Fall in love with salad again with this Delicious 3-Minute Pomegranate Vinaigrette. This bright salad dressing contains pomegranate juice, white balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, peanut and grape seed oil and a touch of Dijon mustard and dried tarragon. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste and the next thing you know, you’re digging into a very tasty salad.
I like to serve this dressing over a simple mixed greens salad that’s topped with fresh citrus, pomegranate arils, toasted almonds, pecans or walnuts – because I love all three and often rotate – thinly sliced red onion and a few goat cheese crumbles on top. Honestly, I could eat this salad contently without anything else, but if you’re looking to make a quick weeknight dinner, add a little grilled chicken or salmon for a very satisfying meal.
It’s also delicious tossed in a wild rice salad or added to a creamy chicken salad. If you experience salad fatigue from time to time, give this recipe a try!
Jump to RecipeA case for white balsamic vinegar
I love all things tart, acid and vinegar. I eat my fries with malt vinegar. There’s nothing more appealing than a good squeeze of lemon on fish. Kombucha? Yes, please. And when it comes to salads, I will choose this Delicious 3-Minute Pomegranate Vinaigrette over a creamy dressing more often than not.
Do I eat my Caprese salad with or without balsamic? As if you have to ask. But there’s one small thing I may do differently. I will often reach for the white balsamic vinegar instead of the red. For me, this preference is rooted first in the visual and then the taste buds.
I love everything about a Caprese salad – the deep, vibrant color of fresh tomatoes, the clean white of the mozzarella or burrata and the emerald green of the basil. I even love the contrast of fresh cracked pepper corns against the dish and the luscious appeal of olive oil drizzled over the top of it all. But a drizzle of red balsamic seems to muddy it for me visually. For this reason, I will often use a white balsamic to preserve the appearance. Perhaps I’m alone here, but it’s just a thing of mine.
When it comes to a good salad, I feel the same way. I want to see the beautiful, crisp colors of the greens and vegetables. And not to lose them under a sea of overly-seasoned and stodgy bottled dressings.
In this recipe for Delicious 3-Ingredient Pomegranate Vinaigrette, the choice to use white balsamic is intentional. It doesn’t muddy the vinaigrette. The color stays bright – allowing the beauty of the pomegranate juice to shine through. And its flavor is also milder. As much as I love all things tart, I’m constantly looking for balance in a salad dressing through the addition of other sweet and savory ingredients. With a milder, sweeter flavor profile, white balsamic checks all the boxes.
In March 2021, Cooked Best published a blog post on all things white balsamic vinegar. It’s a delicious 5 minutes read if you’re looking for other ways to integrate white balsamic into your kitchen rotation.
Balancing flavors is the key to a good dressing
In my recipe for Bright Herb and White Balsamic Vinaigrette, I talk about how the trick to a good homemade vinaigrette is balancing the main components of the dressing. It’s important to use a good quality oil. Whenever I’m mixing a vinaigrette dressing, I usually try to keep the ratio of oil to vinegar around 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Additionally, I always add a sweetener at roughly 1/4 of the oil. These are the foundation measurements I use for vinaigrette dressings. Once you have those in place, you can pretty much switch up the flavors and herbs anyway you want.
This recipe uses a blend of pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar in equal amounts and a little maple syrup to draw out the natural sweetness of the pomegranate juice. Additionally, the maple syrup, in partnership with the Dijon mustard, helps cut the acid and provide added body to the dressing. Don’t be tempted to skip these ingredients.
This recipe uses peanut oil to add a little nutty flavor, bu you could also use walnut oil if desired. A mild grape seed oil rounds out this dressing. Dried tarragon adds mellow, herbal, licorice notes to this dressing, and a generous pinch of both salt and pepper help elevate and harmonize the overall flavor of this vinaigrette Don’t be afraid to use a little salt. The impact on the finished product is noteworthy.
If you experience salad fatigue from time to time, try making your own dressings if you don’t already. Fresh, easy, and like this recipe for Delicious 3-Minute Pomegranate Vinaigrette, they’re oh, so good!
Delicious 3-Minute Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Course: SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy1
cup3
minutes20
minutesThis recipe yields a little over 1 cup of dressing.
Ingredients
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup peanut oil (or walnut oil)
1/4 cup grape seed oil (or another neutral flavor oil)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
kosher salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- In a pint size mason jar or another container with a tight lid, combine all ingredients and tighten the lid. Shake vigorously to combine the ingredients.
- Allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes for the tarragon to soften and absorb into the dressing. After that, store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Dressing will keep for up to 1 week refrigerated.
Notes
- After storing my dressing in the refrigerator, it looks gelatinous. Is it still OK to use? Yes. It’s normal for the oils to firm up in the refrigerator. Allow the vinaigrette to come to room temperature before serving. As the dressing warms, it will return to its liquid state again. Give it a good shake and you are ready to serve.
