Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

I have a confession. I’m not a salad person. I just can’t get excited about them. Because of that, I never make them. Seriously, I’ve made a big salad once or twice in my entire life.

So when my friend was making me dinner, I asked what I could bring and he said a salad. And he made fun of me later because he noticed my almost-imperceptible hesitation before I said ‘yes’. Because I don’t really know how to make a nice salad. And since I can’t do things halfway, I decided I needed to make it special somehow, which is how I came to try making a nice homemade salad dressing.

I did some Pinterest searching and found a few options to give me an idea on proportions, ingredients, flavors, etc. But then I just played around and figured out the exact recipe on my own. So the recipe below is more of a general  guideline, and you can increase or decrease based on what your tastes prefer. I also remembered that I had some raspberry extract, so I added some of that to make my own version of a raspberry vinaigrette.

Plus, I like making my own condiments when possible, it eliminates all the preservatives and other weird ingredients that bottled dressings have.

Blend together all the ingredients in a food processor (you could use a whisk too if you want to). You’ll need to add the honey and vinegar a little at a time to figure out the proportion you like—I prefer a little sweeter, but others like more of the acidic vinegar bite.

Not the most spectacular salad ever, but the dressing definitely took it up a notch!

Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette

Note, all amounts are estimates, you’ll need to taste as you go and add more sweet, vinegar, etc. to your particular taste

• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup of white vinegar
• Splash of white balsamic vinegar (if you have it)
• 1-2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• Raspberry extract (maybe 1/2 teaspoon, more if you want more raspberry flavor)

Blend together in a food processor (you could just whisk too). Adjust the sweetness or vinegar to taste. If possible, chill to let flavors combine, but shake well before use.