• About
  • Work with Me
    • Contact
  • Food Photography
  • Newsletter

Chef Janet

So good, they'll never know it's gluten-free.

  • Gluten-Free Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Baked Goods
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Dressings
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Cooking Basics
  • Gluten-Free Diet Tips
Home Β» Sauces and Dressings Β» Quick and Easy Blueberry Vinaigrette

May 24, 2021 (last updated October 19, 2022)

Quick and Easy Blueberry Vinaigrette

No ratings yet
Janet Harlow
Leave a Comment Jump to Recipe

This creamy blueberry vinaigrette salad dressing is so simple to make, but is sure to make a statement on your plate! Ready within 5 minutes, it adds the perfect sweet and tart balance to a salad. You can easily make this vinaigrette with fresh or frozen blueberries.

Be sure to check out more of my gluten-free salad dressing recipes including my easy easy mango vinaigrette salad dressing and low acid salad dressing with tahini and ginger.

large white bowl with green salad topped with cucumber and blueberries. Small glass pitcher with blueberry vinaigrette dressing on left. Two wood spoons and fresh blueberries in foreground. Gray striped napkin underneath

What Are the Ratios for a Vinaigrette?

A vinaigrette is simply an oil and vinegar salad dressing mixture that can be flavored in many different ways. The general rule of thumb is three parts oil to one part vinegar. So, for example, if you start with 1 Tbsp of vinegar, you would use 3 Tbsps oil. This is really just a starting point. If you prefer your vinaigrette more sour, you might go with 1 Tbsp vinegar and 2 Tbsp oil.

Blueberries

My preference is for fresh, organic, in-season (summer) blueberries. These will be the most sweet and tasty for this blueberry salad dressing. But if they are not in season, I prefer frozen. The winter blueberries flown in from Chile just don’t taste as good. Frozen berries are usually picked at the height of ripeness, so flavor-wise, they are better. Just be sure to measure them while they are still frozen, then thaw before making the vinaigrette.

Taste one of the blueberries before starting. If it is super sweet and flavorful, you may want to start with just half of the sweetener, You can easily add more. If your berries are very tart, start with the full amount of sweetener.

close up of small wood bowl of blueberries. Glass pitcher on right with dressing. Wood serving spoons and white salad bowl in background.

How to Balance Flavors

Vinaigrettes are a combination of sweet, sour, bitter and salt. The blueberries and agave (or maple syrup or honey) are the sweet elements. Vinegar is obviously the sour element. Garlic and extra virgin olive oil add the bitter. And of course we add salt to bring this blueberry salad dressing together.

The great thing about a vinaigrette is that is so easy to adjust the flavor to YOUR taste buds. I am not the chef who tells you there is no swaying from the recipe. So, start by mixing up the recipe as is. Taste.

  • Is it too sour? Add 1 Tbsp oil and 1-2 tsps sweetener.
  • Too bitter? A couple of pinches of salt is a great way to tame bitter flavors.
  • Is it missing that something you can’t put your finger on? Add salt. Salt will will bring out all the flavors and make them all stronger.
  • Too sweet? Add a pinch of salt and a tsp of sweetener.
overhead view of white salad bowl with lettuce, cucumber , red cabbage, avocado, walnuts and blueberries. Small glass pitcher of blueberry vinaigrette on gray plate with spoon in upper right. Gray napkin underneath. Dark wood background.

How to Make Vinaigrette Dressing

Now that you’ve got a handle on the flavors, it’s time to mix it up. A vinaigrette can usually be mixed with just a whisk. But in order to liquefy the blueberries and garlic, a blender or food processor works best. This mini food processor is my favorite tool for the job. It’s way lighter than the full sized ones and fits in my over-crowded kitchen cabinets. An immersion blender or regular blender will also make quick work of it.

Seriously, just throw everything in and whirl until it is smooth and creamy. You’ll definitely want to run it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the blueberry skins. But that’s it. And, what’s great about this vinaigrette is that the blueberries will keep the oil and vinegar from separating and give it a gorgeous magenta color.

Be sure to taste after you strain and adjust the flavors to your preference. The sweetness of the blueberries, bitterness of the olive oil (olive oils vary widely in their flavor and level of bitterness) and your taste buds will all help determine what and if you need to adjust flavor-wise.

close up of of white salad bowl with lettuce, cucumber , red cabbage, avocado, and blueberries. Hands on wood serving spoons removing salad from bowl. Small glass pitcher of blueberry vinaigrette on gray plate in front. Gray napkin underneath. Dark wood background.
large white bowl with green salad topped with cucumber and blueberries. Small glass pitcher with blueberry vinaigrette dressing on left. Two wood spoons and fresh blueberries in foreground. Gray striped napkin underneath

Quick and Easy Blueberry Vinaigrette

Author: Janet Harlow
Course: Sauces and Dressings
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
This creamy blueberry vinaigrette salad dressing is so simple to make, but is sure to make a statement on your plate! Ready within 5 minutes, it adds the perfect sweet and tart balance to a salad. You can easily make this vinaigrette with fresh or frozen blueberries
No ratings yet
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 7 minutes mins

Recommended Products

  • immersion blender
  • mini food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 1ΒΌ c fresh blueberries frozen can be used if thawed first, but measure BEFORE thawing
  • ΒΎ c extra virgin olive oil
  • ΒΌ Tbsp white balsamic or white wine vinegar
  • 1-2 Tbsp agave, maple syrup or honey agave syrup substitute
  • 1 small to medium sized garlic clove
  • 1-2 pinches black pepper optional

Instructions
 

  • Taste a blueberry. Is it sweet and flavorful? Tart? If it is very sweet I recommend starting with 1 Tbsp sweetener. Add more after the vinaigrette is blended, if needed.
  • Gently smash the garlic clove with your hand to loosen the skin. Remove it and discard.
  • Place all the ingredients in a bowl (for an immersion blender) or in the food processor or blender.
  • Run on high for 30 seconds – 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth and magenta-pink.
  • Run the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the blueberry skin.
  • Taste. Do you prefer it more sweet? Stir in 1-2 tsps of sweetener. Prefer it more sour? Add 2 tsps vinegar. Is it missing that indescribable something? Stir in 2 pinches salt. Is it too sour? Add another Tbsp of oil and a tsp of sweetener. Is it too bitter? Stir in a couple of pinches of salt.
  • Store this vinaigrette in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for at least a week, If it thickens too much after refrigerating, heat it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how it was! Tag @chefjanetk on Instagram.
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Posted In: Salads, Sauces and Dressings · Tagged: berries, blueberries, vinaigrette

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

If you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and review when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Your support means a great deal to me.

Thank you!
Janet

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Me
Hi, Welcome! I'm Chef Janet and I create gluten-free recipes that everyone will love, gluten-free or not.

Set up a customized lesson with me to learn basic cooking techniques, gluten-free, menu planning and kitchen tips to make your life easier. Follow me on instagram to keep up with my latest and let me know how I can help.

Follow along on Instagram

This gluten-free blueberry crisp is made with fres This gluten-free blueberry crisp is made with fresh blueberries and topped with a cinnamon brown sugar topping with no oats. Oats can be tricky when you're gluten-free, so I prefer my crisp without them. Link to the recipe in my profile.
🫐🫐🫐
These buttery cookies are gluten-free and melt in These buttery cookies are gluten-free and melt in your mouth. Link to the recipe in my profile.
🧈πŸͺ🧈
#glutenfreecookies #glutenfreebuttercookies #danishbuttercookies #losangeleschef #glutenfreeblog #buttercookieshomemade #glutenfreelosangeles #glutenfreehomemade #cookiesfromscratch
This gluten-free strawberry sheet cake is filled w This gluten-free strawberry sheet cake is filled with fresh strawberries in a strawberry swirl. It's the perfect dessert for a crowd on a spring or summer day. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ“πŸŽ‚πŸ“
Simply take some fresh strawberries and whirl them in the food processor until they're finely chopped. Mix some into the batter and spread the rest between layers of batter to create a pretty swirl when you cut into the cake. 
πŸŽ‚πŸ“πŸŽ‚
#glutenfreecake #strawberrycake #freshstrawberries #sheetcake #glutenfreedessert #berrydessert #strawberrydessert #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreelosangeles #strawberrydesserts #bbqdessert #memorialdaydessert
This Gluten-Free Lemon Bundt Cake is a dreamy good This Gluten-Free Lemon Bundt Cake is a dreamy good, sunny treat. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
#glutenfreebundtcake #glutenfreelemoncake #lemonbundtcake #losangeleschef #glutenfreelosangeles #glutenfreecake #lemondessert #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreedessert
This Gluten-Free Carrot Cake is fluffy, moist and This Gluten-Free Carrot Cake is fluffy, moist and packed with cinnamon spice goodness. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ₯•πŸŽ‚πŸ₯•
I prefer my carrot cake with no crushed pineapple or nuts or raisins. I use a little applesauce to give it some fruity flavor but that's it. So if you're on team nut-free, raisin-free, this is the cake for you.
πŸ₯•πŸŽ‚πŸ₯•
#glutenfreecarrotcake #glutenfreecakes #glutenfreeeaster #losangeleschef #glutenfreelosangeles #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreedesserts #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreedessertrecipes #easterdesserts
Whether it's summer peach season or not you can ma Whether it's summer peach season or not you can make this gluten-free peach cobbler. The recipe includes instructions for fresh, frozen or canned peaches. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘
#glutenfreepeachcobbler #glutenfreecobbler #peachdessert #peachcobbler #losangeleschef #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreechef #glutenfreelosangeles #summerdesserts #glutenfreedesserts
This gluten-free chocolate mug cake is ready in ju This gluten-free chocolate mug cake is ready in just 5 minutes. When you want a cake just for yourself, it's the perfect recipe. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸŽ‚πŸ«πŸŽ‚πŸ«
#glutenfreecakes #chocolatemugcake #glutenfreemugcake #singleservedessert #glutenfreechocolatecake #glutenfreeblog #losangeleschef #glutenfreelosangeles #dessertforone #glutenfreedesserts #fastdessert
Do you need a cake or cupcakes for a gluten-free b Do you need a cake or cupcakes for a gluten-free birthday celebration? I've got you covered with a blog post with 16 ideas for fun,  festive & yummy cakes and cupcakes.
πŸŽ‚πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‚
All are gluten free and many can be made dairy-free as well. Most use Measure for Measure flour from @kingarthurbaking.
1. GF Carrot Cake
2. GF Funfetti Cupcakes
3. GF Red Velvet Cake
4. GF Lemon Cake
5. Grain-Free Vanilla Almond Flour Cake
6. GF Vanilla Cake
7. GF Mini Cupcakes in Choc & Vanilla
8. GF Vanilla Cupcakes
9. GF Coconut Layer Cake
πŸŽ‚πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‚
Not pictured: GF Chocolate Orange Loaf Cake,
GF Chocolate Cupcakes, GF Apple Pie Cupcakes, GF Butternut Squash Cake, Gf Chocolate Mug Cake, GF Vanilla Snack Cake, and GF Carrot Cake Cupcakes.
πŸŽ‚πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‚
#glutenfreebirthdaycake #glutenfreebirthday #losangeleschef #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreecake #glutenfreecupcakes #glutenfreecarrotcake #glutenfreevanillacake #glutenfreeredvelvet #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreelemoncake

Copyright © 2023 Chef Janet · Support by Foodie Digital · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Policy · Web Stories