This easy, homemade balsamic blueberry vinaigrette takes just minutes to make in a blender and adds so much flavor and freshness to jazz up your salads. It's a summer must!
Hiya friends! We are back from a weekend away, visiting my brother and his family down in Georgia.
It was such a fun time getting all the kiddos together and having some family time that was much overdue. But I'm once again in need of a weekday reset after all the food and drink we enjoyed.
So today I’m bringing you a light, bright, amazing balsamic blueberry vinaigrette that’s super simple to make and so fresh and full of flavor.
In other words, it's perfect for summertime and all the salads I've been craving!
Homemade dressings are so much tastier than anything you can find in a store. They’re fresher and you get to control the ingredients.
Just check the ingredient label next time you go to buy a dressing at the store. It’s scary stuff!
So I switched to making my own several years ago and haven’t looked back.
(And listen, no judging if you mostly buy your own; they are super duper convenient. I get it! And I usually have a bottle in my pantry for those just-in-case times.)
But I must share that it can be seriously SO easy to make your own vinaigrettes! My homemade dressing recipes require a shake in a jar or a quick blend in the blender. That’s it!
And bonus, today's blueberry vinaigrette is just 5 wholesome ingredients: blueberries, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard and honey (plus salt and pepper but I don’t count those).
As for making it, just add everything to the blender, blend and you’re ready to go.
No really, that's all you've got to do!
As simple as that is, let me just share a few quick notes and tips on making this blender dressing.
Notes on making homemade balsamic blueberry vinaigrette:
- Blueberries: Fresh, ripe blueberries are key here to give it that great fruit flavor. I've not tried this with frozen blueberries, but you would likely need to thaw them completely and blot off any extra moisture so it doesn't water down the dressing.
- Oil and vinegar: It helps to use good quality oil and vinegar here to ensure the best flavor.
- Mustard: Dijon or a Dijon-style mustard is needed here. A plain yellow mustard won't have the same flavor.
- Honey: The little bit of honey adds just the right dose of sweetness and helps balance the vinegar in this recipe. You could probably sub agave syrup if needed.
You can also make this ahead if needed. Just give it a good whisk or shake or stir before using to make sure it hasn't settled.
As for any leftovers, they'll keep in the refrigerator (in a covered jar, bottle or container) for up to 7-10 days. Again, just be sure to give it a good shake to mix it well before adding to your salad.
Here are a few other homemade dressing recipes I’ve shared in case you want to check them out:
- Homemade Italian dressing - always great to have on hand
- Easy lemon vinaigrette - very versatile
- Homemade soy ginger dressing - seriously addictive
- Creamy cilantro lime dressing - so creamy and dreamy
And I have several more dressings already featured within other recipes on the blog that I haven’t gotten around to making specific posts for yet. And other favorites to bring you down the road.
Sigh. So much food, so little time… 😉
If you want to get more dressings, salads and other recipes, stay in touch!
You can sign up for my free e-newsletter to get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing. I’ll even send you my free e-cookbook, Healthy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you!
But for now, get you some fresh summer berries and get to blending up this delicious blueberry vinaigrette! You’ll be ready to eat ALL the veggies!
Coming up later this week I’ve got one of my favorite summer salads to pair with this dressing. So addictive, in that really good, healthy way.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Blender balsamic blueberry vinaigrette
An easy, homemade balsamic blueberry vinaigrette made in the blender!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. You may need extra honey if your blueberries aren’t super sweet.
- Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Notes
Blueberries: Fresh, ripe blueberries are key here to give it that great fruit flavor. I've not tried this with frozen blueberries, but you would likely need to thaw them completely and blot off any extra moisture so it doesn't water down the dressing.
Honey: The little bit of honey adds just the right dose of sweetness and helps balance the vinegar in this recipe. You could probably sub agave syrup if needed.
Leftovers: This dressing will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 7-10 days. Just be sure to whisk or stir or shake it really well before using to ensure it's mixed well.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
5Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 122Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 163mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 0g
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
I'm all about homemade dressings...if only I could get my mom to stop buying bottled messes....it's terrible, but she is so set in her lazy ways 😛
Kathryn
Haha, my mom always has a few bottles in her fridge too! She makes her own sometimes, so I consider that a win 😉
rachel @ atheltic avocado
this dressing sounds delish! I actually made something similar for my post on the 21st but this sounds even better 🙂
Kathryn
It's SO good! Can't wait to check out yours!
Chelsey
This sounds DELICIOUS! I need to make this this week for dinner! YUM!
Kathryn
Thanks Chelsey, it's addictive! Makes me want to eat more salads 🙂
Sarah @ BucketListTummy
This looks so delicious and like the perfect summer salad dressing flavor. Pinned!
Kathryn
Thanks Sarah! It's summery fresh goodness for sure!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary
Glad you had fun visiting your brother and his family! You go girl, getting ALL the vacation time in while the weather is nice! I'm jealous!! 😉 Love this vinaigrette!! The color is beautiful and the flavors sound amazing! I will be putting (read: drowning) everything in this dressing!! Pinned! Cheers, friend!
Kathryn
Thanks Cheyanne! It really was a nice weekend getaway - too short, but packed with fun! XO
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food
Glad you had a fun time visiting your brother! Nice to get a little break every now and then, isn't it? I'm totally loving this blueberry vinaigrette, Kathryn! I've been obsessed with blueberries lately so this is calling my name! And I don't know if you know, but I'm a HUGE vinegar fan....HUGE. I agree, homemade dressings are so much better than anything you can buy in the store and I love how you can control the ingredients and know everything that goes in there....not to mention, pronounce it! The next time I have salad, I have to try this recipe for sure. Pinned 🙂 Have a lovely week, friend!. xo
Kathryn
Thanks Dawn!! Glad I'm not the only one obsessed with blueberries... and didn't know that about vinegar but I can see why! I've always got at least 4-5 kinds on hand cause they bring such great flavor to all kinds of recipes! XO
Deanna Segrave-Daly
I made something recently like this with raspberries - doing a FB Live on summer salad dressings next week - will mention this one!
Kathryn
Oooh, yum, raspberry dressing! Thanks for the shout out - I'll look out for the details on your FB Live!
Ashlyn // Dollop Of Yum
This dressing looks delicious Kathryn! It would be perfect on salads this summer. 🙂
Kathryn
Thanks Ashlyn! It's a summertime must try!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I love homemade salad dressings and I need to make them more often. This blueberry vinaigrette looks so delicious and easy! You just can't beat that!
Kathryn
Thanks Kathy! Once you get in the habit and see how easy and fast they are to whip up, I think it's much easier to stick to homemade dressings.
Laura
Saw this on IG and had to stop by and check it out! YUM! Definitely on my summer "to make" list!
Kathryn
Thanks so much Laura! It's a great summer recipe to try!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness
This vinaigrette looks delicious! I really need to try this combination sometime!
Kathryn
Do it Cathleen!! It just takes a few minutes and it's so tasty!
Rebecca Fallihee
I make a blueberry vinaigrette that is quite similar but doesn't have balsamic. Though it is delicious, I bet the balsamic takes it to a whole new level!
Kathryn
Yes - the balsamic really does add a lot to the dressing and brings a great balance. Hope you try it!
Carly @ FitLiving Eats
Yum!! I love the idea of using the immersion blender. Genius!
Kathryn
Thanks Carly! I LOVE my immersion blender for dressings and quick smoothies. I used it for baby food, too, when my kiddos were little. So quick and easy!
Kim
Great dressing & so easy !
Kathryn
Can't beat easy and delicious, right?! So glad you enjoyed it!