My vibrant cranberry vinaigrette made with fresh cranberries and olive oil is a healthy salad dressing that will wake up your winter salads
Omgosh I’m so excited to share this zippy cranberry vinaigrette salad dressing with you. I’ve been meaning to do it for years and never got around to it. It showcases the savory side of that tart cranberry flavor that we’ve been baking up in cookies, cakes, and muffins all season long. It’s gorgeously vibrant and super healthy on fall and winter salads, roasted veggies, grilled meats (how about as a glaze for ham?) It’s simple. It’s delicious. And it makes lots of other foods even more delicious.
Table of contents
cranberry vinaigrette ingredients
Some recipes call for cranberry juice, others call for leftover cranberry sauce. I think the best dressing is made with fresh cranberries for the biggest burst of flavor.
- fresh cranberries
- I use fresh berries, but frozen will work, just thaw them first.
- olive oil
- you have choices here: you can use an extra virgin olive oil, or a milder pure olive oil. You can also mix olive oil with a more neutral oil like canola or safflower. I love the olive oil flavor in this dressing so I use mostly extra virgin.
- shallot
- shallot, along with the olive oil, gives a wonderful savory flavor to the dressing, don’t skip it!
- balsamic vinegar
- a good quality thick rich balsamic vinegar is a flavor bomb!
- lemon juice
- I was surprised at how a little lemon juice perked up the flavors in this dressing. Lemon adds brightness, preventing the flavor from becoming one-dimensional.
- salt
- sugar
- just a touch brings out the flavor of the cranberries and balances the tartness in your cranberry vinaigrette. You can also use honey, maple syrup, or an alternative sweetener of your choice.
how to make cranberry salad dressing
- Load everything into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Taste to adjust any of the ingredients. Sugar and lemon juice are unexpected enhancers.
- Transfer to a clean bottle or jar and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
how to get that vibrant color!
When you start to blend your cranberry vinaigrette it will look pale, but as you keep blending the color will bloom. (That’s all the cranberry skins breaking down and releasing their pigments called anthocyanins and carotenoids.) The longer you blend, the deeper the color.
We love colorful food here in the Great Island kitchen, and these pigments are not only responsible for beautiful color, they also have powerful antioxidants with potential benefits for reducing chronic disease risk and promoting overall health ~ how nice!
That’s not to suggest that this cranberry vinaigrette will cure cancer, but vibrant foods are all part of an overall diet plan that focusses on fresh real ingredients over commercially prepared choices.
cranberry vinaigrette: a healthier salad dressing alternative
- Cranberries: Fresh cranberries are a good source of vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants, which help boost your immune system and protect your cells from damage.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy fat source rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been linked to lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. Most commercial salad dressings cannot afford to use this top quality oil, but you can! If your olive oil is strongly flavored you can combine it with a more neutral oil like soy, vegetable, canola, safflower, etc.
- Vinegar: Vinegar can help improve digestion and may also help lower blood sugar.
- Overall low in calories: Compared to store-bought dressings, this homemade vinaigrette uses fresh ingredients and is lower in calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats.
- I say slather it on everything!
Related: Whole Lemon Dressing
try your cranberry vinaigrette on these winter salad recipes
Cranberries have an affinity for spinach, Brussels sprouts, kale, wild rice, winter squash, and beets, for starters.
- a classic wedge salad
- winter slaw
- beet and wild rice salad
- wheat berry salad
- broccoli Honeycrisp slaw
- Wild Rice Bowl with Watercress and Hazelnuts
See all my salad recipes here!
Cranberry Vinaigrette
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cranberries. If you use frozen cranberries, thaw them first.
- 1 1/2 cups mild olive oil, or a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and a milder oil like canola or safflower.
- 1 shallot, peeled and rough chopped, about 2-3 tablespoons
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (use a nice one!)
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice. Start with one tablespoon and add more to taste.
- 2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
- 2 tsp sugar, honey, or alternative sweetener of your choice
Instructions
- Load everything in a blender, secure the lid, and blend until vibrant pink and fairly smooth. I start on low and gradually work up to high to get the smoothest blend possible. There will be some texture because of the berries, and that's fine.
- You won't see the bright color at first, but as the berries break down it will appear. Keep blending!
- Stop the machine and give the vinaigrette a taste. You may want to adjust the salt, sugar, or other ingredient to suit your liking. You can thin the dressing with a little bit of water if it seems too thick.
- Pour the dressing into a clean bottle or jar and refrigerate. Give it a stir or a shake before using because it will have separated a bit.
Notes
Nutrition
we love cranberries!
- Cranberry Cleanse Smoothie
- No Churn Cranberry Ice Cream
- Spiced Orange Cranberry Relish
- Creamy Cranberry Relish (with Horseradish and Sour Cream)
