farm fresh greens, crisp vegetables, nuts, cheeses and sliced meat.

Here are a few of my favorite salad combinations to pair with this vinaigrette:

Drizzled over sliced chicken and hearty mixed greens
With walnuts and feta cheese or goat cheese with spring greens
Tossed with spinach, strawberries, sliced mushrooms and bacon bits
Over mixed salad with almonds and cheddar
With sliced barbecue pork over frisee andmustard greens

Recipe FAQs

Is vinaigrette good for you?

Yes! A serving of vinaigrette contains heart healthy fat (olive oil), vitamins from the blackberries and if you use a live vinegar, you will get the healthy, probiotic gut bacteria too.
Perhaps more importantly, adding a healthy salad dressing to your veggies helps your body absorb more nutrients. The fats help your body absorb vital nutrients like lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotene.

Bright green salad of lettuce, sliced radishes and avocado with bright fuchsia dressing drizzled over.

If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.

Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.

Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina

📖 Recipe

Quick And Easy Blackberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Sweet tart blackberries blend up quickly to make a delicious fruity salad dressing. A perfect topper for simple greens or a salad with nuts, fruit or cheese. Makes about 1.5 cups after straining seeds out.

4.93 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad, Salad Dressing, Vinaigrette

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Blackberry salad dressing, blackberry vinegar

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Servings: servings

Calories: 91kcal

Author: Sabrina Currie

Ingredients

▢ 1 c Blackberries
▢ ⅔ c Olive Oil
▢ ⅓ c Red Wine Vinegar
▢ 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
▢ 2 tablespoon Maple Syrup
▢ 1 teaspoon Sea Salt + ½ teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper or to taste

Instructions

Add all ingredients to the bowl of a small food processor or blender. Blend until pureed and there are no lumps.
Season to taste with extra salt and pepper if you like. Pulse again to blend.
Strain through a sieve to remove blackberry seeds. Drizzle over salad and toss or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 10 days.

Notes

This can be stored in the freezer, in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for 6 hours before serving.