Strawberry Vinaigrette

When life gives you too many fresh strawberries, make a margarita first, then make this zesty, sweet strawberry vinaigrette. Juicy strawberries get macerated with a little sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to become the foundation of a delicious strawberry vinaigrette that makes your salads so much better!

You only need a few pantry ingredients to make a flavorful strawberry vinaigrette.

• Fresh strawberries
• Lemon
• Granulated sugar
• Apple cider vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil 

Typically, you would see honey or maple syrup as a sweetener in this classic vinaigrette, but adding the juice from macerated strawberries naturally lends it a fruity sweetness. 

A vinaigrette is a three-to-one ratio that follows a simple formula of three parts oil to one part vinegar. But a dressing doesn’t need to have oil or vinegar. A dressing tends to be creamier, as it often uses dairy products like mayonnaise and sour cream, without oil or vinegar.

I highly recommend using fresh strawberries for the vinaigrette to emphasize their naturally sweet, fruity flavor. Because you hand-chop the berries, there are nice bites of juicy strawberries throughout.

Any sharp, peppery green like arugula would be fantastic to serve with the fruity strawberry vinaigrette. Add dollops of goat cheese as another topping to take your salad to the next level. You can even drizzle this over roasted chicken breast to add more flavor.