Strawberry Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
This homemade strawberry balsamic vinaigrette is such a delicious and colourful salad dressing recipe! All you need are 7 simple, healthy ingredients and about 15 minutes to make it.
Looking for a fun way to use up fresh, ripe strawberries this season? This strawberry vinaigrette blends them up and makes the most colourful, beautiful dressing to jazz up a basic salad!
For this recipe, I used my basic go-to balsamic vinaigrette and made it a little more fun. As a dietitian, I love that this dressing sneaks in some extra nutrition benefits from strawberries! Plus, how pretty is that beautiful pink colour 🙂
Below, I’ve shared a bunch of flavour pairings if you need some inspiration for what kind of salad to serve this strawberry salad dressing with. I’d love to know if you try this one!
Want more salad dressing recipes? Check out my roundup of healthy homemade sauces + dressings for more ideas!
Ingredients Needed
All you need to make this easy strawberry salad dressing are 7 simple ingredients:
- fresh, ripe strawberries
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- lemon
- garlic powder (or fresh garlic)
- honey
- fresh basil
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Recipe Modifications & Ingredient Swaps
- For a vegan version, simply use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Fresh basil is optional here, but it adds such a delicious extra punch of flavour!
- You could try using raspberries in this recipe too; for instance doing half strawberries + half raspberries.
- Feel free to use fresh garlic cloves in place of garlic powder. I would start with about 4 cloves to go with the recipe as written (it makes a fair amount of dressing – over 2 cups!) If you want things more garlicky, you can always add more as you go.
What To Serve With Strawberry Vinaigrette
Obviously, this strawberry vinaigrette is meant to be paired with salads! In particular it will go well with salads made from:
- leafy greens, like spinach, romaine, arugula, or baby kale
- fresh raw veggies, like chopped cucumber, bell peppers, or cherry tomatoes
- cheeses, like feta, goat’s cheese, or ricotta
- other berries, like blueberries or raspberries
- chopped nuts, like walnuts, pecans, or almonds
- proteins, like hard-boiled eggs, baked salmon, or chicken
- fresh herbs, like mint or (more) basil
- avocado
How Long Does Homemade Strawberry Vinaigrette Last?
You can keep this homemade dressing in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to a week!
My Go-To Food Processor
Large Food Processor
This is my go-to large food processor from Cuisinart. It’s a super quick and powerful way to create things like energy balls, sauces, shredded cheese, veggies, and more! As well as this salad dressing, of course 🙂
PS. if you don’t have a food processor, this recipe can also be made in a high-speed blender. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender (with a spatula or the tool your blender comes from) every now and then to help things along!
Strawberry Nutrition Benefits
Strawberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C – a serving of 8 strawberries (1 cup) has about the same amount as an orange!
Vitamin C plays an essential role in immune function and helps form your body’s blood vessels, muscle, and collagen. It also helps your body absorb iron from foods and acts as an antioxidant.
In addition to Vitamin C, strawberries are also a source of dietary fibre (a 1 cup serving contains 3 grams). Fibre helps to lower blood cholesterol and promotes a healthy digestive system.
Strawberries also contain a small amount of other micronutrients, like:
- potassium
- vitamin B6
- folate
- phosphorus
- magnesium
Love strawberries as much as I do? Check out my roundup of easy strawberry recipes for more inspiration!
More Easy Salad Dressing Recipes
- Go-To Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Creamy Balsamic Tahini Dressing
- Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
- Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing
- Herby Yogurt Salad Dressing
Did you give this Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Get the Recipe: Strawberry Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries (green stems removed)
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 med-large lemon, juice only
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp honey
- Salt + pepper, to taste (add generously!)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor. Blend until a smooth dressing forms. Feel free to adjust seasonings to taste, as desired.
Notes
- For a vegan version, simply use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Fresh basil is optional here, but it adds such a delicious extra punch of flavour!
- You could try using raspberries in this recipe too; for instance doing half strawberries + half raspberries.
- Feel free to use fresh garlic cloves in place of garlic powder. I would start with about 4 large cloves to go with the recipe as written. If you want things more garlicky, you can always add more as you go.
- If you don’t have a food processor, this recipe can also be made in a high-speed blender. You may need to scrape down the sides of the blender (with a spatula or the tool your blender comes from) every now and then to help things along!
- leafy greens, like spinach, romaine, arugula, or baby kale
- fresh raw veggies, like chopped cucumber, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes,
- cheeses, like feta, goat’s cheese, or ricotta
- other berries, like blueberries or raspberries
- chopped nuts, like walnuts, pecans, or almonds
- proteins, like hard-boiled eggs, baked salmon, or chicken
- fresh herbs, like mint or (more) basil
- avocado
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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4 Comments on “Strawberry Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing”
Great dressing! I had never made my own before but I had a lot of basil and needed ideas of what to do with it. Was a great addition to my summer salad and easy to throw together!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, Ali! It’s so appreciated. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one and so glad you found a use for all that fresh basil!
If you have more basil, you might enjoy making this hemp seed pesto or this zucchini pesto as well. They both use plenty of it 😉
This was such a delicious dressing! I love how fast it was to make! Thanks so much!
Hi Nikki! Thank you so much for the kind review! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this dressing recipe 🙂