Strawberry Salad Dressing – GAPS, Paleo, Whole30

This 4 ingredient strawberry salad dressing is refreshing, sweet, and tangy. Enjoy as a vinaigrette dressing over salad greens, over fruit salad, or as a dipping sauce. Our daughter enjoys this strawberry sauce so much, she often asks to drink it plain! Try this easy to make treat for your spring and summer dishes.

Recipes Using Strawberry Salad Dressing

I originally saw a similar recipe for this strawberry salad dressing, paired with a spinach and feta cheese salad. I have not tried it this way, but my mouth waters a little thinking about it!

How to Make Strawberry Salad Dressing

Helpful Tools to Make This Recipe

• half pint jars
• non-leaking lids
• honey
• apple cider vinegar
• immersion blender

Ingredients  

• 2 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp honey (preferably raw or fresh squeezed orange juice [for Whole30 recipe])
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions 

• Combine fresh or frozen (partially thawed, or thawed) strawberries, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and honey in a mixing bowl or blender.
• Blend with a blender or immersion blender until dressing is smooth.

Notes

• For a Whole30 compliant recipe, swap fresh squeezed orange juice for honey, or just omit honey for a tangier flavor.
• I love using frozen strawberries in this recipe, especially in warm weather! The strawberry sauce is almost like a smoothie texture and it is so cold and refreshing.
• Store strawberry salad dressing in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Our favorite recipes using this strawberry salad dressing are:

1. Strawberry coleslaw salad: I am not sure if this is a proper name for this salad, but it is what we call it! We combine finely chopped cabbage, blueberries (fresh or frozen), strawberry slices (fresh or frozen), clementine slices, chopped apples and pecans. Pour the strawberry salad dressing over the cabbage and fruit, mix, and serve. This coleslaw salad is good leftover the next day, too! You can also store extra cabbage and fruit salad separately from the dressing. I use these half pint jars with non-leaking lids to pack dressing for travel and lunches.
2. Fruit salad: We use any combination of fruit we have on hand plus nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds. Fruits that work best for this are berries, apples, oranges and other “hardier” type fruits. Melon and other softer fruits do not combine the best with this salad dressing.
3. Salad greens and veggies: We have enjoyed this strawberry salad dressing over salad greens, using mild or sweeter flavored greens and veggies, such as romaine lettuce, cucumbers, and shredded carrots.
4. As a plain drink: Ok, we do not all have this as our favorite beverage, but our 7 year old daughter really enjoys this as a drink!

Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

There are many health benefits to using apple cider vinegar both topically and internally. Just a few of the many benefits of consuming ACV internally are:

1. Anti-fungal, anti-yeast, and anti-microbial properties. We drink this diluted in water when we are ill, such as providing relief for strep throat, and we also add to the water we give our farm animals.
2. Gut healthy probiotics: When shopping for apple cider vinegar (or you can make your own!), aim for brands that are labeled “with the mother.” Our favorite brand is Braggs. When the vinegar contains the “mother”, it has probiotics in it.
3. Helps control blood glucose/sugar and insulin, especially in those with type 2 diabetes (source).
4. When consumed daily, significant reductions in anthropometric variables (weight, body mass index, waist/hip circumferences and body fat ratio), blood glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol levels are observed in clinical trials (source).

Why You Will Love This Strawberry Salad Dressing

1. Taste. This strawberry salad dressing is bursting with sweet, berry flavor with a slight tang from the apple cider vinegar. It pairs perfectly on many spring and summer dishes or is a refreshing wintertime treat.
2. Quick & easy to prepare. You can make this recipe in less than 5 minutes with only 4 ingredients.
3. Healing diet friendly. This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, and egg-free. Whether you are eating GAPS, Paleo, whole food, Whole30, or just becoming more ingredient aware, this recipe is compatible with many healing diets.
4. Naturally sweetened. Use any fresh blended berries and honey to eliminate the need for refined and processed sugar.
5. Customizable. You can use any berries. You may prefer to omit honey or substitute with another sweetener, like fresh squeezed orange juice.