Medjool Date Vinaigrette
This sweet and tangy Medjool Date vinaigrette is fabulous! It consists of sweet dates, pureed with Dijon mustard, a hint of garlic, and oil and vinegar. The flavor is a perfectly balanced mix of sweet and zesty and is ready in 5-minutes. It’s not too sweet–comparable to a salad dressing made with honey.
When warmer weather comes around, I turn to salads frequently because it’s either too hot to cook or too hot to eat hot food. While the ingredients of my typical summer salad are varied, I often find I’m craving a salad dressing that goes beyond the usual Ranch, Blue Cheese or Thousand Island. This sweet and sassy date vinaigrette will be on my regular salad rotation for the remainder of the summer!
What’s a Medjool date?
A Medjool date is a large dark, sweet, chewy fruit that is high in nutrients and often used as an alternative to refined sugars. They look dried and shriveled, but they are neither. They’re tender, chewy, sweet, and sticky.
You’ll find Medjool dates in the produce section of your grocers. There are pitted dates and unpitted dates. This recipe uses pitted dates because dates are naturally sticky and it’s too hard to get the pitt out.
Ingredients for Date Vinaigrette
Pretty simple ingredients, here, but I recommend you buy pitted dates.
- Medjool pitted dates (you’ll need 6)
- Dijon mustard
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Small garlic clove
- Water
- Salt
I got on a salad dressing kick awhile back so I’ve got lots of other options if you’re interested: Campisi’s Italian Restaurant House Dressing, Manchego Salad Dressing, Low-Sodium White Balsamic Vinaigrette, Crab Louie Salad dressing and more!
How to make it
You’ll need a food process or blender to fully combine the ingredients.
- Rough chop the dates
- Put all the ingredients in the food processor and puree until the dates are broken into tiny pieces
- Add water in small increments until the mixture is to your desired consistency
- Taste for salt and adjust accordingly
Storage
Store leftover date vinaigrette in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, give it a good shake and drizzle over your salad greens.
Whomever originally thought of making a vinaigrette using dates was brilliant! I love the sweet and tangy flavor combination, particularly on a bed of spicy arugula!
Medjool Date Vinaigrette
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 6 pitted Medjool dates , (See recipe notes below)
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ – ½ cups water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Rough cut dates and transfer to blender or food processor. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until smooth.6 pitted Medjool dates, ¼ cup Dijon mustard, ½ cup olive oil, 1 small garlic clove, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ – ½ cups water, ¼ teaspoon salt
