Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

This Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette recipe is made with aged Modena balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, sun dried tomatoes in oil, fresh basil, dijon mustard and water. It’s a richly flavored sun dried tomato dressing that’s perfect to toss with mixed greens, Mediterranean and Italian salads with.

If you love a good balsamic vinaigrette, you’ll want to give this Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette a try. It has a great combination of balsamic vinaigrette and sun dried tomato flavors. It’s so good! 

If you’re like me, I love making homemade salad dressings. I can’t remember the last time I bought the bottled stuff at the store. And if you have an arsenal of homemade salad dressing recipes that you like to make, then you’re probably going to eat more salads at home.  A good salad dressing can make a simple bowl of greens very satisfying! 

Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Recipe

Whatever salad you toss this Sun Dried Tomato dressing with, you’ll want to be sure to serve it with lots of warm crusty bread to soak up the last drop of it from your plate.

• Sun Dried Tomatoes. Use sun dried tomatoes in oil or homemade sun dried tomatoes for this recipe.
• Balsamic vinegar. This is the key ingredients, so be sure to use an affordable high quality Balsamic Vinegar. This recipe uses aged balsamic vinaigrette. Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is my go-to balsamic vinegar for making dressings with.
• Water. We add water to help blend the sun dried tomatoes.
• Dijon Mustard. This helps to emulsify the vinaigrette.
• Fresh Basil. Basil leaves add so much flavor and pairs nicely with sun dried tomatoes.
• Extra-virgin olive oil. Also a key ingredient, so use a good flavorful olive oil, preferably one without an intense flavor.
• Seasoning. We just use a little sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Find printable recipe with measurements below.

Variations

• Add a little more water (just a tablespoon or two) if you want the vinaigrette to be a little thinner.
• Toss in 1-2 chopped garlic cloves or 1 tablespoon chopped shallots to the blender.
• Add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (you’ll need to add a little water (2-3 tablespoons) to thin the dressing out if you add cheese)

How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

You’ll want to blend the sun dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, basil and water first, then add the olive oil at the end. Don’t over-blend the vinaigrette – about 20 seconds to blend in the olive oil is long enough. We want to leave some tiny flecks of sun dried tomato in the dressing.

1. Blend Tomatoes. Add the mustard, Balsamic vinegar, water, basil and sun dried tomatoes to a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth.  Turn motor off and scrape down the sides.
2. Add Olive Oil.  With the blender on low speed, slowly pour the olive oil into the vinaigrette until it’s fully incorporated and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Add more water (2-3 tablespoons) if you want a thinner consistency.
3. Store. Transfer vinaigrette to an airtight container or mason jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Best Sun Dried Tomatoes to Use

Sun dried tomatoes packed in oil are the same as dry-packed tomatoes, only they’re packed in oil often with seasoning. You can use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil straight from the jar, just drain them and pat them dry with a paper towel before using them. Dry-packed tomatoes need to be hydrated with warm water for about 30 minutes before using them. You just place them in a bowl and cover with hot water, then let them sit for 30 minutes. After they’ve plumped up, drain them and pat them dry with a paper towel before using them.

I prefer to use either sun dried tomatoes in oil or my homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes for this recipe. If you use homemade sun dried tomatoes, you don’t need to rehydrate them.

What is Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is a dark brown vinegar made from unfermented grape juice. This grape juice is made from freshly crushed grapes, including the skins, seeds and stems of the fruit. This is called “grape must”.  The must is then cooked over a flame and concentrated by half, then fermented naturally for several weeks, then further concentrated for several months to several years in aging barrels. The barrels are made with different wood, such as oak, cherry and chestnut.

A traditional balsamic vinegar will be thick and velvety, with an almost syrup-like consistency. It will be richly flavored with hints of fig, molasses, chocolate, prune and cherry, and  is may have slight smoky flavor from the wood barrels its aged in. Aged balsamic vinegar will typically have a more mellow tartness rather than a strong breath-taking acidic flavor.  So a good affordable aged balsamic vinegar is a good choice to use when making vinaigrettes.

Serving Suggestions

This Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette is a great dressing to toss with simple green salads, but it’s especially delicious tossed with Italian and Mediterranean salads.

• Everyday Mediterranean Salad
• Italian Chopped Salad
• Everyday Tossed Salad
• Romaine Salad

Looking for More Healthy Salad Dressing Recipes?

I always keep a jar of homemade salad dressing in the fridge to drizzle over greens for a quick and easy salad. Here are a few of my favorites that I keep on hand. They go with just about any salad you’d want to toss them with.

• Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Lemon Olive Oil Dressing
• Greek Salad Dressing
• Italian Salad Dressing
• Caesar Salad Dressing
• Lemon Mustard Vinaigrette
• Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing
• Cleansing Lemon Herb Vinaigrette

Still want more ideas? Check out all my healthy salad dressing recipes.

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Print

Yield: 6 servings

Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

This Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette recipe is made with aged Modena balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, sun dried tomatoes in oil, fresh basil, dijon mustard and water. It's a richly flavored sun dried tomato dressing that's perfect to toss with mixed greens, Mediterranean and Italian salads with.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup  sun dried tomato pieces (use sun dried tomatoes in oil or homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes)
• 1/4 cup aged Modena Balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup water (2-3 tablespoons more if needed to reach desired consistency)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Add the mustard, Balsamic vinegar, water, basil and sun dried tomatoes to a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth.  Turn motor off and scrape down the sides.
2. With the blender on low, slowly pour the olive oil into the vinaigrette for about 10-20 second until it's well emulsified. If the consistency is too thick, add 2-3 more tablespoons of water to thin it out a bit.
3. Season with salt and pepper
4. Transfer vinaigrette to an airtight container or mason jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 262Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 230mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g

theharvestkitchen.com attempts to provide accurate information, however, this nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. The nutritional information provided comes from online sources and calculations. See full disclaimer on About page.