One of the major food items I cut out when I was transitioning to eat lean and green was most store bought dressings. It was a sad break up. I sometimes miss them. There are a few out there that I will purchase, but honestly why would I need to when I have this easy cranberry shallot vinaigrette recipe in my back pocket?!
What To use Cranberry Vinaigrette For
This is a fantastic dressing to keep on hand for quick lunch time salads or for a side salad to spice up a grilled chicken dinner! Personally, this is my favorite served right along side my Roasted Squash Soup. If you haven't made that soul-warming soup, it's a great time to try both!
This is simple, keeps well in the fridge, and is a perfect sweet + acidic balance to any meal. I serve this over kale, spinach, or mixed spring greens. I always add something crunchy, something creamy, and something fresh to make my salads really over the top! Today's salad I have spinach, slivered almonds, goat cheese, and cranberry vinaigrette.
Also heading into the holiday seasons cranberry goes so well with all your favorite savory dishes! So it's a perfect thing to bring to a family gathering or Friendsgiving.
The brightness of the cranberry mixed with the earthiness of the shallots has my mouth watering already! Add in some goat cheese and you'll have a show stopping salad that tastes just as good as it looks. So let's get cooking!
How To Make A Cranberry Vinagrette
A vinaigrette consists of oil, salt, bit of sugar and of course some sort of vinegar!
In this case our ingredients are:
- Cranberries
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper
- Shallots
- Honey
You make this easy cranberry vinaigrette by throwing it all into a mason jar and giving it a good shake until everything is well combined!
What are Shallots and why use them?
Shallots are an onion's sweet, more mild, younger sibling. They are perfectly fine to eat raw and do not over power!
This is important especially in this dressing when we just want a hint of that flavor and don't want our guests to be tasting raw onion the whole time they enjoy this dressing!
You can find them in the product department and they are typically small and yellowish pink! They are great for tossing right into a salad or incorporating into the dressing.
They are also great cooked! So it's a win- win when you want a little onion flavor but not too overpowering. Choose shallots!
Cranberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons dried cranberries
- 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Shallot thinly sliced
- 5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon of honey
- pinch of salt and pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Thinly slice your shallot and add it to a mason jar or bowl
- Add in garlic, red wine vinegar, oil, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Whisk to combine or shake it up in your mason jar.
- Enjoy!