This tangy blackberry vinaigrette has just the right balance of sweet and savory to rock your tastebuds with a fresh new use for summertime blackberries.
I wish I had been on my game enough to share this with you last month when blackberries were at their peak freshness. Alas, I was not so its coming to you now. This blackberry vinaigrette is a treat either way, as long as you can find ripe berries.
You know the kind of ripe I’m talking about, the kind where the berries almost squish in your fingers as you’re pulling them off the vine. The kind that are so plump with juice that picking a small hand full will leave you with stained fingers for the entire day. Those are the kind of berries I’m talking about here.
Our small blackberry patch in the backyard was like a little slice of heaven this summer. Now if only our raspberries and blueberries would follow suit, we’d be set. *sigh*
I know we’re really only a few minutes outside of Portland now (ha, literally 2-3 minutes), but our new place has such a country feel to it. The commute aside, I’m truly loving every minute of it.
We’ve got walnuts falling outside and I’ve got a hankering to set up a chicken coop. Is this what 30 looks like? If this is what the next decade holds, bring it on. I’m ready for it.
Of course, I’m picturing my chicken coop looking like this or this, when in all reality, I have absolutely no building skills and my chickens would be lucky to get a shack out of me. For this reason, chickens have not materialized and this is more of a fantasy not an immediate ‘To Do.’
Chickens aside, with the change of seasons and crispness in the air, I figured I’d share a few last summer recipes with you all before moving on to squash, potatoes, and everything fall.
I know raspberry vinaigrette is pretty common place, but if you haven’t tried blackberry vinaigrette yet, well my friends, then you’re missing out. Combined with the tangy richness of balsamic, this tasty dressing is one you won’t be able to get enough of.
In addition to smothering every salad in sight with this stuff, I was slathering it on grilled cheese sandwiches, drizzling it over caprese salads, and adding a dollop to cheese and crackers. This blackberry vinaigrette elevated a simple gruyere, prosciutto cracker snack to a whole new level of complexity in flavor that was out of this world.
I’m even guilty of using it as a dipping sauce from time to time. Please don’t judge me… lets just say this sauce got a lot of mileage in this house.
It only takes 5 minutes and a blender or food processor to make and keeps for about a week in the fridge. If you can get your hands on some ripe berries before summer leaves us for good, give this recipe a try.
Then, report back and let me know what other uses you found for this blackberry vinaigrette. If you’re anything like me, by the time you get around to telling me about it, you’ll have slathered it on half the contents of your fridge… and I certainly can’t blame you.
Balsamic Blackberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1 cup ripe blackberries
- 1 Tbsp. honey or agave if vegan
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and mix well. If dressing is too thick, you can thin it with a few drops of water. Dressing will keep in fridge for about a week.
Nutrition
Just made this for a simple salad of some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Incredible! Just wish we had some feta or goat cheese to go with it.
Isn’t it good? I made it on a whim a few years ago and now do it every summer when the blackberries are at their ripest. 🙂
I work as a caterer in a local hospital. We had an off site catering event for our Board and I was looking for a simple but elegant dressing that would hold well over the weekend. This recipe was a hit, Everyone LOVED it and was so impressed by the presentation. Our Chef, who gives me lots of leeway on ideas, asked me to keep this recipe handy, I want to try it on nice crackers with whipped feta or goat cheese….
I should point out, I used a soft White Balsamic Vinegar that has sweet undertones.
I LOVE the idea of trying it on crackers with whipped feta! Or maybe a sharp cheddar even? Oooh the ideas are free flowing now! Thanks for coming back to let me know how it worked for you. 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly and mine looks nothing like this…. 🙁
I’m so sorry Tiffany! I’m not sure what went wrong. 🙁
How do you get the seeds out of the blackberries will they grind up in the food processor?
They don’t grind up entirely and you still get some seeds with the way the recipe is written. I don’t mind a few seeds though myself… mostly because I’m lazy… 🙂 If you want this to be seed free, you can pour the dressing through a fine strainer or cheesecloth.
This is awesome! I am literally eating it right now 🙂
Yesterday an orchard and farm near us here in maryland posted that today they were having pick your own blackberries hours, and i got to pinterest and pinned tons of sauces and sweet things, my hope was to get my kids out the door at 7.30, be there at 8 when they open, come back, prep some things with them and then bake pies and breads and cobblers during nap time.
One isnt napping at all and is helping me around the kitchen, but we couldnt even make anything sweet because my husband bought Salted butter for me!! Aarrrgghh!! With the baby in bed, i cant run to get butter, so I am finding new recipes to make without it and this is awesome! Thanks for sharing it and saving my day!!
Glad you liked it Lucy! I haven’t made this dressing since last summer and your comment is making me crave it… luckily, its just in time for blackberry season. 😉
Can this be bottle to give as gift in water bath?
Hmmm, I’m not sure Vickie. I’m always paranoid about getting acid ratios right when I process anything in a water bath, so I’d err on the side of caution myself and skip it. I just don’t have much experience canning things like this to know for sure though. If you go for it, I’d love to hear if it turned out well!
Absolutely not! Oil should not be used safely in canning recipes, plus the heat would destroy the fresh flavor anyway.
Addendum to above post: cannot be used safely, not should not.
Thanks for the input Laurie! I’m a novice canner so I can’t really give advice on the topic. 🙂
I would say save some blackberries in the freezer for Christmas them make and give it fresh
Amazing!
Take away all the other ingredients, reduce the balsamic vinegar with 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce, until syrup like. Turn the black berries into a fluid gel. Mix the vinegar reduction with the fluid gel for an amazing sauce to go with rainbow trout. You’re welcome!
Wow, that sounds awesome. Can’t wait to try it!