Making your own salad dressing puts you in charge of the ingredients. Most store-bought dressings are loaded with preservatives, sodium, and added sugar. Because we tend to think of salads as savory and healthy, we often overlook hidden sugars when we pour on the dressing. Many products marketed as healthy, like low-fat and fat-free dressings, add sugar to bolster taste.
In small amounts, sugar can enhance the salad’s other flavors. The Vitamix Culinary Team adds that subtle sweetness naturally by heating some of the ingredients in this recipe. Baking the apples and shallots before blending releases natural sugars and reduces moisture, which concentrates sweetness for a more complex flavor profile.
With just six simple ingredients and no added salts, sugars, or oils, you can feel good about dressing your salad with this delicious vinaigrette. Get in the mood for fall and add it to salads topped with blue cheese crumbles, toasted pecans, or apple slices. Yum!
Follow these easy step-by-step instructions.
Ingredients:
- 3 medium apples
- 1 shallot
- 3 dates
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cup water
Step 1: Bake & Brown
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Place apples and shallot on a prepared baking sheet. Place in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes or until browned and tender.
Step 2: Load & Blend
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed, and blend for 30 seconds.
Step 3: Enjoy or Bottle. Serve immediately.
If you have leftover dressing or you’ve made some in advance, store in an airtight container and refrigerate. It should keep for several days.