How To Make Salad Dressings and Vinaigrettes Using Fruit Vinegars

We here at Wozz! make a variety of handcrafted slow infused fruit vinegars from Strawberry Rhubarb and Balsamic Blueberry To Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar.  These vinegars are entirely delicious on their own; simply drizzled over salad greens but they are also a fantastic contributing ingredient to use when making a salad dressing or vinaigrette.  By adding a fruit vinegar to the base of a simple at home salad dressing whether it be a balsamic, a red wine vinaigrette or a creamy poppyseed dressing you add a little sweetness, a hint of fresh fruit flavor and an added complexity and change-up to your everyday dressing.  Add a splash of Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar to your next balsamic vinaigrette and you get a delicious raspberry balsamic.  Add our Strawberry Rhubarb Vinegar to a creamy poppyseed dressing and you get a strawberry poppyseed dressing perfect for a summer berry salad.  Having a variety of fruit vinegars in your pantry to choose from allows you to add a little mix of flavors to your everyday vinaigrette and dressing recipes.  Listed below are our favorite simple fruit vinegar salad dressing recipes along with recommended salads that pair well with them.

1. Creamy Raspberry Poppyseed Dressing

A sweet, tangy and creamy raspberry poppyseed dressing is delicious drizzled over a berry spinach salad or a crispy chicken salad with pecans and goats cheese.  Simply add Wozz! Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar to mayonnaise with a splash of white vinegar and poppyseeds.  

Quick and Easy Creamy Raspberry Poppyseed Dressing Recipe:

4 Tbs Wozz! Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar 
1 Tbs White Vinegar
1/4 Cup Tbs Mayonnaise 
1/2 tsp Poppyseeds
1/4 tsp Salt - season to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients.  Drizzle over salad.

Quick Tip!  *Swap out Wozz! Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar for Wozz! Strawberry Rhubarb Vinegar for a Strawberry Poppyseed Dressing {serve over a summer spinach strawberry salad}.

Recipe Pictured Below:  Raspberry Red Wine Poppyseed Vinaigrette

2. Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette

Adding Wozz! Lemon Thyme Vinegar to a simple vinaigrette using olive oil, Dijon, a squeeze of fresh lemon, salt and pepper and voila!  A delicious lemony and herbaceous vinaigrette.  Serve over a warm roasted chicken salad with greens and cherry tomatoes, over a Tuna salad nicoise or over an Italian mushroom celery salad with shaved Parmesan. 

Quick and Easy Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette Recipe:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil
3 Tbs Wozz! Lemon Thyme Vinegar
1/2 Fresh Lemon Squeezed
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp Salt
Pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk ingredients together.  Drizzle over salad.

Pictured Below:  Tuna Nicoise Salad with Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette

3. Balsamic Blueberry Vinegar Reduction Dressing 

You can make a delicious balsamic blueberry syrup-y reduction dressing by slowly boiling our Balsamic Blueberry and Maple Vinegar over the stovetop until rich and syrupy.  Once a desired thick and rich consistency, pour over crispy duck on salad greens, grilled peaches or on a spinach salad.

Pictured Below:  Balsamic Blueberry Reduction Dressing on Grilled Chicken and Arugula Salad

4. Raspberry Red Wine and Dijon Vinaigrette 

Our Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar adds such a lovely sweet yet tangy fresh summer raspberry zing to this vinaigrette recipe.  The added Dijon and olive oil add that savory element that makes this dressing a wonderful "all around" vinaigrette recipe.  Serve over salad greens with crispy chicken and crumbled cheese or over a spring mix salad with feta and croutons.

1/3 Cup Wozz! Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
2 Tbs Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Pictured Below:  Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad with Mixed Greens, Gorgonzola and Raspberry Red Wine Vinaigrette 

5.  Pear Ginger Vinaigrette 

A pear and ginger dressing is delicious over a salad with sliced apple or pears, blue cheese and candied nuts.  We especially love it during the Fall and winter when making roasted vegetable salads with greens, bacon, goats cheese and toasted nuts.  You can dress these salads using our Pear Ginger Vinaigrette recipe below or simply just drizzle our Pear Ginger Vinegar over top your salads if you are looking for an oil free dressing.

Pear Ginger Vinaigrette Recipe:

3 Tbs olive oil 
3 Tbs Wozz! Pear Ginger Vinegar 
1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar 
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp Salt 
Pinch of Pepper

Pictured Below:  Pear Gorgonzola Salad with Rosemary Walnuts and Pear Ginger Vinegar

 

6.  Grapefruit Honey Vinaigrette 

This vinaigrette is quite complex, it's tangy and citrus-y, has a mild bitterness from the grapefruit (which is to be expected and actually delicious) and is rounded out with the sweetness from the orange blossom honey.  Serve this grapefruit vinaigrette with a simple mixed green salad with shaved parmesan or goats cheese or drizzle over a shaved fennel and citrus salad with prosciutto.

Grapefruit Honey Vinaigrette Recipe

2 Tbs Olive Oil
3 Tbs Wozz! Grapefruit Juniper and Honey Vinegar 
1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar or White Vinegar
1/4 tsp Salt
pinch of pepper

Add ingredients to small bowl.  Whisk until combined.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

7.  Raspberry Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing

This Raspberry Honey Mustard Vinaigrette makes a tasty addition to a garden salad with crispy chicken tenders or sliced grilled steak over top.  It's also a nice addition to a mid summer berry salad with arugula, bacon and toasted almonds.  We use our Southern Style Rustic Mustard in this recipe (which is a tangy yet slightly sweet coarse mustard with honey) along with our Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar and it's the perfect combination for this recipe.

Raspberry Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing

4 Tbs Wozz! Raspberry Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Tbs Wozz! Southern Style Rustic Mustard (made with honey)
Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Whisk together ingredients.  Serve over salad.

 

8.  Cranberry Orange and Saffron Vinaigrette

1/2 Tbs Avocado Oil
3 Tbs Wozz! Cranberry Saffron Vinegar 
1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbs Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice (equal to about 1 large wedge of orange squeezed)
1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard  (add an additional 1/4 tsp if desired)
Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Pictured Below:  Fried Goats Cheese Salad with Cranberry Vinegar

9.  Creamy Sweet Spiced Beet Balsamic Yogurt Dressing

A healthy creamy and smooth beet balsamic yogurt dressing that is delicious served over simple mixed greens, over roasted root vegetables salads with crumbled feta or with Middle Eastern koftas atop salad greens.  You can also add this dressing to sandwiches and wraps.

Beet Balsamic Yogurt Dressing Recipe

3 Tbs Plain Greek Yogurt
3 Tbs Wozz! Spiced Beet Vinegar
1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper To Taste

There you have it, some quick and easy recipes for fruit vinegar salad dressings.  As you can see a vinaigrette can be made however you like - simply by adjusting the ratios of vinegar vs oil vs spices to get the desired vinaigrette of your liking.  Want a vinaigrette that has more tang?  Add an extra splash of vinegar or lemon juice or decrease the amount of oil in the recipe.  Want it a bit sweeter?  Add a little extra fruit vinegar or a dash of sugar or honey.  Want it more complex?  Add some additional fresh herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme or Oregano or add extra Dijon mustard, fresh garlic or chopped shallots.  Want it creamy?  Add a little mayonnaise, sour cream or yogurt.  Don't want oil in your dressing?  Use the fruit vinegars on their own - no mixing with oil is required and if you want to add a little extra zing (if you like your dressings extra tangy) just add an extra splash of traditional vinegar (balsamic, white wine, red wine, apple cider, or white to your recipe).  Adjust the recipes to suit your taste and dietary preferences.   

One thing to keep in mind when you making a vinaigrette is your base ingredients.  If you are using a fruit vinegar, you will not need as much oil because the fruit vinegar is not as sharp and acidic as for example fresh lemon juice or a traditional vinegar in your recipe.  Less oil allows the fruit vinegar flavors to come through.  I always add an extra splash of an acidic ingredient to my fruit vinegar vinaigrettes because I like to have that mild complex fruit flavor in my dressings but I also like a bright tang.  Also, a strong olive oil that is very grassy or bitter in flavor can change the outcome of your vinaigrette so be mindful of your oil choice and flavor.  If you have a stronger olive oil, you may want to use less of it or substitute a different oil such as avocado oil.  Citrus and traditional vinegars tend to pair better with a stronger olive oil because they can cut the oil with their acidity.   Fruit vinegars such as strawberry, cranberry or blueberry vinegar tend to pair better with a more neutral or light olive oil and usually will use less oil in the recipe allowing the fruit flavor to really shine through.