This Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette is creamy, tangy, and really easy to make. It has blended sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs, and two kinds of vinegar! It's delicious in salads, drizzled over roasted veggies, grilled meats, and perfect for pasta salads! The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free!
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Why You'll Love This Tomato Vinaigrette
Lots of flavor - Between the tomatoes, fresh herbs, and two kinds of vinegar, this salad dressing packs a ton of flavor! The sun-dried tomatoes make it tangier and brighter than other vinaigrettes, and it's what I like most about it!
Not just for salads - The flavor works really well in pasta salads and with winter vegetables. You can drizzle it on roasted or grilled veggies, add it to rice bowls, quinoa, or other grains. It's also delicious with summery Mediterranean-inspired salads, or any salads with chickpeas, feta, or olives! It's also great with fish like salmon, chicken, or even steak!
Better than store-bought - Packaged dressings often have bad oils, fillers, random flavorings, and a surprising amount of sugar. You can skip all that by making yours at home! You do need some kind of blender for this one, but besides that it's super easy and very simple!
Ingredients
- Sun-dried tomatoes - I always use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil because they're softer from the start without having to soak them. You can use the dry kind as well, but you do need to soak them in hot water first. I always try to buy ones in pure olive oil so I don't rinse them; I just pick them up with a fork and let the excess oil drain back into the jar.
- Vinegar - While you could only use red wine vinegar, I also like to add balsamic vinegar for another layer of flavor, and I highly recommend it! I wouldn't only use balsamic, though, because it could overpower the other flavors.
- Extra virgin olive oil - Use your favorite olive oil you'd normally use in dressings. I usually have two, one milder and cheaper for dressings and a more expensive one with a sharper flavor for drizzling.
- Maple syrup - The tangy tomatoes and vinegar need a sweetener for balance, and pure dark maple syrup works really well here. Agave or honey would also work.
- Dijon mustard - It adds flavor and a little bit of heat, but it mainly just balances everything else and helps the oil emulsify.
- Fresh herbs - Fresh oregano and fresh basil aren't seen together often, but they pair so well with the sundried tomatoes here! Fresh herbs pack more flavor, but you can use dried herbs as well.
Variations and Substitutions
- Dry sundried tomatoes (no oil) - I find they always have a slightly different flavor than the ones in oil, but they will work the same way. You'll need to soak them in hot water for 10-20 minutes or until they're soft.
- Dried herbs - If you're making this in the fall or winter and don't have access to fresh herbs, dried ones work great too! I recommend 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and 1 teaspoon of dried basil. You could also swap the basil for thyme and/or rosemary.
- Different vinegar - You can use white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar, or even apple cider vinegar, but each will give you a slightly different flavor. If you use a different one, start with a little less and add more to taste.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Into a tall container or your immersion blender container, add the sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, grated garlic, sea salt, black pepper, fresh oregano, and fresh basil.
- Blend until it turns into a thick paste. It’s okay if it’s still a little chunky.
- While blending, stream in the olive oil.
- Continue to blend until smooth.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight jar in the fridge. Enjoy!
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Tips & Tricks!
- Add the oil last - This helps emulsify the vinaigrette properly so it doesn't separate in the fridge. Since everything is blended, this is easier to accomplish either way, but it's better to play it safe!
- Thin it out with water if needed - If your vinaigrette comes out too thick, you can always thin it out with water. I recommend max 1 tablespoon at a time to avoid overdoing it. I didn't add any in the photos.
How to Use the Vinaigrette
- Fresh salads - It's delicious with both summer and fall salads, anything from olives, tomatoes, peppers, feta, and fresh mozzarella to kale and winter vegetables! Try it in this Za'atar Eggplant Lentil Salad, this Kale Sweet Potato Salad, or this Mediterranean Salmon Salad! It will generally work in any salad you'd normally add balsamic vinegar to.
- Pasta salads - I often find pasta salads quite bland, but this dressing is a game changer for that! The sun-dried tomatoes make it tangier than other vinaigrettes, which really balances the bland pasta flavor. I'll be sharing my favorite fall pasta salad pictured below in a few days and will add the link here when I do! It would also be delicious in this No-Mayo Tuna Pasta Salad or this Tortellini Caprese Salad!
- Rice or grain bowls - You don't have to stop at cold salads; the vinaigrette is delicious on warm salads like rice or quinoa bowls as well, especially with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, or chicken.
- Drizzle over veggies - Drizzle it on some roasted or grilled veggies. It's especially delicious with fall and winter vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, squash, sweet potatoes, onion, or carrots.
Storing
Store the vinaigrette in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Since the vinaigrette is blended, it shouldn't separate. If it changes texture, color, or smell, discard it. Always make sure to use a clean spoon to avoid bacteria.
I don't recommend freezing the vinaigrette.
FAQs
The two terms are often used interchangeably, and this tomato vinaigrette could definitely be categorized more as a dressing. A vinaigrette is made from an oil and acid as its base, usually with a mustard and a sweetener to balance it. Dressing is usually creamier (or blended like this one), and it often includes some form of dairy or mayonnaise.
While a regular high-speed countertop blender, a NutriBullet, or even a food processor could work, I find an immersion blender gives you the smoothest texture. A high-speed blender would be great as well, but if it's too big, it might not be enough volume for it to blend the sun-dried tomatoes completely smooth.
Other Vinaigrettes
If you want to try other fun new vinaigrette flavors, check out four of my favorites below or head over to Dip and Dressings for all the latest ones and a lot more!
- Basil Vinaigrette (blended just like this one and bright green!)
- Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette
- Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
- Lemon Thyme Vinaigrette
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Have you tried this Sun-dried Tomato Vinaigrette? Please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Print📖 Recipe
Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette
This Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette is creamy, tangy, and really easy to make. It has blended sundried tomatoes, fresh herbs, and two kinds of vinegar! It's delicious in salads, drizzled over roasted veggies, grilled meats, and perfect for pasta salads! The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free!
- Total Time10 minutes
- Yield1 cup 1x
- DietVegan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
- 5-6 large fresh basil leaves (or 1 tsp dried basil)
- ⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Into a tall container or your immersion blender container, add the sundried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, grated garlic, sea salt, black pepper, fresh oregano, and fresh basil.
- Blend until it turns into a thick paste. It’s okay if it’s still a little chunky.
- While blending, stream in the olive oil.
- Continue to blend until smooth.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight jar in the fridge. Enjoy!
Notes
Blender: You can use an immersion blender, a regular high-speed blender, or a food processor for this. I like an immersion blender because it gives the smoothest texture. The second best would be a strong blender like the Vitamix.
Less vinegar: If you don’t like your vinaigrette too tangy, add only 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar. It may taste a little strong right after blending, but it mellows out in the fridge and has the best flavor the next day.
Storing: Store the vinaigrette in an airtight jar in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Category: Dressing
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
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