This huckleberry vinaigrette recipe is sweet, tangy, and fruity. Salads that incorporate fruit, like this pear & arugula goat cheese salad, are a perfect match for huckleberry salad dressing. No huckleberries? No problem, use blueberries instead!
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Every year, I like to share one or more huckleberry recipes, and this year is no exception. Over the years, I've shared recipes for huckleberry jam, huckleberry curd, huckleberry banana bread, wine, and even a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich with turkey, bacon, and huckleberry chutney!
This year, I decided to share my huckleberry vinaigrette recipe. I use my huckleberry syrup recipe to make it, but you can use store-bought huckleberry or blueberry syrup too!
I look forward to making this fruity huckleberry salad dressing every summer when huckleberries are in season. It's excellent over a simple green salad, or a salad topped with grilled chicken or seafood.
However, this vinaigrette really shines when you add fruit to your salads. Think sliced apples, pears, strawberries, blueberries, and of course, huckleberries!
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🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sauce/Syrup: You'll need to either make huckleberry syrup or buy some here. If you use a thicker sauce, I recommend blending it, unless you prefer it chunkier.
- Vinegar: Use your favorite balsamic vinegar.
- Oil: Choose from avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil.
- Mint: I often add dried mint (crushed into a powder) to my salad dressings. It adds a fresh, minty flavor.
- Garlic: I prefer fresh, crushed garlic; however, you can use a pinch of garlic powder.
- Seasoning: A little sea salt and black pepper (freshly ground when possible) balance out the sweetness of this yummy huckleberry vinaigrette.
🔪 Helpful Tools
🫐 How To Make Huckleberry Vinaigrette
Step 1: Add huckleberry syrup, balsamic vinegar, and oil to a salad dressing bottle or a squeeze bottle.
Pro Tip: If your huckleberry syrup is chunky, I recommend blending it until smooth so that the vinaigrette is easier to dispense, especially through a squeeze bottle.
Step 2: Add dried mint, sea salt, black pepper, and a crushed garlic clove.
Step 3: Shake or whisk the vinaigrette ingredients until emulsified. Pour over your favorite leafy salad mix and enjoy!
🥗 Huckleberry Salad Recipe
I know someone will contact me to ask for the salad recipe, so here it is:
Add 2 cups of fresh spring mix or baby spinach to a salad bowl and top with sliced cherry tomatoes. Add sliced cucumber, slivered red onion, sliced radish, fresh mint leaves, and crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese.
Top with sliced grilled chicken breast (I marinated a chicken breast in my sumac chicken marinade before grilling it).
Add a handful of fresh huckleberries and drizzle with huckleberry vinaigrette.
🤷🏻♀️ FAQs
Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil are excellent choices for incorporating into a vinaigrette. However, in a pinch, you can use vegetable oil or grapeseed oil.
Red wine vinegar is the most popular vinegar used in vinaigrettes; however, white wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar are also great options!
Homemade vinaigrette can last up to a month when stored in the refrigerator. However, this time can vary based on whether or not there are fresh herbs and garlic incorporated into the dressing.
A vinaigrette is prepared with vinegar and oil, while salad dressing can have a variety of mixtures, such as mayo, yogurt, or lemon juice, to dress a salad.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- I love the simplicity of this recipe because it's easy to adjust the amount. The 1-1-1 ratio of huckleberry syrup, balsamic vinegar, and oil can easily be scaled up or down.
- If you prefer your dressing less sweet, you can add ¼ cup of syrup at a time until you achieve the sweetness you desire.
- I like to add fresh huckleberries (or other berries) to my salad when dressing it with huckleberry vinaigrette.
- This vinaigrette can be stored in the refrigerator for at least one week, but I've had it last a month or more. Using powdered garlic instead of fresh garlic can extend its shelf life.
🍒 Related Recipes
If you enjoy this huckleberry vinaigrette recipe, you may also be interested in these other huckleberry recipes!
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Method
- Add huckleberry syrup, balsamic vinegar, and oil to a salad dressing dispenser or squeeze bottle.
- Add dried mint, sea salt, black pepper, and crushed garlic clove.
- Shake the bottle or whisk the ingredients until the vinaigrette is emulsified.
- Pour over your favorite leafy salad mix and enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
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- See post for salad recipe!
- I love the simplicity of this recipe because it's easy to adjust the amount. The 1-1-1 ratio of huckleberry syrup, balsamic vinegar, and oil can easily be scaled up or down.
- If you prefer your dressing less sweet, you can add ¼ cup of syrup at a time until you achieve the sweetness you desire.
-
- If your huckleberry syrup is chunky, I recommend blending it until smooth so that the vinaigrette is easier to dispense especially through a squeeze bottle.
- I like to add fresh huckleberries (or other berries) to my salad when dressing it with huckleberry vinaigrette.
- This vinaigrette can be stored in the refrigerator for at least one week but I've had it last a month or more. Using powdered garlic instead of fresh garlic can extend its shelf-life.
Kelly Methey says
All your huckleberry recipes are just the best!!!! This one is no exception, it’s fantastic!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kelly! I'm glad you love it as much as I do! 🙂
Lori says
So easy to make and very refreshing! Love it
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Lori! Time to make another batch..
Lori Ross says
I have used this recipe several times but I'm not sure I have ever rated it. It is so easy to make and it adds so much to a salad! I absolutely love it!
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Lori! I sure do appreciate you coming back to rate the recipe!